Life and interests of youth

Today life of young people in Russia is influenced by modern culture. Young people can follow certain stereotypes that are imposed on them through TV, movies and music. In their lifestyle they try to imitate images of their idols. Young people find out information about their favourite singers, bands and sports teams watching TV, listening to the radio or surfing the web. They fill stadiums, concert halls and even can follow their idols in their tours. They can be intolerant to those who don’t share their views.

Of course, every young person is unique and has his own hobbies and interests. Many young people like reading books and magazines, going to the theatres, cinemas, museums, disco clubs, playing some musical instrument. Others are fond of going in for sports, for example, football, hockey, volleyball, basketball, skiing, skating. Roller-skating is very popular among teenagers as it is very interesting and good for health.

As a rule young people like to spend their free time with friends. They go for a walk, discuss their problems and help each other with studies. The Internet plays an important role in life of youth. Young people talk with friends being on-line using such social nets as “In contact” and “Classmates”.

Some grown-ups think that young people don’t like to study. It is no always true. For many of them getting knowledge is of primary importance. They plan their career and think about their future profession. After they live school, they enter colleges, technical schools, institutes and universities. To earn their living young people can work and study, though it is not easy at all.

Do you agree or disagree?

1. Life of young people is not influenced by modern culture.

2. Communicating via social nets takes much time.

3. Some young people have a lot of interests.

4. Few young people go to the theatre.

5. It is really interesting to study just for a few young people.

6. There aren’t any school subjects that can be useful in real life.

7. No young people can roller-skate.

1.14. Молодёжные субкультуры. Youth subcultures

It’s difficult to identify youth culture today. The cultural progress is too fast and new subcultures constantly appear. The word “subculture” has two meanings. It is a way of life and it is a group with a certain style and identity. Subcultures have their own beliefs, values, fashion and music. There are many groupings (subcultures) that have interests different from those of the mainstream culture.

By the mid-60s teenagers had begun to form separate cultural groupings. Nowadays there are lots of them: rockers, hackers, rappers, skinheads, hippies, Goths, punks, emos. Members of all these subcultures may have something common in their appearance and behavior. For instance, both emos and Goths wear black clothes, but their world perception is not the same.

Many subcultures developed as a result of music fusion of black and white cultures. These are skinheads, who wear heavy boots, jeans and shave their hair or cut it very short. Skinheads dream about the revival of the traditional working class culture.

Why do teens choose a subculture? It seems to them that their parents are always saying: “No!” They don’t accept their views, hair, music, clothes, the way they talk. On the one hand joining this or that subculture young people want to express their individuality. But on the other hand, young people join it not because they really want it. They may think it’s impolite to refuse and to be like a “white crow”.

Unfortunately subculture can become the culture for those who are dissatisfied with their place in society. They think that nobody understands them and opposed themselves to the whole world. They don’t want to study, to work and to lead a normal happy life. But at the same time a lot of teens think about changing themselves for better and subculture for them is a way to realize who they really are.

Vocabulary

youth – молодежь, молодежный

сulture - культура

way of life – образ жизни

value – ценность

fashion – мода

mainstream - общепринятный

to accept - принимать

views – взгляды

clothes – одежда

to express – выражить

impolite - невежливый

to realize - осознать