Troublesome Teens in a Changing Society
In the years following World War II, the government and like-minded adults thought they must do everything they could to prove the unity and superiority of capitalist America. This meant that any internal subversion at home or anyone acting outside of the norm had to be stopped.
The government worried about adults. Adults worried about children. Kids worried about their new rock n' roll album.
Teenagers became the target of many Cold War anxieties and their solutions. Adults tried to quell their fears of juvenile delinquency by making their children into ideal American citizens. The films on this page show some of the fears that revolved around youth in post war America, and some of the ways adults tried to address those fears.
In a time of discomfort and anxiety throughout the country, what was it like to be a teenager confronted by so many rules? How could a juvenile delinquent bring so much uneasiness to society?
These two films show the educational system's attempt to maintain social control and curtail adolescent delinquency.
----
Conformity was key in post-war America, and teenagers needed to be taught that.
Juvenile delinquency in the 1950's was seen as a huge crisis post-WWII and during the Cold War. Teenagers had more leisure time than ever before. Creating the ideal teenage citizen pushed educational boundaries by providing films such as the 1955 What About Juvenile Delinquency? to schools for discussion. The film's main character was Jaime, a teenage gang member whose parents had no clue. On a night out with the guys, Jaime found out something that stirred mixed emotions and storms home. When Jaime's father became the vicitim of a horrible incident, Jaime was faced with a tough decision. He either had to go against his morals and keep quiet to defend his gang, or open up to the community council to save his high school and classmates, while keeping his family's integrity. The film asked the question - what would you do?
----
Now you've seen some of the larger Cold War fears and how they came to revolve around teenagers. And you've seen some of the solutions and behaviors that adults tried to impose on teenagers.
But what other forms did these ideals take? How else did adults want children to act, and how did it impact daily life and social customs? Keep going to find out....