Teenagers During the 1950s

The Cold War affected everyone in different ways. Adolescents beginning to find their voice during these times. These young men and women had their way of life changed dramatically because of the war. School was now a bigger priority, delinquency was on the rise, and the world of entertainment was starting anew. These new teenagers were a start of a new time.

On October 4, 1957 the Soviets successfully launched the Sputnik 1, resulting in fear of the atomic bomb attacks. It also raised the need for smart students who could help win the “Space Race.” Students were introduced, from the start of the threat of bombs, to Bert the Turtle and the firecracker lighting monkey, both stars of a civil service video. These videos showed the youth what to do if there was an imminent threat looming. When a bright flash or the the sirens went off the students were expected to “duck and cover.” This means that they would duck under their desks and cover their heads. A teacher would often have “drop drills,” where the students would duck and cover, causing the whole class to do just that, as if the bomb threat was going off. “The Sputnik Moment” was also the start of aggressive schooling. Teenagers were expected to go to college and learn. There was a movement toward the scientific branches. The Cold War made many drastic changes to education and safety procedures.

Students were not expected to join the military or become a wife, as they were before the Cold War, but they were expected to go to college. This caused more free time for teenagers to have more music choices. The adolescents also started to begin dating and not courting. As the start of rock and roll was during the 1950s, Teenagers began to dislike their parents music and, after ...

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...inning to show more interest in music and dating. They also began to start deviating from what parents wanted and rebelling against them. The changes in school also left adolescents wondering what had happened to the easy schooling they had had. The end result was a new time and a new kind of people. The teenager was a new beginning.

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