Like, Hi,

I'm curious to know what being a teen (and, more specifically, being a California teen) was REALLY like during the 1910s, 20s, 30s, and 40s, because, right now, I have this idea that teens from those various eras behaved just like the teen characters from such movies as "Titanic", "Splendor in the Grass", "The Journey of Natty Gann", "The Notebook", etc.

That means that I have this idea that almost ALL 1920s teen girls were either back-talking Flapper girls, or repressed, nervous-breakdown-having Deanie Loomis types, and that nearly ALL 1940s teens were desperate for relationships, only because they felt that they had to live EVERY moment of their lives all at once, because of their fears about the war.  In other words, my REAL ideas about the teens of the past have almost ALL been shaped by movies, and NOT by the stories of real people (Of course, my mother's mom has talked about her teen years, which occurred during the 1930s and the 1940s, but, still...).

I can most definitely say that MY life never fit the stereotype of the life of a "typical" 1990s teen girl.  I was a teen between the years of 1992 and 1999.  I was vaguely attracted to the idea of the Goth lifestyle during college, but I never became a stereotypical Goth.  I only starved myself, on purpose, in order to attract a guy, AND in order to emulate the girls from countless movies about Anorexia, thereby "earning" attention, but I wanted attention more than I wanted to look like Kate Moss.  I never drank, did drugs, cut myself, etc.  I didn't let my hair become dirty and stringy, or get a "Rachel" hairstyle, and I was actually super OUT OF STYLE for a 1990s teen (I was made fun of for wearing bright eye shadow during the beginning of high school, so I began slathering my eyelids in various shades of brown, but I still wore brightly-hued shirts...Go figure...) .  Besides that, I was too busy buying Disney dolls, watching Disney movies, and participating in music lessons, church activities, and 4-H to be the type of teen girl that MOST people might think of when they think of 1990s teen girls.

That having been said, I would totally appreciate some real, true stories from people who were teens (of all different types) during the 1910s, the 1920s, the 1930s, and the 1940s, because I KNOW that those movie stereotypes can't be 100% true, with regards to ALL teens.
8)

 

Hey, you're honest about your teen years, and your honesty deserves a karma.

As for teens pre-1950? The youngest teens pre-1950 are probably now really old like 75+ years old now. And the ones before that have died or almost dead! So the only way you could know is ask someone who grew up in those times. Most are at retirement home age now, LOL. Maybe you could even watch a film or research about those times.

And as for the 'dreamy' and 'glamorous' version of an era or decade. Like everyone in the 1940s were nice and polite as an example, I'm sure people cussed, but kept it behind closed doors, or at least they did it less than we do today. It's kinda like saying everyone in the 60s and 70s was a hippie, which is actually untrue. Most people just dressed funky, but most weren't hippies.

Just a guess!

Hey, you're honest about your teen years, and your honesty deserves a karma.

As for teens pre-1950? The youngest teens pre-1950 are probably now really old like 75+ years old now. And the ones before that have died or almost dead! So the only way you could know is ask someone who grew up in those times. Most are at retirement home age now, LOL. Maybe you could even watch a film or research about those times.

And as for the 'dreamy' and 'glamorous' version of an era or decade. Like everyone in the 1940s were nice and polite as an example, I'm sure people cussed, but kept it behind closed doors, or at least they did it less than we do today. It's kinda like saying everyone in the 60s and 70s was a hippie, which is actually untrue. Most people just dressed funky, but most weren't hippies.

Just a guess!


I'd say you're guessing right. 

I'd say you're guessing right.


:D

Like, Hi,

Thanks for the karma, 80sfan!
8)

I was a teen in the 60s and I see the same issues teens have today, but, although some people say it is tougher today, at least the issues aren't hidden.  People didn't discuss their problems, especially kids who were expected to just get over it, or conform. 

My theory is that teens back then weren't as different as they are today. Even 90 years ago, teen girls not ony cussed, but even had premarital sex(!) but it just wasn't socially acceptable to talk about.

