Generation Gap Crisis

I am experiencing a Generation Gap Crisis and it doesn't feel very good.

Back "in my day" I was a part of the women's rights movement.  It was as exciting to me as it was for the women who fought for the right to vote.  We fought for legal birth control, equal pay, equal job opportunities, and equal educational opportunities. 

While serving in the Army in New Jersey, I was a page at the 1976 New Jersey's Women's Conference where we passed the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment).  It was an experience I will never forget.

I know there are still problems with women's issues, but there always will be just as there are with other issues such as racism. 

My generation gap crisis involves today's young women.   They are inundated with sexism by many forms of the media such as television, music, fashion, print and movies, to name a few.  Because of their access to instant messaging and the internet, they are saturated with what the media moguls think they should look like, act like and buy to be all these things.

Today's fashions expose as much skin as possible that can be legal in public no matter what their body type is.  Teen pregnancy is at an all time high and they are keeping babies for parents to raise.  This means they are not using any protection from not only birth control but also sexually transmitted diseases.

I know we have always had these kinds of problems, but because of the mass media available to them these days it appears to be more widespread.

What can we do?  We can't stop the media because we need them.  (That will be another topic for another day). 

1. What we can do is talk to our children.  This is not just a girl issue.  We also have to talk to our boys. 

2. We have to instill good moral values and good self-esteem.

3. Parents need to encourage their children to participate in extracurricular activities in school and out of school.

Lastly, we adults need to be there for these girls.  We need to mentor them and talk to them, too.  I think the more they know about women's history the more they will understand how many doors have already been opened for them. 

I want girls today to know they many opportunities and that they can conquer any obstacles that get in their way.  They need to be encouraged to follow their dreams.

That's ends my soapbox for today.  I look forward to hearing what you all think we can do to help with this issue.