The speaker supports her argument by claiming that in order to understand the ‘contemporary’ culture we must study its youth. This is only one way to look at the world, however, and, I would argue, an ineffective one

The speaker asserts that in order to understand the ‘contemporary’ culture we must study its youth. She may be right in identifying youth as the driving force of change, but this argument fails to take into consideration the large number of cultural phenomena which stem from the interactions between people of different generations. It is not the youthful generation that shapes the ‘contemporary’ culture, but rather, it is the people who survived the youth that create and shape the ‘contemporary’ culture. The youth are merely at the forefront of change, and these older generations are responsible for evaluating and accepting or rejecting these new changes. For example, the internet and social media had a dramatic impact on modern culture. Young people, in their own generation, are the first to be introduced to this new technology. However, it is the older generations who have to decide whether they want to embrace or reject these new modes of communication. They are the ones who decide whether or not they will spend their time surfing the internet or posting on social media sites. The youth, in their generation, are simply the driving force of change. Both the older generations and the youth will be affected by these changes, but the youth are responsible for instigating them

The speaker also fails to consider how the roles which youth play in the ‘contemporary’ culture affect their generation. There are positive ways in which youth influence society. For example, young musicians are given opportunities to perform in venues that they would not otherwise be able to access. They may also be able to use these performances as a stepping stone to greater fame. Young people may also create new and innovative approaches to the problems that the older generations face. For example, young people are often more accepting of non-traditional families and lifestyles, which may be a reaction to oppressive societal norms. However, this can also be problematic if a young person is born into a family which embraces non-traditional lifestyles and identifies with these values. The youth of today, for their own generation, are at the forefront of change, but it is important to realize that this is often a reaction to already established trends which older generations have dealt with

The speaker also fails to consider how youth represent change. Young people are the vanguard of change, but in order for the change to be truly revolutionary, the older generations must come together to accept or reject it. Young people are instrumental in shaping culture, but it is important that they not dominate the conversation. Older generations have played roles in the shaping of culture for millennia, and their knowledge and experience should be taken into account. Any change to the status quo needs to incorporate their ideas and values, rather than blindly following the youth.