Teen dances were shut down, rock'n'roll records were banned, and students were expelled for a multitude of rule infractions. With the increased teen presence came disapproval, as marginalization and indifference turned into active condemnation of teenagers by parents and local authorities. The word "teen-ager" was newly coined at this time. Momentum started to build as this generation developed their own image and style, combined with the purchasing power of an increasingly influential demographic. They were hungry for some recognition of their generation, some validation, and when it came, they embraced it. Then the teens started to hear music about their world - songs about high school sweethearts, wild parties and fast cars, sung by other teens. Teenagers felt left out, ignored, disenfranchised. There were a few television shows aimed at young children, nothing for teenagers, and nothing on the radio speaking to teen life. Teens were marginalized by the adults, who didn't want to be bothered with the very different values of teenagers. Sandwiched in between the generations of new postwar families and their boom of babies was a generation of teenagers.
If there was a national priority in America in the 1950s, it was to create a safe, secure, calm and orderly community in which millions of post-war Americans could start a family.įirst phase: marginalization. World War II had ended but the world felt far from safe, between the new war in Korea, frightening talk of the Communist menace, and the threat of nuclear war.