Grace Hagenson
AP Language and Composition
J. Robinson
14 April 2008
Orpah: The Myth of Intelligence Synonymous with Age
About a month ago, I was competing in a jovial game of “Name that Celebrity” aboard the cruise ship Carnival. Although the game was a joke to me, some of the older women were getting vicious. Once the game was over and awards were being given, I remarked that “Oprah” was not Oprah Winfrey’s real first name. The middle-aged women standing next to me argued that it was and when I asserted my case, she affirmed hers: “Believe me, honey, I’m older than you.”
This common “teenagers-are-stupid-and-ignorant” myth is something that many young people encounter every day. At what age do we finally cross the threshold from “young and dumb” into “old and wise”? In my seventeen years of experience, although one is older and perhaps even wiser, one may not have escaped the chains of ignorance.
In a recent survey of teenagers in Orlando, Florida, the results were absurd. The surveys showed that some Florida teens believe, to prevent HIV, one must drink a cup of bleach. Other such “beliefs” were marijuana and mountain dew prevent pregnancy (Whacker). Although I don’t believe the survey has much credibility, it nevertheless displays the lack of respect adults have for the youth. If teenagers were actually to believe silly things like this, it only leaves one explanation: some sexual educators- parents or teachers- are seriously misinforming the youth. If teenagers could possibly be this ignorant, it could only be a result of adults teaching them such idiosyncrasies.
Surely adolescents are treated as though they are immature and empty-headed, but are they? There is evidence that could perhaps lead to the conclusion that the youth today is more mature than in the past. Although there are the unlikely, media sensationalized cases of school shootings, school violence has dropped from 48 crimes per 1,000 students in 1992 to 22 per 1,000 in 2004. In the same period, the number of student crimes fell from 3.4 million to 1.4 million. (Meanwhile, the teenage population expanded by 5.4 million.) The teenage pregnancy rate has dropped, the drinking rate has fallen, and drug abuse has gradually been slowing (Cloud).
Many a time my mother has accused me of being a “know-it-all” because she asserts something simple such as “You know, dear, drugs are bad”, to which I reply “I know, mother.” Apparently a response such as: “Oh really mother? Tell me more!” would have been much more suitable because she struck back with “Well you just know everything, don’t you?” What my mother fails to understand is that I am quite aware that I do not know everything, or even a small portion of “everything.” In actuality, I am simply aware of common knowledge such as “drugs are bad.” On the other hand, on the occasional night when I try to explain to her why I believe in evolution, she replies “How can you actually believe we evolved from monkeys?”
I know, however, that my mother has thirty-six more years of experience than I. I am not arguing that I have more knowledge on raising children, marriage, cooking, people, or divorce. The facts of life can only come through exactly that- life. But what I am arguing is that, today, she no longer has the same reaction time or memory as I. The “teenager” is a false period of life. In a blog titled “Then Why Call them Young Adults?” a mother refutes the idea of this false world of teenagers whom are silly and immature, stating “We have completely isolated young people from adults and created a peer culture. We stick them in school and keep them from working in any meaningful way, and if they do something wrong we put them in a pen with other “children.”” (Mom, Princess). In America, the word “teenager” has a negative connotation and is associated with flailing hormones, immaturity, and ignorance. The reality is that the only difference between teenagers and adults is a certain number of years. It is silly to keep “teenagers” from doing any meaningful work in society when, biologically, they are more capable.
Oprah Winfrey was originally born “Orpah”- a biblical name. She changed her name later in life because it was commonly mispronounced. The teenage mind is often assailed as feeble and callow, and although it may be less experienced in life, it is by no means “immature” or “ignorant.” Being dumb or myopic are attributes that can be credited to a person of any age. It is time to recognize the youth as mature, capable persons- especially as a force in the Election of 2008.
