Dreadful Confidence: a mid-life happiness?

Twenty-four years after the teen angst era of grunge & revolt; do teenagers & young adults of today share those emotions with their predecessors? 

The decade of gen X, filled with thrift shop styled youth leading a moody revolution has been replaced with the laid back & colorful hippie era of techno raves. I’m sure drugs are still very present in today’s’ youth as it was in the 90’s, but why the sudden change from a hate & vengeful look, to a more party rock vibe. There’s something deeper than that & I had a chance to speak with a group of youth who love to rave on the weekends and party ‘til they pass out. It turns out that beneath all the 60’s peace & love, party style, they do share the same emotions as those from generation X. 

Kurt cobain's view

Between youth then and youth now: they still hate their lives; they wish their parent’s could stop talking; they want to be in control of themselves. The biggest difference between these two groups is that today’s youth doesn’t show the sadness, depressive anger they hold inside. Instead of styling with dark clothes and patterns, they dress in colors; they are at ease with themselves amongst others who are similar. They rather live in harmony with people like them and make it last long enough until they have to go home and wait ‘til the next rave, or a chance to go hang out with their peers. They also have the advantage with advanced technology such as computers and cellphones to keep in touch with the latest location for the raves. Then again, I’m part of the youth culture, but I don’t keep up with music events or parties. Music & media play big parts in youth culture. In the 90's, Nirvana certainly defined Gen X with non-sense poetic lyrics, hard riffs, and overall attitude on & off stage. With Kurt's death in 94, the youth of the time thought it was the end of the grunge era, but proved false when the music gained popularity, becoming a moto and speech from all teens in gen X. Today, we get high & drop to dubstep beats until dawn.    

Same problems, different lifestyle

      When it comes to teen angst in today’s youth, about how they feel inside, reminds me of the new Death From Above 1979 track: Trainwreck 1979. This song describes how a youth sees the world. Born in a chaotic place, they're searching around the world, in their town where they fit in. Even though they lash at their parents, they aren’t the ones to blame. But screaming at the top of their lungs must be pretty relieving when your parents are annoying. I don't think it's a song that can define todays generation, but it's certainly a start. Canadian teens all have their way of growing up, discovering who they really are. Nothing makes sense in the world, but everything will when you know where you belong. The U.K. tv show skins involves teens in high school, in their coming of age process. With sex, drugs and friendship, it reflects on how teens can be, but won't ultimately mean they will act like that. 

      I don't believe teenage angst is dead, it just shape shifted into a form that was a thing of the past mixed with today’s up beat music filled with sick bass drops and flashing lights. The new wave of growing up, knowing who you are. Becoming the adult you want to be, and not what society needs you to be. We're all rebels without a cause, although life seems miserable at best...