By: Blakely Greenwell

Every kid thinks that their parents were their age millions of years ago, that they have it so much harder and that it is impossible to relate. Hate to be the barer of bad news, but our parent’s generation was just like ours. They had the same struggles and complained about the same things we do now. Maybe, just maybe teens are more like their parents than they ever thought.

Look back to the headlines of the The Blotter in the 90s, 70s, even back to the 60s and be amazed. Student journalist those days wrote and rambled about fashion, technology and fitting in. Basically, what high school students all care about today too.

Technology has been all the rage, since the first computer the size of my closet was invented. Just because our parents had to be excited about things like a new buzzer for the debate team, and we are excited about things like an Iphone 5, doesn’t mean the excitement was any less intense. Every generation believes their technology is top-notch and that nothing could ever beat it.

Today most students wouldn’t be caught dead in bell bottom jeans and crochet tops, but back in the day that was all the rage.  Did you ever stop to consider you might just think those were cute too if you grew up then? Older generations have a hard time understanding our “jeggings” and overpriced name brand shirts. This is what our generation grew up watching our peers wear. No matter how good looking each generation’s clothes actually are, what people wear is affected by what their peers wear. Looking good is important to every generation.

The biggest problem a kid faces, no matter what generation they live in, is fitting in. Students struggling with sexuality and identity issues suffer socially. While it might seem like gay rights and acceptance is just now popping up, in reality it is a timeless struggle.  Every student’s parent’s peers, or maybe their parents themselves, struggled with accepting qualities considered “abnormal.”

Maybe next time your parents thinks your clothes are ugly, you should stop to consider they grew up with mullets and MC Hammer pants. The next time they ask you for help with their new Iphone, consider they are just as interested in technology as you but its just a bit harder because they grew up with computers the size of a classroom. Maybe, just maybe, people aren’t that different from their parents after all.