The Ambitious Generation
The popular media often portray adolescents as "slackers," drug users, and perpetrators of violent crimes. Yet, an overwhelming majority of teenagers graduate from high school, do not use hard drugs, are not criminals, and do not father or have babies while still in their teens. Many of them are willing to work hard to get good grades and assume this will make them eligible for scholarships at the colleges they plan to attend. Most are worried about their futures and believe obtaining a college degree is critical for finding a real rather than a teenage job. The bachelor's degree is seen by these young people as the necessary first step in moving up the economic and social ladder. Many also consider graduate and professional degrees essential.
More than 90 percent of today's high school seniors expect to attend college, and more than 70 percent aspire to work in professional jobs. A majority see themselves as physicians, lawyers, and business managers; few want to work as machinists, secretaries, or plumbers. Such high ambitions are held by teenagers from all families--rich, poor, Asian, black, Hispanic, and white. Four decades ago, the picture was quite different, with only 55 percent expecting to attend college and approximately 42 percent aspiring to work in professional jobs. Today's adolescents are America's most ambitious teenage generation ever.
Imagining their future work lives as filled with promise and uncertainty, teenagers believe in the value of technology, the need for specialization, and the importance of being flexible in their job choices. They envision changing their adult jobs frequently and changing their careers occasionally. Teenagers accept the volatility of the labor market and assert that the way to create a personal safety net is to obtain additional education. This focus on postsecondary education as a form of security helps explain the dramatic rise in ambitions. It also highlights the importance of the choices teenagers make...
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