Rebellion against Rebel

In Secondary methods class tonight, the assignment was to come up with ten assumptions about "teenagers." It was interesting sorting through the responses to judge what labels are negative vs positive, what stereotypes of this age are "true" or earned, and exactly what can be generalized about this age given the complexity of American society and the diversity of teens. The term "rebel" worn proudly just a few generations ago was discussed as an inappropriate label for most teens. It generated the question in my mind "does consumerism breed complacency?" Consumerism is not new, in fact, since the 1930s, business helped to codify the teen years through a succession of products and trends. Read more about teens in Teenagers: An American History by Grace Palladino or The Rise and Fall of the American Teenager by Thomas Hine.