Misconceptions

We're pretty excited about have Walt Mueller from the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding (CPYU) here March 27-28 for our Understanding Today's Youth Culture Conference (read more about it here).
As a prart of the promotion, we are highlighting the event in our upcoming church newsletter. Several of us are answering questions to help explain why the value of the event.

My Question was: What are some of the biggest misconceptions adults make about today's youth culture?

My Response Was:

Speaking from personal experience and interaction, three misconceptions come to mind...
1. Today's youth culture is does not value older generations. More than ever, I hear today's youth express a deep value in their relationship with their parents or grandparents. There are definite tensions, but students are quick to point to parents as the most influential individuals in their life.
2. Today's Youth Culture has no desire to be influential. I'm seeing a generation that wants to change the world, and truly believes they can. Many have no idea how they can accomplish this, but they are hungry to make an impact.
3. There is no spiritual hunger or interest in today's youth. Quite to the contrary. I believe this generation has more interest in spiritual things than ever. The greatest need is not addressing spiritual indifference, but instead giving spiritual direction toward the Way, the Truth and the Life.

At the core of all these misconceptions is a cultural change between generations. Each generation will tend to look at the current youth culture and say, "That's not the way it was when I was a teen." If we look at these differences only based on externals, we may misunderstand what's really going on. We need to look deeper at the soul of the youth culture. That is exactly what will happen March 27-28 at "Understanding Today's Youth Culture."