Conclusions & Takeaways

Throughout this project, I have come to understand many core aspects of teenage angst and rebellion across generations. The combination of scientific, social, and media-based research has allowed me to observe themes of angst across mental, cultural, and physical manifestations. As the project developed from the initial idea of researching teen angst in a general sense, I found myself shifting to the more precise depictions of teenage rebellion through specialized subgenres of rock culture and aesthetics. The subcategory of youth culture surrounding rock portrays teen angst in specific, tangible ways as shown throughout this project. Most importantly, this subcategory interprets transgression and authenticity as a portrayal of angst. Amongst these groups, authenticity is shown through exuberance. In this situation, exuberance is the rejection of the societal expectations of restrained emotions, gender roles, feigned politeness, demure nature, sexual innocence, and idyllic middle-class lifestyle. Subsequently, rock becomes the embodiment of this authentic exuberance due to its loud, aggressive nature that shows very little of the restraint that these teens see as societal expectations and limitations. Oftentimes, this form of teen authenticity is then coded as teen angst and thus, this subcategory of youth culture is created. It must be noted, however, that other forms of youth rebellion culture exist and may be presented and manifested differently. While doing this project, however, I also came across areas that require further research. Acknowledging these specificities and limitations, this article focuses on the core takeaways of my research, as well as areas that require further research.

Key Discoveries:

• Rebellion is critical for identity development and discovery.

• Parental acceptance and support could be a key differentiator between negative and positive risk-taking.

• Teen fashion, music, and film change over time, but reflect many recurring themes. This may suggest that despite changing circumstances, many generations of teens face similar issues and struggles that include: mental health, societal expectations, sense of belonging, drug and alcohol use, religious confusion, bullying, sex and sexuality, and rage/violence.

How can we improve adolescent challenges moving forwards?

• Non-judgemental conversation

• Encouraging positive risk-taking for identity exploration

• Safe spaces for vulnerable conversations

• Believing teens

• Offering support through family, friends, or professionals

• Normalize mental health struggles

• Normalize the confusion and existential struggles faced by teens

Questions for further research:

How does race play into teenage rebellion?

The discussion of race as a role within teen rebellion, and specifically the subcultures used in this project, requires a nuanced and multilevel analysis. The first issue in addressing this question directly is the lack of existing research. Academics and researchers are still searching for more definitive answers about the roots of rock music and subsequently, details about the cultural involvements in smaller subgenres of rock, such as those reflected in this project, are still lacking in providing a nuanced analysis of the whiteness of this variation of teen angst. Angsty rock genres and aesthetics such as emo, punk, and goth are still largely coded as primarily Euro-American phenomenons. Teens of all races experience similar feelings of anxiety, depression, and existentialism, as well as face the same challenges in identity exploration and development. Due to these facts, one could assume that forms of angst found in these rock genres would appear more diverse. However, historically this has not been the case as evidenced by the whiteness seen in the bands, films, and photographs used in my study. Despite the fact that today we see these stereotypes shifting, historically the coding of counterculture rock has been primarily white. I noticed this to be a reoccurring issue when developing this project, but I could not find a substantial answer as to why this occurs. I have, however, come across some hypotheses and suggestions for potential research while investigating this project. These avenues and questions include:

• How did the emergence of hip hop impact the role of race in rock and its subgenres? Why do we code certain music genres as being racially specific? How does this coding impact the tracking of adolescence into specific subcultures, aesthetics, and interests based on race?

• How does socioeconomic class play into music and adolescent culture? What is the role of class in rock and rock subgenres?

• How is music transmitted intergenerationally? Does the passage of music between generations impact the ways in which rebellion can be expressed?

• Are there certain historical limitations to music discovery? How are these subgenres of rock typically discovered by rebellious teens? How has this changed with the advent of streaming services?

• How has the addition of the internet, streaming services, social media, and texting changed the ways adolescence and rebellion work? Teens today are able to access more music, information, and communication with strangers online. This has led to an ability to blend interests, aesthetics, and discoveries of many subgenres which has changed the social landscape. Historically, teen groups could be very divisive and distinct. Today, teens may hold a more diverse array of interests and styles. How could the role of the internet impact the racial diversity of differing forms of teen angst?