Obstacles That Have Changed From The Past To Present In The Lives Of Teenagers

An obstacle that people my age may have to face, that was not present in my parent’s generation, is getting an education and working at the same time. Teenagers have to start to work so they are able to save money for their post secondary education. Post secondary education has become more expensive and so teenagers are working while they are being educated in high school. In the past, not many people wanted to get degrees; they would just start working to earn money. Now that has changed. People want to get a post secondary education and then start their career. With this degree, people can be identified because when others ask what you do or what you have studied they can talk about their post secondary education. This has become an obstacle because if you do not have a post secondary education people assume that you do not make a lot of money, or they think you are not smart (though this fact may not be true). People start judging you for what you have and what you do not have. In the past, many people did not go to get a post secondary education; they just started work. Therefore, it was not that important to others what type of education one has. Overall, to have a degree and a career has become very competitive now than the past.

Another obstacle people my age face is dating. In my parent’s generation dating did happen but it was controlled. By that I mean parents had restrictions and curfews. Some parents still do have restrictions and curfews but you do not see it often in a teenager’s life. This is assumed because one day they are going to leave home when they go to get their post secondary education. In the past, people got married early but now people start dating earlier. Dating earlier has become an obstacle because I believe teenagers do not know what they are doing or what love is. If they do not know what love is, that is fine because they will learn as time progresses. However, when you start dating at an early age you don’t know what to expect in the future and you move to fast for your age. When people start dating they do not always marry the first person they date. It may happen but it’s very rare, unless it’s an arranged marriage (which does not really count as the parents have decided the marriage). Girls, in general, are very sensitive and assume that the first person they start to date is the one they are going to marry. They feel that their boyfriend means everything to them, until the day they realize they are wrong. Overall, people in this generation face many obstacles because they have not yet learn what a healthy relationship is.

Independence is another one of the obstacles. Teenagers go out more than their parents did with their friends. Parents always asking their children where they are going, and telling them when to come home and what is safe makes the teenagers feel crowded. By this I mean that teenagers feel as if their parents are treating them like babies. However, their parent’s only want for their children to be happy and safe. When parents nag their children this becomes an obstacle because teenagers want to make their own decisions; however, they are not able to since their parents are making decisions for them. An example of this would be their careers. Parents these days are choosing careers they want their children to go into even if the child may not want to.

Lastly, another obstacle is getting a driver’s license. A driver’s license in my parent’s generation was not an important part of their life. You did not need to have one. People used buses, subways, and taxis. Now, every teenager wants their driver’s license when they turn 16. This could be an obstacle because teenagers are careless at times (not all but some). This can be a hazard to other drivers on the road. Therefore, parents may not want their children to have their license at such a young age. The teenagers will definitely have a problem with their parents saying no and this becomes an obstacle for both the parents and teenagers. In the past rules, by the parents, were obeyed by the children without any arguments. Now that has slightly changed and children know want to know “why”. If the parents cannot provide a good enough reason, they might be forced to give in with their children. Obstacles from the past have now changed. These were just some of the obstacles that people my age face; however, there are many more that start to unfold with each generation (as different lifestyles are created).