8 Reasons Young Americans Don't Fight Back: How the US Crushed Youth Resistance

9. The Youth are Pacified: Between focusing on graduating college, developing their careers, they also contend with distractions in the form of media. Instantly accessible entertainment such as video games, movies, internet video, porn, etc, they are all pacifiers. Why focus on the problems of the country if they don't effect you? So long as you have the entertainment you care about, and the things you need, what does anything else matter. People are detached from one another. They are apathetic. Unfortunately, the only way to change this, is through education. -I don't mean public schools, I mean talking to people and educating them. Making them confront the problem.

If they did get involved en-masse would the major media subsidiaries of the multi-nationals give any substantial coverage? So far they could care less.

Many young people are working hard across Ohio and Wisconsin to recall re-vote and petition and drives and well activism its non-violent and under reported and supported. Many are disillusioned and apathetic with good reason they are only perfecting what they've learned from us, more you really.. :/

First you gotta make it a crime to just 'stand' with other people without a permit. Loitering, check. Billyclub to face, check.

10 years ago when I was 17 I saw police beating drunk college kids on the train, groping girls and forcing them all to lie on the hard wet concrete face-down once they got off the train. When I was in college and George W was RE-elected I asked my fellow students "you're smart, why do you think this is happening and don't you want to protest it?" and 5/6 people told me; "I don't follow politics anymore, it's too depressing." So that is why we have our video games, mobile internet and consumer distractions; to hide from our huge student debt, shitty jobs and abusive government. It's like a kid who creates a fantasy world to escape a bad family situation.

I've been overseas and I can say this for an I witness fact. Comes a point in time when the level of frustration gets so high it no longer what matters the government will do. When people have had enough and have the energy, gumption, and some half way decent weapons available they will riot, or strike or even try to bring down a government. The more people hurt at this stage brings an even larger group out the next time, and often times even more dangerous. They may be right, they may be worng, but they will fight.

You first... hippies & yippie's and workers and retiree's and so on and so forth don't blame your creations for recognizing danger

..and the youth are well founded in their Fear of authority look how easily we are divided and conquered by the right . All they well, and I, see is the violence of the machine the lack of solidarity and activism, the rise of apathy who wants their teeth knocked out (w/no healthcare) for an apathetic working class that they are not even a part of ....

only one reason really, its cause when your not there with them its easily considered by authorities a riot...the youth need youth leaders look in the mirror ...thats why!

Interesting perspective but we have all been severely blinded in addition to your list, we haven't a clue to truth or our potential and bicker about details we glimpse as the world fades around us.

One thing not mentioned, the plain fact that this country has a pathological drive to under fund the Education Department of the US Government and make our children into a cluster of texting zombies. I don't have much hope.

This was a very interesting hypothesis. I have been wondering why this generation's youth is not out there screaming about what is going on. It is the young people who are the hope for the future and they appear to be self absorbed by their cell phones and the mall. This helped we understand the dynamics that has silenced their leadership in rebeling these controlling forces that threaten them and the future of our country. They are as much a victim in this class war as anyone. Some how we need to reach them. It is very much about them too!

9. No more lemonade stands.

I think there are stirrings amongst the younger people in this country and things are soon to be coming to a boil. People don't protest for the sake of protesting (except Colbert and Stewart) so we haven't seen a largely youth-led movement in a while. I predict the next movement in this country will be for a push to lower the cost of college tuition. The college cost bubble has to burst sooner or later, and why not push for it now, when it makes no sense to charge as much as they do for a degree that will get you no where but into years of debt...a few lucky ones may land a job that gets them gainfully employed, but not many--which leads the rest to wonder why they dropped $200K for a piece of paper that doesn't mean very much any more.

US Citizens don't realize how much power they have...they have been trained like good little puppies to behave and not poop on the sidewalk, don't rock the boat. We need the whole house of economic cards to come crashing down so the ultra rich get a taste of poverty...then lets see how much they take away from social programs.

It doesn't matter anyway unless the youth were to galvanize behind the demand for national referendum votes and replacing the electoral college fraud with one person / one vote elections.

My generation just isn't interested, that's been my observation.

Most of the shit the previous generation was raised to believe was asinine and evil in the public sector has become normal to my generation. And in the absence of any meaningful cultural influences to the contrary, they become self-absorbed and apathetic to larger problems.