You cited Titanic (I'm assuming the character of Rose) as a typical representation of a teen in that era, but keep in mind Rose was very much the antithesis of what a "proper girl" was supposed to be. She hated her upbringing, and once she met Jack she was spitting, swearing, and had a premarital affair with him. Rose was also part of high society, which only made up a small fraction of the population. You can bet the working class girls were doing those things all along.

You could always go to Memorylane.com and check out the yearbooks from that time. Keep in mind that completeing high school back then was akin to complete undergraduate college today, and high school education was much more serious/formal. There was lots of student poetry in early 20th century yearbooks, you didn't have big themed dances except for the prom/homecoming, and many more started full time work and more married younger. They went to church more regularly. It was a lot more family oriented compared to today. You didn't have teenaged-oriented media though, so all generation distincitive activities were all from word of mouth.

Since 78 records weren't cheap (75 cents for a single song was a lot of money back then), many teens enjoyed playing the piano and dancing to jazz and blues music. Since there were very few auto-oriented suburbs, it was more common to stroll either in the neighborhood or downtown.

I cannot tell you firsthand, but judging from the stories my grandparents told me (they were teens during the 30s in an extremely poor rural area):

School was mostly for winter months. Early fall and late spring most of the boys would attend half days as they had to help their families with farming. The teachers allowed it provided they could pass their tests.
Work was a major part of their lives-their own family farms, neighbor farms; everyone helped each other because noone had anything without help. So the after school social scene would have been at someones farm, working, most of the time.
My g'ma and her three sisters had storebought items of course, like shoes, etc- but they mostly made their own clothes. They had 1 radio for entertainment in the household. And it was ruled by the iron fist of my great g'pa so it wasn't like my g'ma and her sisters could sit around and just listen to the radio.
My g'ma and g'pa didn't 'date' in the way most of us think of dating today. They 'courted'. They saw each other at church and after church g'pa would come to g'ma's house for a visit, they would take walks, go to a lot of group gatherings, but there was no moviehouse or restaurant for miles. And my g'pa did not have his first car until after they were married-so the dating scene was quite different for them.
My g'pa joined up for WWII when my grandmother was still not yet 18, they married just before he was sent. She said she did not court anyone else before him-I believe her; g'pa never said one way or the other if he courted anyone else.
Sounds boring, I guess, but they always spoke of their teen years as happy ones.
I doubt my g'ma ever cursed, drank or smoked. She didn't even start wearing slacks until the late 70s  ;D. By the same token I KNOW my g'pa smoked and drank during and after the war, but did not do these things when he was a teen. He 1)couldn't afford it and 2) didn't want to be beaten by his parents, which would have been the result. And, yes, they would have known. Small, small, small, town.

If either of them had the type of high drama we see today, they didn't own it. I am not so naive as to think their world was perfect, but I think they were so busy just trying to survive that there just wasn't time for much else. 

I am sure that  teens from that era in different cultures would have different stories, such as teens that lived in larger metropolitan areas or different/higher socio-economical status back then, etc. Hope this helps!

TVs weren't very popular in those days so teens mainly listened to the radio(in the '30s and '40s).

My parents were teens in this era. They were in Europe at the time.  They were more concerned about just going to school & having enough food to survive. (so they told me)
Teens these days, especially in the western world, are spoiled as hell and too much into materialistic things. Not all of them, but most.
My parents also said the same thing about my generation as well.

But I'm also sure that teens back then respected their elders more than they do today.

TVs weren't very popular in those days so teens mainly listened to the radio(in the '30s and '40s).


But you did have some good shows back then.

My parents were born in the 1940's era.

My parents were born in the 1940's era.


So they were teens during the '50s or '60s?

So they were teens during the '50s or '60s?


yes and they got married in 1969.

My maternal grandmother was a '40s teen. I think the only thing I've ever learned about her adolescence was that she dropped out of high school (at around 10th grade) and got married young. I really need to ask her more about her early years.

My grandmother is a 1930's teen and today she's 95 years old, a bit of Alzheimer's disease but in ok condition.