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By the 1920’s the idea and mindset of being a “teenager” was in full effect; though the term itself didn’t begin to emerge until the 1950’s. Although child labor still existed, it was no longer as prominent due to the increasing amount of labor restriction laws. Before, there was only childhood or adulthood; but now, for what felt like the first time for many people, teenagers in America were free to be teenagers. With the help of the self-advocated flapper, this newly formed group of “teenagers” exhibited traits unknown to both children and adults.1
After the strictness of the Victorian age, youth were eager to challenge traditional values by experimenting with new looks, attitudes, and lifestyles. The rise in high school attendance was one of the most important contributing factors in the making of the “teenager”. By the 1920s, the invention of the automobile allowed states to bring individual schools together to form larger districts. Children that lived in rural areas were now granted easier access to schools, as school buses provided them with free transportation. In response, the public school system rapidly expanded. At the time, high school was based on biological age, specifically for thirteen to eighteen year olds. “Between 1910 and 1930, enrollment in secondary schools increased almost 400 percent, with compulsory education laws pushing teenage youth out of the workplace and into the classroom.”2 Secondary schooling was no longer limited as a privilege for the upper class, it became part of mass public education. High school allowed for unsupervised interactions between teenagers of different social classes, gender, and race. Paired with the invention of the automobile, the majority of parents didn’t know how to handle their children’s newfound independence. With the Model T becoming affordable for most Americans, teenagers now had the means of getting places, and many took advantage of this new opportunity. Seen as a social essential, the automobile also dramatically impacted the courtship process as teens now had the liberty of traveling around for their dates, rather than just staying at home and chatting with the family. Automobiles threatened the old mannerisms of parental control, as teenagers could easily escape their home environment, and their parent's watchful eye. A sexual revolution encompassed the country as the battle for freedom between parents and their blossoming teenagers began. There was no longer the strict dynamic of parent and child, but instead a transformation into a battle between a parent and a transitioning-adult: the teenager.
1 Berkin, Berlin, et al. 2008. “The Invention of the Teenager .” In American History From Pre-Columbian to the New Millennium. Philadelphia: Independence Hall Association . http://www.ushistory.org/us/46c.asp.
2 Schrum, Kelly. “Teenagers.” In Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood in History and Society. The Gale Group Incorporated, 2008.
After the strictness of the Victorian age, youth were eager to challenge traditional values by experimenting with new looks, attitudes, and lifestyles. The rise in high school attendance was one of the most important contributing factors in the making of the “teenager”. By the 1920s, the invention of the automobile allowed states to bring individual schools together to form larger districts. Children that lived in rural areas were now granted easier access to schools, as school buses provided them with free transportation. In response, the public school system rapidly expanded. At the time, high school was based on biological age, specifically for thirteen to eighteen year olds. “Between 1910 and 1930, enrollment in secondary schools increased almost 400 percent, with compulsory education laws pushing teenage youth out of the workplace and into the classroom.”2 Secondary schooling was no longer limited as a privilege for the upper class, it became part of mass public education. High school allowed for unsupervised interactions between teenagers of different social classes, gender, and race. Paired with the invention of the automobile, the majority of parents didn’t know how to handle their children’s newfound independence. With the Model T becoming affordable for most Americans, teenagers now had the means of getting places, and many took advantage of this new opportunity. Seen as a social essential, the automobile also dramatically impacted the courtship process as teens now had the liberty of traveling around for their dates, rather than just staying at home and chatting with the family. Automobiles threatened the old mannerisms of parental control, as teenagers could easily escape their home environment, and their parent's watchful eye. A sexual revolution encompassed the country as the battle for freedom between parents and their blossoming teenagers began. There was no longer the strict dynamic of parent and child, but instead a transformation into a battle between a parent and a transitioning-adult: the teenager.
1 Berkin, Berlin, et al. 2008. “The Invention of the Teenager .” In American History From Pre-Columbian to the New Millennium. Philadelphia: Independence Hall Association . http://www.ushistory.org/us/46c.asp.
2 Schrum, Kelly. “Teenagers.” In Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood in History and Society. The Gale Group Incorporated, 2008.