You have to understand that this culture of selfishness America has developed is all the younger generation knows (which is, in my opinion, why Libertarian ideologies are more prevalent among the political youth these days) and that's made many people, as the article said, into Fundamentalist Consumers.

There are so many people I know who don't give a shit about anything except their next fix and their next paycheck, and the larger culture teaches them that's an acceptable way to live, that activism is voluntary, not a duty. In fact, I think the word duty is largely meaningless in America today, no one believes in it.

And being raised under George W Bush was no big help either. Imagine being taught that the past decade of American history is "normal."

You can see how that would make someone apathetic.

One thing you failed to mention, the youth seem to care about the enviroment more than adults. They want their envirement protected and safe, I have wittness this first hand. I think you may be under estimating our youth.

Today, Americans who lack college degrees are increasingly shamed as “losers”;

So there are a plethora of degrees for sale out there. From online, pay for MBA, to plays football well degrees, to legacy degrees where the student only shows up once a month. Essentially, just having a degree is more important than actually having the knowledge.

The biggest problem with most kids is they've been raised soft. Parents and teachers are afraid to hurt their feelings. They're afraid to tell kids they're wrong or challenge them to make a better effort. Then kids hit the real world to find out it's a big, bad, challenging world out there and they're clueless and helpless.

I'd like to thank all the parents who raised their kids pampered which a false sense of self esteem. You've provided my kids a tremendous advantage.

Spineless, self-centered, hedonistic jelly fish comes to mind, but I digress....

Alm, I commend this article for facilitating a dialogue on the lack of call to action by our youth. Though my contemporaries are not exclusively to blame their energy and current predicament in the world should have signaled the return of groups like the sds.

On another note point #2 hit home as I have returned to the study of psychoanalysis to further assist my understanding of the world and our mental environments. It has become my absynth with intoxicating affects. I only wish more people could take the time to enjoy this sweet liquer not because I'm some alcoholic but because I enjoy my cocktail parties with guest.. Good ol allegory ; )

I was excited voting for Obama-my own page of history. I had been watching CurrentTv for a year. The election brought suspense, hope, and disappointment. Now, 22 years old, I see the strings on the puppet-common sense amongst my friends. Nobody wants to take to the streets, busy waiting for the next rave, video game, movie and iPhone. Corporations have become the new slave owners. Somethings got to give...

Really enjoyed this article, and everyone's comments.

I love the old "these youngsters aint the same when I was young" tiraid rant. the country is where it is now cause whatever you did in your youth was not enough. We might not use your tactics but thats cause they didn't work last time. I can tell you what we do have Wikileaks and Anon. They have dealt and continue to deal a great blows against entrenched power and money. But the artical is right about one thing too many who say they want change are comfortable with their lives. seems the last ten years did not do enough to take them out of their comfort zone, maybe we need anouther 4? I can promise that unless these comfortable middle road democrats dont start vering left thats what we all are gonna get.

If you want young people to fight back, all you have to do is institute the draft.

It has allways been the drive of religion to control the people, when the College of Nicea convened it was the Idea of the Emporer Constantine to be able to control and tax an empire in a more efficient maner. After the fall of Rome the church became the ultimate decider of who ruled and did not rule by decision of the Pope. It was not until Martin Luthor tacked his manifesto on a church door in Germany that the church leadership was called into question. The inquesition is proof in point to the need of the church to control. Today it is still the same population and pshycological control being sought for the betterment of a few.

Excellent article. I am watching young people graduate from college with crippling debt and not jobs. My step daughter and my cousin, both recent grads with BAs have not been able to find suitable positions. One is working as a receptionist and the other in a hotel as a maid. The student loan payments make living independently impossible.

We have made slave of these poor kids. They pay for an education which is substandard as far as I can see and there are no jobs for them.

This should be making them angry and rebellious but they are too busy treading water just to survive.

Until there is inward thought,consciousness ,we are lost.Religion, the media, other distractions short circuit movements to force real change.We are sunk until people accept they have the power.

reason number #9...too busy getting high

I have five more things that lead young people to not fight back.

1. Young people have always had computers and other personal computer-ish products. They don't realize (like us older folks do) that, if one is not careful, one can end up wasting a lot of time in Facebook apps and online games. (I think this one could be put under the "Psychopathologizing and Medicating Noncompliance" (#2) category in the original article, as computer activity can become an escape mechanism, or "tranquilizer").

