Even Evan Hoover, author of the "Millennial Muddle" agrees with what Bauerlein and I have to say about adolescents. Hoover starts out by saying, "They've got those headphones in their ears and a gadget in every hand. They speak in tongues and text in code." This statement perfectly illustrates how adolescents are with technology. They love it. They can't get enough of it. He goes on saying, "Teenagers…are drowning in their own ignorance and illiteracy. To tout the technological skills of today's students…feeds the generational consciousness that keeps kids from growing up." I completely agree with this statement. It's blatant but honest. Our skills with the computer, phone or tablet might be increasing in complexity but our reading skills aren't. …show more content…
However, the idea of a family splitting apart is much more critical and significant. The notion of seeing authority figures such as our parents arguing in front of adolescents and fearing the family will split is one fear no adolescent can brush off. Even if a family doesn't break off, parents can still neglect their children in many ways, causing external and internal problems with themselves. In the film, The Breakfast Club, Bender and his highly non-functioning parents have molded how Bender thinks and acts around people. As he crosses the threshold into adulthood, Bender will always act violent and impulsive towards others. He lacks that belief that people actually care, and this renders him emotionless at times. Bender has this inability to show affection and kindness, all because of his neglectful and abusive parents. In one of the scenes, he tells the rest of the group how his typical conversation with his parents goes. John Bender, imitating his father, says, "Stupid, worthless, no good, goddamn, freeloading son of a bitch. Retarded, big mouth, know-it-all, asshole, jerk." Then imitating his mother, Bender says, "You forgot ugly, lazy and disrespectful." The vulgar conversation continues along and eventually Bender shows a cigarette butt burn on his arm and …show more content…
In Philip Roth's short story, "Conversion of the Jews," Roth talks about how a boy named Ozzie Freedman takes risks several times. The first time Ozzie took a risk was when was talking badly about his rabbi's beliefs about God to his best friend, Itzie Lieberman. Ozzie could've been caught and punished in the synagogue. Secondly, was when Ozzie finally stood up to Rabbi Binder in class in front of his classmates. After a bad reaction, Ozzie stormed off and ended up on the edge of the roof. This was his third time Ozzie took a bold risk. He shows a hint of egocentrism when he forced his watchers down below to kneel before him and accept that God is all-powerful and God can do anything He wants to do. The fact that he contemplated suicide so quickly perfectly provides proof that adolescents with behaviors such as this will not be ready for the adult life. This bold and rash behavior along with his egocentrism demonstrates that adolescents' tendencies for risk-taking are not good for their futures. Making impulsive and dangerous behavior will be the downfall of adolescents' futures as they become real