The Real Rebels of Our Generation

Has the bad girl behaviour of Lindsay Lohan and the like made the good girls and boys the real rebels?

“You guys are the real rebels of your generation. You don’t drink; you don’t smoke or do any kind of drugs. You don’t sleep around. You don’t measure your own value by a guy. You elect to not get tattoos and piercings. Yet you find fun and genuine happiness. A rebel used to do the things that no one else did. But everyone does everything now. Today’s rebel’s are the ones that can say, ‘never have I ever,’ and not wish otherwise.” –elsa-of-frick (tumblr)

As a frequent tumblr user, I come across many a worthy post upon my daily perusing, whether it’s about an artist I enjoy, a movie I’ve recently seen or my current celebrity obsession. But, what is rarer and much more valuable is the moment when you come across one of those quotes that speaks to you instantly and puts into words your exact feelings better than you ever could. I was stopped in my tracks – or rather, stopped in my scrolling – when I first read elsa-of-frick’s quote on my dashboard.


It’s easy when you’re part of a minority to believe you’re the only person who feels as you do, but once you realize another person shares your views, an amazing thing happens – you feel compelled to speak up. Once I’d read the quote, it lingered in my mind for quite sometime, practically begging me to expand on it.


As a teen living in today’s world, it comes as no surprise that a life of excess seems to be the most popular choice among our peers. The media has a strong influence over us and glorifies activities like drinking, doing drugs and acting promiscuously. It has gotten to the point where any other lifestyle choice is seen as inferior or uncool – even unworthy of media attention.


Celebrities who lead this so-called rebellious lifestyle, such as Lindsay Lohan or Ke$ha, to name just two, are featured in the media more often than other stars due to their party-crazed antics. This sends a message to youth looking for a method of rebellion to follow in their unsteady footsteps.


So where exactly do the few of us who don’t buy into that message fit in? It’s time to reevaluate what we consider rebellious, and to remember what the word initially meant.


If you search up the actual definition of “rebel,” one of the entries you will surely come across defines a rebel as someone who resists or defies the generally accepted convention. If you applied this to the society of say, our parents’ generation, then the term would absolutely fit those who engaged in the wild behaviour so prevalent today. This is because in a time where wholesome family values were held in high esteem, what’s in now was seen as taboo and an alternative to the norm then. Fast-forward 30 odd years and you have to wonder: does the term still apply to those same people? I say no.


A rebel used to be someone who did the things no one else dared to do. But as elsa-of-frick so aptly comments, “Everyone does everything now,” and nothing is off limits. So could it be that the real rebels of our generation are actually those who maintain their morals and opt to stay sober on Saturday nights amidst the pressure to cave to the temptations of high school life? In my opinion, yes.


Those of us who are actually able to find genuine happiness and lasting fun that isn’t reliant on a mood-altering substance exist in fewer and fewer numbers, making us the new opposing force. Similarly, individuals who don’t measure their self-worth on who they’ve hooked up with are just that – individuals.


While we may be ignorantly labeled as lame and boring by the majority of people who can’t necessarily relate to our weekend activities, it definitely helps to know that truthfully, because of our conviction, we have earned the distinction of being the real rebels of our generation.


Ten years from now, the ones who are able to honestly say, “never have I ever,” and not wish otherwise,” will undoubtedly be given a unique edge over the crowd.