2. (This only is valid if you believe that voting is an indication of political involvement, which includes fighting back).The biggest influx of new voters we experienced in a very long time was the new voters who voted for Obama in 2008. A lot of those 2008 voters are very disappointed in, and angry with, Obama's performance as president, and many did not bother to vote in 2010. I think those two issues are related and, since Obama has not changed his back-stabbing ways since the 2010 election, it seems likely that the 2008 young voters will not vote in 2012, either. My hope is that Obama, by his bait-and-switch presidential scam, has not created a whole generation of apathetic voters, but I fear that this is exactly what he has done.

3. Young people, in general, are very herd oriented. Therefore, it is possible that the young, and now disappointed/angry 2008 young Obama voters, have influenced young people who have reached the age of voting since the 2008 election.

4. In general, the generation which is now at voting age, or soon will be at that age, have been raised by parents whose work environments may have involved a lot of team-work activities. It is believed that these kinds of activities cannot be successful if individual members don't buy into the group think, and especially if they stridently stand up for their own personal belief or idea. I believe this has been passed on to the children of these parents.

5. In general, young people have been encouraged to not get involved (except in popular, accepted group activities). More worrisome to me is that schools preach to students that, if another student is getting bullied, other students should not get involved and should not step in to stop the bullying action. This is frightening to me because it undermines one of the important aspects of the fabric of human society--protecting the weak because the weak have other skills that are valuable to society, and so, therefore, bullying the weak harms society. You can see this mind-think reflected in our president and congress's willingness to start stripping benefits from Social Security and Medicare. The presidential/congressional willingness to not stand up for the weak is clearly an "I-got-mine-who-cares-about-you" attitude, even in Democrats, who used to be more compassionate than GOPers. Understand, we spend a lot of effort electing and paying for our representation in Congress and the presidency, so for those we elected and who we financially support to just give the American citizens a giant FUCK-YOU, I-GOT-MINE approach to running our country is even more abhorant.

They made everyone too busy to pay attention and too comfortable to give a damn.

Added to , and "Featured" at "Culture.

p.s just joined "sociology" didn't realize c u r r e n t HAD that group !

EXCELLENT.
[ the writing/analysis - NOT - "the state of things" ] +^d

finally..an article on current worth reading and discussing. I have always wondered why the american public specifically the american youth has had no attempt to change the status quo of wheter it be education or health care or even social security. This article introduces the ideas we just need to take it a step further

There are as many excuses for doing what is wrong as you wish to make up. There is only one reason for doing what is right.
1. Student loan debt: Don't create the debt. Go to work and pay for school as you go.
2. Psychopathologizing and medicating noncompliance: Since the studies here are for 18 to34 year olds the answer is simple. Quit taking all of those little pills that Mother gives you. Always question authority. "Trust no one over thirty" was the mantra of the sixties. Hell I'm 56 and I don't trust me sometime.
3. Schools that Educate for Compliance and not Democracy: Ever heard of sit ins or other forms of protest? Try going to a school board meeting and asking questions. If they don't answer fully or truthfully, organize. Ask questions at college lectures when the Prof. tries to feed you a line of bullshit.
4. "No Child Left Behind" and "Race to the Top": That is what is commonly as "Hoacum" or for the more profane, bullshit. These are programs created by people who are called upon to create programs.
5. Shaming Young People Who Take Education - But Not Their Schooling Seriously: School is something you are required to do until your 16 in most states. The main reason most schools want you there is to get a fat paycheck from the government. "I loved college. I just hated the classes."
6. The Normalization of Surveillance: My kids were surveiled by me more than by anyone or anything else. Same as I was by my parents. It didn't stop me from raising hell and having fun.
7. Television: Either put down the remote or plot the revolution while playing Grand Theft Auto and watching Sponge Bob. Problem solved.
8. Fundamentalist Religion and Fundamentalist Consumerism: How did these two get thrown together? You have to be a sucker for both. Either grow up now and quit being a patsy or get ready for somebody to tell you what to do and how to do it for the rest of your life.
I am not and never will advocate violent revolution. As for as protesting that which is wrong and being part of political change, that's who we are. Read your history book. Quit trying to make excuses and start making a difference.

(ODD). The official symptoms of ODD include “often actively defies or refuses to comply with adult requests or rules,” “often argues with adults,” and “often deliberately does things to annoy other people.”
Thats sounds like a lot of people that I know. Myself included.