Ted Polhemus

Is 'youth culture' an out-dated myth? What! Here's this boring old fart baby boomer Ted Polhemus, now that he's old and past it, saying that youth culture is now an out-dated fiction. 

Here's the key idea . . . in the 50s and 60s the baby boom generation came to define themselves largely by how old you were. With the result that even now at 60+ the old boomers can't seem to grow up - they still think they are 'youth'. The suggestion here is that those who are young today tend to be less ageist - defining 'People Like Us' by lifestyle choices rather then what year you were born. What do you think? Are you someone who likes this kind of music, that kind of sport, who cares about social and environmental issues, who likes this kind of food and wears that kind of clothes . . . or are you defined by being a member of Gen X, Y, Z??? Is age still a critical factor in defining who you are? 

Check out Ted Polhemus' ideas at Pop Anthropology - Hot Buttered Humanity