The Fall Teenagers Can't Avoid

This video explores the history and psychology of adolescence, tracing its birth during the industrial revolution to its commodification by capitalism, and how each generation since has grappled with the angst of becoming.

VIDEOS TO WATCH NEXT:
Think you got it all figured out? ;)    • A Place That Language Cant Reach  

INQUIRES: hash.cookie101@gmail.com

MORE INFO ON TODAYS VIDEO:
From Holden Caulfield’s rejection of adulthood in The Catcher in the Rye, to Gen Z’s algorithm-shaped identity crisis, I examine how society teaches kids to become something before they’ve had time to figure out who they are and what they believe.

Topics covered:
• The birth of adolescence as a cultural category
• Capitalism’s role in defining “the teenager”
• Holden Caulfield as the original teen archetype
• Generational psychology: Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z, Gen Alpha
• The algorithm of belief and social media's impact on identity
• The philosophy of becoming (Frankl, Simone Weil, Žižek, Winnicott, Vygotsky)
• Why growing up feels like falling, and how we might catch each other

If you’ve questioned what it means to “become” something in this world, or felt lost in the process you’re part of the many. This essay is for anyone trying to make sense of growing up in an age where even belief feels algorithmic.


DISCLAIMER:
This video is intended as educational entertainment and should be viewed as a conversation starter, not a clinical or academic authority on adolescent development.

The lens I explore here is a Western, post-war, capitalistic framing of adolescence, largely centred around the cultural influence of the United States. This is by no means an exhaustive or universal account of adolescence across all cultures or historical contexts. Due to the scope of the content and my current capacity, I chose to focus on the cultural trajectory most influential in shaping the globalised image of adolescence as we know it today.

Please note that the ideas explored here are broad generalisations about societal patterns and generational shifts. They are not prescriptive, diagnostic, or intended to represent individuals or even subgroups in their full complexity. The phrase "spirit of adolescence" is metaphorical, referring to a recurring cultural theme, not a clinical or literal construct.

I must clarify that this is not professional psychological advice, nor should it be interpreted as such.

I research, write, voice, and edit all my content independently, while also managing postgraduate study and casual work. So I acknowledge that occasional factual or interpretive errors may occur. If you notice any, feel free to let me know. I aim to continuously refine my work.

Above all, I encourage viewers to engage with this and all online content through a lens of critical thinking and media literacy, a point that, ironically, lies at the heart of this very video.

Sources & Further Reading

Music:
'Myself as a recursive loop' - Made by myself x
Rhapsody in Blue (my version) - Gershwin
80s love synthwave music (Publicdomain)
Broken Glass- Dyalla (Public domain)
Dvorak - Romance for piano and violin, Op.11

Research:
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10....
https://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jhs...
Strauss-Howe Generational Theory pendulum cycle
Study on teen depression symptoms over time - https://www.researchgate.net/figure/M...

Further readings:
Jean Twenge - American Psychologist and a lot of the content in this video is inspired and taken from her research, podcasts and books. I highly recommend checking out her new book 'generations' or even listening to her podcasts https://www.google.com.au/books/editi...

The quote at 12:00 regarding rock and roll and youth culture is from Thurston Joseph Moore stated in 1991 during filming of The Year Punk Broke, - youth culture, available on youtube.




#videoessay #adolescence #psychology #genz #catcherintherye #comingofage #socialmedia #philosophy #meaning #teenagers #genx #millenials