The most effective way to understand contemporary culture is to analyze the trends of its youth.

Whether or not examining the trends among a society’s youth is the best way to understand its contemporary culture is a controversial issue. The statement certainly has some truth to it since young people are often the forerunners of cultural trends. However, it would be too assertive to state that the young generation is the only player in contemporary culture. As a matter of fact, the population of young people under the age of 25 composes 40% of the whole population. While it is a relatively high percentage, to limit oneself to the study of youth trend is to ignore the rest 60% of the world population. This essay argues that trends among young people, while a major factor in contemporary culture, cannot represent the general culture of contemporary society.

To begin with, young people are certainly major players in contemporary culture. Whether in arts, music, theater, or fashion, it is usually the younger generation who are dominating and exerting influences on the change of cultural trends. The reason is that young spirits are often bald and fearless; they are most sensitive to changes in trends and are willing to embrace change. To give a specific example, the music on ranking agencies such as Billboards is largely determined by the youth, who are the main audience of new music. Therefore, it is safe to state that young people are often the major influencers of contemporary culture.

However, aside from the younger generation, other generations that make up 60% of the population also have their own distinctive trends that are indispensable to the larger cultural scene. For instance, in contemporary Chinese society, middle-aged and retired women are starting a trend of square-dancing. Organized groups of women would come out in the evening in public squares and parks to dance as a way of exercising and socializing. Though often despised by young people, this trend is a unique scene in contemporary Chinese culture. Therefore, focusing one’s analysis on youth trend would result in ignorance of trends in the older generations that are also part of the cultural environment.

Moreover, different social norms and mores among different generations often pose powerful cultural dichotomy, which is another important aspect of the larger contemporary culture. Let’s take contemporary Japanese society as an example. The older generation often has a more traditional value of work ethics. They are usually devoted to one company for the entire work life, employ methodical working habits and are willing to work overtime for the sake of the company. The younger generation, on the other hand, adopts an entirely different view. They do not see the purpose of their work as contribution to the company and society. They work for their own sakes and are unwilling to sacrifice private time to finish their work. Moreover, young people are less likely to stay in one company for the rest of their lives. Rather, they are more inclined to explore different fields to find their passion. The disparaging work ethics between the older and the younger generation is thus a unique scene in contemporary Japanese society that cannot be overlooked.

In conclusion, although the statement might seem true at first sight in that young people exert large influence on contemporary pop culture, a close examination of the other population would reveal how problematic the assertion is. Other generations not only have their own unique cultural trends but also poses intriguing dichotomy with the youth, both of which are indispensable to the examination of contemporary culture.