What is it like to be a young person in Britain today, compared to earlier generations?

Growing up in Great Britain today is quite different from earlier generations of the 60s, 70s and even the 80s. For one thing, British children of the 60s through the 80s were less diverse in cultural opportunities. A young person in Britain today has much greater technology at his disposal. British fashion was quite different many generations ago as well. A young person in Britain today also has quite a vast difference in musical tastes from that of which his parents and grandparents listened to.

British motorways were different than those of today. Young people in Britain back in the 60s for example were able to afford cars for transportation and leisure time activities. For the average young person in Britain today however, taking public transportation has become a way of life, due to the heavy population and bustling activities of city life. Today's cities of Great Britain means young generations are being accustomed to over crowding due to the ever growing population.

There are pros and cons to growing up in Great Britain now as opposed to earlier times. One disadvantage facing kids today in Britain is the increasing level of crimes, especially in populated cites such a London, England. Twenty or thirty years ago crime was not as prevalent as it is now. Newer generations of gangs have emerged in recent times, thus making some areas an unsafe environment for young people. Also, city streets are not as clean as it was a few decades ago. Littering has become a matter of major concern in many areas, from residential neighborhoods to the large cities.

Of course there are many advantages children and teenagers have now which generations before them weren't fortunate enough to have experienced. The young person in Britain today has many opportunities which older generations never could have imagined. For example, it is not unusual for British children as young as 10 or 12 to carry a cellular phone with him to and from school, or when he goes to the local shopping center on weekends with his mates. No doubt his parents could not have envisioned such a luxury for themselves when they were growing up in Great Britain many years ago. Texting has also become a way of life for the average British teenager.

Children and youth of today who are growing up in Great Britain have so many other advantages as well. Personal laptop computers are one such luxury generations before could only have dreamed of. Computers are not only common for classroom assignments, but are used daily for personal enjoyment. Nearly every school aged British child loves playing computer games and communicating with friends via the Internet. Web cams are another device which earlier generations never had experienced in their youth.

Of course, along with modern day conveniences and luxuries for today's youth in Britain, comes more issues to be dealt with. Cyber bullying has become a great concern among today's younger generation of Brits. This form of harassment is a real threat to children today, and it makes becoming a victim of such harassment so much easier than it did for face to face bullying of years gone by. In fact, bullying which takes place over the Internet can become such a threat to the intended victim, it is a leading cause for suicide among today's British children and teens.

On a different note, musical tastes have vastly changed since the 60s British invasion. Today's teenagers probably have a difficult time relating to their parents, aunts and uncles recounting memories of the glory days of Beatlemania. Of course today's youth might also find it challenging trying to explain the appeal of Franz Ferdinand or the Strokes to mum and dad.

When all is said and done, to discover what it's like to be a young person in Britain today, anyone visiting the UK can tell by observing the average teen walking down the lane. Times may have changed, but kids are still kids. They want to be accepted by their peers, they want to be understood by all, and they have the same concerns as those who grew up generations before them. The major difference is today's kids have more means to accomplish their dreams and goals. It's simply a matter of how today's youth chooses to use them.