Morals of Young Americans: Then and Now
When moral principles are mentioned we think of what is considered right or wrong by an individual or social group. Moral principles play a significant role on the thoughts/actions of society and should be investigated in answering the prompt given. But let us take a deeper look at them, the act of murder or taking an item without the permission of the owner are both common actions that are thought to be immoral in society. In some instances morals are relative to the situation. Killing another human being can be argued as being moral in extreme circumstances like during a war if during the act of killing one person you have the opportunity to save thousands of innocent civilians. Although, circumstances were not always that brutal during the entire decade of the 1960's the events that took place did extensively change the moral outlook of the American youth.
Over the course of the 1960's America had been afflicted by poverty, racism, and the Vietnam War to name a few things. These ushered in a change in household values and some would say in a negative way. Regardless, the values do differ from current ones and the 60’s were a stepping stone in history to where we are morally today. The youth in America began to have a negative mental outlook towards authority after all the issues in the 60's played out. A sort of counter culture started taking shape and long standing morals in the U.S. were challenged with the blurring of specific values inside both families and in the churches. More and more people had different values and there was a visible decline in religious affiliation.
The birth control pill was introduced into society during the 1960's which prompted a "sexual revolution." The birth control pill allowed the youth of the 60's to easily avoid pregnancy and therefore increased the amount of sex in the nation. This was one large step towards forming the counterculture of “hippies” in the United States. Hippies were known for having questionable morals at the time. Like engaging in risky drug behavior, listening to wild music, and having more than one sexual partner in some cases (due to the birth control pill). Hippies also often wore flamboyant clothing painted with flowers, had long hair, and used the peace sign. They were revolutionary because they adopted a few positive moral views like the notion of freedom they shared and how they showed love and compassion for everyone regardless of faith, color, or gender.
The American youth at the time made up a hefty majority of the Hippie population. But how does this relate to morals and the youth today? The Hippie culture had compassion for others yet it still had a foundation built on self-indulgence and an intolerance of traditional values. In a sense, the Hippies set the trend in the 1960’s for challenging authority and doing things as they pleased. This trend ultimately continued and intensified over time leading to the self-centered morals of the youth today. The present American youth is more satisfied with consumerism, the material world, and celebrity drama rather than what is happening around the globe. A survey of 600 California residents ranging from the ages of 16 to 22 reinforced the idea of moral decay and the lowered involvement of the youth in American and world issues. The article stated that, “Family disintegration and neighborhood violence are more distressing to California's teens and young adults than global warming or war.” (California Dreamers). With family disintegration and neighborhood violence topping the responses, these issues are more pressing and take precedence over being politically engaged. While the years have progressed since the 1960's so has the moral decay and it has resulted in the American youth being concerned solely on themselves.
Over the course of the 1960's America had been afflicted by poverty, racism, and the Vietnam War to name a few things. These ushered in a change in household values and some would say in a negative way. Regardless, the values do differ from current ones and the 60’s were a stepping stone in history to where we are morally today. The youth in America began to have a negative mental outlook towards authority after all the issues in the 60's played out. A sort of counter culture started taking shape and long standing morals in the U.S. were challenged with the blurring of specific values inside both families and in the churches. More and more people had different values and there was a visible decline in religious affiliation.
The birth control pill was introduced into society during the 1960's which prompted a "sexual revolution." The birth control pill allowed the youth of the 60's to easily avoid pregnancy and therefore increased the amount of sex in the nation. This was one large step towards forming the counterculture of “hippies” in the United States. Hippies were known for having questionable morals at the time. Like engaging in risky drug behavior, listening to wild music, and having more than one sexual partner in some cases (due to the birth control pill). Hippies also often wore flamboyant clothing painted with flowers, had long hair, and used the peace sign. They were revolutionary because they adopted a few positive moral views like the notion of freedom they shared and how they showed love and compassion for everyone regardless of faith, color, or gender.
The American youth at the time made up a hefty majority of the Hippie population. But how does this relate to morals and the youth today? The Hippie culture had compassion for others yet it still had a foundation built on self-indulgence and an intolerance of traditional values. In a sense, the Hippies set the trend in the 1960’s for challenging authority and doing things as they pleased. This trend ultimately continued and intensified over time leading to the self-centered morals of the youth today. The present American youth is more satisfied with consumerism, the material world, and celebrity drama rather than what is happening around the globe. A survey of 600 California residents ranging from the ages of 16 to 22 reinforced the idea of moral decay and the lowered involvement of the youth in American and world issues. The article stated that, “Family disintegration and neighborhood violence are more distressing to California's teens and young adults than global warming or war.” (California Dreamers). With family disintegration and neighborhood violence topping the responses, these issues are more pressing and take precedence over being politically engaged. While the years have progressed since the 1960's so has the moral decay and it has resulted in the American youth being concerned solely on themselves.