Should Teenagers Be Forced To Travel? North America Some months from now – never mind how long precisely – having hopefully enough money in my purse, and nothing in particular to interest me at home, I think I will fly about a little and see another part of the world. Yep. Looks like ol’ Hermy
Should Teenagers Be Forced To Travel?
North America
Some months from now – never mind how long precisely – having hopefully enough money in my purse, and nothing in particular to interest me at home, I think I will fly about a little and see another part of the world.
Yep. Looks like ol’ Hermy Melville had it right all along. See another part of the world, then another, then another. But when? Should one decide to get up and go when they get itchy feet? Absolutely. How about when one becomes bored with their surroundings? Most definitely. If one hears about an exciting new place halfway across the world, should they pack up and leave? There is no doubt in my mind. When they aren’t even old enough to get into bars? Yes. It is my humble opinion that every teenager should be given a backpack and a plane ticket on their 16th birthday, driven to the airport, and sent away for a month. Why? There’s no better thing for a teenager to do.
Teenagers are usually brought up by their parents’ ideals. Typically, if a teenager has been in a house that has supported Republicans, war, homeland security, family values and so on, they will grow up to vote Republican, be pro-war, marry someone of the opposite sex and constantly be on the lookout for terrorists. Should a teenager be raised in a very liberal, anti-war, a same sex marriage environment, chances are they’ll exhibit similar values as adults. So why should teenagers be forced to become world travellers at the age of 16? Read on.
Independence is something sought by all teenagers. Getting a plane ticket, navigating the airport to their gate, and navigating out of an airport in another country is a very releasing exercise. If one can add to that the thrill and excitement of adventuring through a foreign land, using unknown transportation systems, and to do this all on one’s own, then the trip is a way to break out of their shell, and remove themselves from their parents’ watchfulness.
Once teenagers have made it on their own to another country, immersing themselves in the culture would be necessary. On this mandatory trip, there would be no luxury hotels, nor anything with the words “all” and “inclusive” used in the same sentence.
By staying in hostels, camping or even living for short periods of time with host families, teenagers would be able to see another way of life, rather than watching it through a glass screen while flipping between MTV’s “Punk’d” and Fox’s “The Simple Life.” Becoming a member of another culture for even a short period of time would be an eye-opening experience. It would enable teenagers to gain knowledge as to the beliefs, ideals and principles taught in other areas of the world.
The final and most important reason that teenagers should be forced to travel is to lose knowledge. Through world travel, they would have the opportunity to change or completely erase any preconceived notions of what is “right,” in terms of politics, religion and culture. By being exposed to the world, a teenager would have to confront the realities of other cultures and come to the sometimes painful realization that no, they were not always right. I have compiled a short list of recommended destinations for teenagers depending on their country of origin.
American Teenagers
Saudi Arabia, Israel, Iraq, Afghanistan – anywhere in the Middle East that has been affected by bombing campaigns and oil greed, so that teenagers can get a better idea of what is actually happening, instead of what is being spoonfed to them by CNN.
British Teenagers
Italy and Eastern Europe to get a feel of other great architectural and artistic works, and to escape from their Americanized prime minister.
Canadian Teenagers
Australia and New Zealand so that they realize these are two separate and very different countries. Also the United States to see first hand if their American bashing is truly warranted, or if they have just been making an ass out of themselves for years.
Teenagers should be forced to travel to a region halfway around the world in order for them to become more aware of something other than what celebrities ate for breakfast earlier that day. By seeing new cultures, climates and styles of architecture, teenagers could finally realize that no, the world does not revolve around them, and yes, there is something past the mall and movie theatre. Mandatory world travel for teenagers – the next big election topic!