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The Generation Gap

Before the 1950s, teenage life in America was more serious and restrictive. Boys typically had to work or join the military by their late teens, while girls' options were mainly to marry young and start a family. This started to change in the 1950s as families had more money and parents could support further education. Teenagers gained more free time, pocket money, and independence to socialize and enjoy new forms of music and culture that older generations struggled to understand, marking an early generation gap.

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Adria Arafat
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154 views2 pages

The Generation Gap

Before the 1950s, teenage life in America was more serious and restrictive. Boys typically had to work or join the military by their late teens, while girls' options were mainly to marry young and start a family. This started to change in the 1950s as families had more money and parents could support further education. Teenagers gained more free time, pocket money, and independence to socialize and enjoy new forms of music and culture that older generations struggled to understand, marking an early generation gap.

Uploaded by

Adria Arafat
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© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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The Generation Gap People first used the word teenager in the 1920s.

Before that, girls and boys aged between 13 and 19 were children or young people. Life was serious for teenagers in the USA before the 1950s. Boys had to join the military the army, the navy or the air force. Or they had to get a job. For girls, the choices were smaller. They had to meet a man, marry him and have children. Further education was not possible for many people in those days. Teenagers had to be responsible, but they didnt have much free time or money. Things started to change in the 1950s. The economy became stronger, so families had more money and life got easier. Parents could help their children to have an education. Teenagers got pocket money and free time after school. They began to have more fun, and to be more independent. Music was a big part of this. There were jukeboxes in coffee bars. Teenagers started to have their own radios, and radio stations played new music for them. Older people didnt like it or understand it. Teenagers spoke and dressed in different ways, too. Some people say this was the start of the generation gap. 1. Before the 1920s, people a. didnt call boys and girls children. b. didnt use the word teenagers. c. older than 19 were teenagers. 2. Before the 1950s, American boys had to a. get a wife and have a family. b. go to college or university. c. work or go into the military. 3. Before the 1950s, girls could either get married or work. a. True b. False c. Not Given

4. In the 1950s, a. Americans were richer because their children were free. b. parents could help their children get a better job. c. families were stronger because they had more money. 5. Life changed for teenagers because a. school was more fun. b. they had more money and no school. c. they had their own money to spend. 6. Older people did not understand a. the way teenagers spoke. b. the music teenagers liked c. why teenagers wore different clothes. 7. The word independent in paragraph 4 means being able to a. work hard at a joy you like b. g to school full time c. live the way you want 8. The word this in the last sentence refers to teenagers a. becoming so different from their parents b. getting better jobs and education c. becoming more responsible than before

(adapted from Gateway A2 Workbook, by A. Cornford)

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