-gen-er-a-tion (n.): 1. All people born and living about the same time. 2. A group of such people with some experience, belief, attitude, etc. in common.

"We're not 'Generation X' are we?" "I dunno." "I think the 'MTV Generation... right?"

This is what kids say who are asked what generation today's teens fit into. "I think we're the Ninja Turtle and Smurf Generation," says a student of the graduating class of 2003.

Quite a few people were asked, and no one seems to know. So...lets look at this more closely. The definition says that those who share common attitudes and experience are those who share a generation. Therefore, it is those common events that define the generation.

So what defines us? Who are we? We are the Fraggle Rock and Sesame Street generation. We are the ones who immortalized boy-bands and Britney Spears. We are the kids with 100 "Goosebumps" books in their desks or Gak in our toy boxes.

"Do they even make Gak anymore?" asks junior Michele Geerer.

While every generation had its rebels and punks, ours are certainly some not to be forgotten — more mellow than the 80s' colorful display of green or pink hair, and more pierced and spiked than the 50s' swing influence, known as ska now.

Though our cliques are no different than the usual stereotypes; "Preppies," "Punkers," "Nerds" or "Jocks;" we have certainly become more refined. Preppies sport gemstones and t-shirts with pretty blue or pink phrases such as "Princess" or "Goddess." A not-as-convincing "Rebel" was also seen, noted to be in glittery display across girls' tees. But that's just the surface, the skin-deep advertisement of whom we hang out with.

Our generation also has made its impact on the economy already. One word: Internet. True, the people who created the Internet were a few years ahead of us, but we are the ones who adopted it. Most of us know the ropes of computer communication better than our elders, and it's a major milestone in our book. Cell phones are another issue also. When we were in elementary or middle school, only the rich kids in high school had cell phones. Now, they are a common, even mundane, part of our lives.

Now let’s get serious. Ever get that, "I remember exactly where I was when Kennedy was shot..." speech from your folks? Think hard about 20 years from now, what speech are we going to be giving?

"The Clinton scandal" says one senior.

"Definitely the September 11 attack," comments another student.

We are also the kids who survived an epidemic of school shootings, and unfortunately, we are the kids who continued to hear the word "suicide" like a trend that swept our circle of friends.

As we graduate and go off to college, we will come to new discoveries and events in our world. The social stereotypes will fade and we will become the dominant power to make decisions that affect everyone. Friends will come and go, lessons will be learned, families will be made, and more generations will be found. But the one thing we could never deny is that we all belong to the same generation, and that holds us together.

So who are we? We are the future presidents, the next big rock stars, Nobel Peace Prize winners or inventors. We are the youth of a nation.

-Return to May 2002 Issue-