Since When Did It Become Cool To Be Conformist?
Recently we have begun to see a strange phenomenon sweep across the youth of today- the notion that it’s become cool to be conformist. From hearing about my parents self-proclaimed ‘sins of their youth’ its easy to see that it was once expected that young people would go through a form of rebellion in order to determine their own identity through making mistakes and trying out different things. We once saw teenagers wanting to rebel against the government, against societal expectations, to go their own way, to revel in making mistakes and learning from them. Now it seems that the youth themselves have obliterated their own opportunity to really learn and form their own solid foundations for the future.
What Is Cool Now?
Teenagers (at least in England) seem to delight in pleasing everyone. Their brains absorb information like a sponge and instead of questioning or choosing to rebel against the doctrines they are prescribed, they simply lap it up! So many of these group choose cover themselves with labels, they essentially give up all individuality to fit in, to be another tick in the box. Not only that, but it’s become cool to become anti-human! Once groups and sub-cultures were about bringing people together through art, music and fashion. Now these groups unite in their shared love of hatred, often even hatred for humanity itself. Can you think of anything more pitiful?
Why Did This Happen?
In my opinion, there are multiple factors at play here when when it comes to he silent death in teenage rebellion that has occurred the last decade. My initial thoughts begin with the lack of involvement from parents with their children from a young age. With the rise in dual-income families, the influence and respect children, and later on teens, have for their parents greatly diminishes. Since most parents will be too busy with work to actually know what their children are being bombarded with on social media and taught at school, most simply won’t ask and those that do won’t have time to question the effects that this kind of dogmatic programming is having on their children’s self-development and self-identity.
This brings me to my second point, our current education system. Oh my, what a shambles. Having finished my own stint in the education system only a few years ago, I really began to see their motives emerge in my final years in the system. First and foremost, children are rewarded for NOT thinking. Yes, you heard right, not thinking. The vast majority of exams, even liberal art subjects, reward students for their ability to recall learned information and to parrot it right back at them. With an education system that will punish you for writing about topics from ‘the wrong side’ it’s no wonder that children are simply being programmed to follow and to not question. This is the first place these children will experience ‘cancel culture’ and the effects of not following the party line. It boggles my mind that teenagers would jump to the defense of topics their teachers expose them to. I remember, rolling my eyes at teachers I disagreed with, actively questioning and discussing points I disagreed on in my ethics classes, and expressing my point of view. I’m shocked and saddened to think that not only would the youth of today be too afraid of what their teachers may think about their viewpoints, but that their peers would ostracise and alienate them for it.
So Why Are People So Afraid To Be Themselves?
This is probably the part that puzzles me the most. Allegedly, in the West, we have never been more free to be ‘ourselves’ than we are today. But this only applies if you are following the rules. Whatever you ‘identify’ as then sets up another list of rules for what your beliefs, political views, and family dynamic will be. In a world where we have become so focused on phases like ‘you do you’ and ‘we’re all individuals’ never have those of us who chose question and to come to our own conclusions be ostracised so much. What can I say, when your mission to achieve inclusiveness and tolerance above all else, you’re going to have to display a whole lot of intolerance to get the job done. The irony.
I believe that it’s the combination of a shaky social structure and a lack of inner strength that allows this fear of alienation to take a hold. When you have grown up either with only one parent or simply parents who were too busy working to have time for you, it would become easy for the teachings of the state to become your guardian, your source of guidance, your place of safety. But there is a fundamental issue with this, parents can provide a deep unconditional love, a love that allows children to grow and develop whilst feeling safe throughout the process. The love provided by a school system, an online movement or an activist group can never be unconditional, in fact, it is totally the opposite. These groups demand conformity, box-ticking and the parroting of information for you to be ‘one of them’. How could any child possibly learn to think, to question, to develop themselves when the consequences of saying or doing the wrong thing could so easily result in losing their only means of support?
So What’s My Advice?
Talk to people. If you have children make it your priority to engage them in conversation, to listen to them, to advise them, and to encourage them to question, especially if you disagree. I would encourage everyone to begin expanding their social circles, to engage others in conversation, and to befriend even those who disagree with you. The problem doesn’t lie with ideas, the problem lies when we stop ourselves from having discussions and we allow militant individuals to force one narrative onto us no questions asked. The more of us who ask questions, the more of us can set a precedent for free speech and the fewer mad ideas we allow to possess our youth.
