Generation Gap
When discussing the generation gap, many issues surface. In this article
in
Newsweek, issues such as music, morals, and goals arise with the wide gulf
of
generations in the black community. Older Americans continue to be
separated
from the growing hip-hop culture, and they, along with the hip-hop
community,
have not yet learned how to deal with this separation. Music is
one of the
largest rifts between the civil rights generation and the hip-hop
generation. An
increase in violence, sex, and disrespect in modern music
reflects the increase
in violence, sex, and disrespect in the modern pop
culture. This is the view of
younger black Americans. Older Americans feel
that the violent and sexually
explicit music is the cause of such chaos and
degradation of our society. Morals
have declined, and this is evident even in
the professional world of the NBA.
Disrespect for referees and other
players dominate the court by younger players.
The word "nigga" is used
with no remorse, conviction, or thought of
being inappropriate and
inconsiderate. Goals have changed considerably with the
generations. Older
black Americans fought for rights that the hip-hop community
takes for
granted. Racism is much more subtle in this pop culture; and we don't
fight
against it because we don't know how. We're not taught how to continue
the
struggle. All we know is "that you have to get yours and don't worry
about
nobody"(Ice Cube, p.55). Yes, I agree with the writer that there is
a
definite gulf in the values of older Americans and the values of the new
hip-hop
culture. Older Americans struggled for their rights. They worked for
every inch
of luxury they enjoy today. Today's emerging pop culture, though,
has lived off
the sweat of the ones who have gone before them. They have no
reason for unity.
They have no need for morals because they live for
themselves. They're just 'out
to get theirs'. Many factors can cause a
generation gap. The fact that the
generations were raised in different eras
with different circumstances cause a
major rift. Because you're dealing with
different eras, you are dealing with
different values. With different values
come different taste. Different taste
breeds new music and clothing styles.
Technology makes us not have to think for
ourselves. In this article, Bill
Cosby mentioned meeting a man who called
himself a musician. When listening
to jazz CD, he could not differentiate
between the instruments because
technology had done everything for him. This
"not having to think for
ourselves" brings about what older Americans
would call lazy or lack of
initiative. This article brought to one's attention
the issues that emerge as
a result of a generation gap, but offered no
solutions. As mentioned earlier,
because the generations were raised in
different eras with totally different
circumstances, we don't even know if there
is a way to narrow the gap. What
do you do when both parties believe that they
are right? The right answer
would seem to be to sit down and talk peacefully
about it and compromise; but
that can't be the right thing to do. How do you
compromise on crime? How do
you compromise on sexually explicit music being
available to children?
Honestly, I see no middle ground, and I have no solution
to narrowing the
generation gap.