They know much more about the world than we did at their age, and that has made them more cautious. I found a resilience among them, a sense of optimism that some might say is out of proportion with reality. They sense they have a place in the world, and they will find it. The world they have known, without war and with a healthy economy, has been pretty good. They do not see the world as black as we do.
Some teens agree.
But you don't see a lot of pessimism and cynicism. We are not a pessimistic generation. My friends are motivated, upbeat people. Some do have money and the ability to pay for things like drugs. But the kids I am around are talking about what they will do after college and how they will change the world.