1960s Youth Culture Essay

Words: 790
Pages: 4

Throughout the 1960s, a new kind of lifestyle emerged among young people. These young people experimented with new values, psychedelic drugs, and rock music. They put an emphasis on individuality, personal freedom, and expression. The new counter culture differed fundamentally with the mainstream adult culture of the time because of the younger generation’s disapproval of the Vietnam War and the “system”, their focus on freedom and new values, and unease over conformity. One of the main issues that led to the development of a new youth culture was the Vietnam War. Young people felt they were forced into the war by the “the system” and that their lives were being dictated by the corporate elite. These young people valued freedom and rejected government control. They did not feel the Vietnam War promoted their values. They did not want to take away the freedom of others. The Anti-War Movement showed that young people were not going to stand idling by, which led to protests, marches, teach-ins, and rallies. The Vietnam War was considered a youth issue because of the draft. There was a lot of resistance from young people who did not want to fight a war they did not believe in. Young people did not want to fight their parent’s war. On April 17, 1965, the SDS, Students for a Democratic Society, …show more content…
Ultimately, the main values and goals of the youth counter culture differed fundamentally with those of the mainstream adult culture. The conservative lifestyle was not what the younger generation was after. They used recreational drugs, listened to rock music, and rejected the middle-class lives their parents had. They did not agree with the Vietnam War or the “system.” They had a new set of values and hoped for freedom. They praised individuality and resented conformity. The youth counter culture was nothing like the generation before them and they were proud of