My Soap Box

I’ve seen this ad a few times now, and it is getting on my nerves. This advertisement is an example of ageism. First of all, it portrays a common negative stereotype of teens as being messy. Admittedly, my bedroom is in a constant state of clutter, but I am not all teens. In fact, I will no loner even qualify as a teen in 3 and a half months, at which point I am sure I will still have a cluttered bedroom at home, because, like most Americans, I have too much stuff and no idea what to do with it. Clutter is not limited to teenagers, nor are teenagers limited to clutter (I know a few teens who are almost frighteningly neat). That is not my real issue though. Fighting that stereotype would be an endless cause.

My real issue is the implications of the commercial. As the voice over tells us, most people don’t have to share a bedroom with a teen, but you do have to share the road with them. This statement connects the clutter of a teen’s bedroom to their skills as a driver. Either being a poor housekeeper (a crime I know plenty of “adults” to be guilty of) somehow negatively affects one’s driving, or this commercial is implying that teens are inherently bad drivers.

This is simply not the case. In addition to articles demonstrating that older adults often practice unsafe driving habits or can be unsafe on the road, it can easily be pointed out that teen drivers are inexperienced. As I said earlier, I barely qualify as a teen, but I can assure you that I am not as safe on the road as a seventeen year old who has held their license for a year, because I have been driving for less than a month.

This is a case of blatant ageism. It is also not an uncommon issue in the US. Teens are often discriminated against, as one of the least empowered minority groups in the country (while most minority groups do have such a right, individuals under the age of 18 are unable to vote, regardless of citizenship). Their driving is especially picked on.

My Senator, Dodd, is even putting through legislation to raise the national permit and license age, preventing teen drivers from receiving a full, unrestricted license until the age of 18. Meanwhile, at the age of 18, I am allowed to practice driving without a permit, as long as there is a licensed driver in the car. I don’t need to demonstrate that I can see properly, let alone that I know what a red octagonal sign means.* Because of my age, I am able to simply get behind the wheel of my family’s Ford Explorer without any piece of paper. So can an 80 year old who has never driven before in their life. How is that fair?

*I got a permit before I turned 18. As of three years ago, I can see fine, and know that the aforementioned sign means I need to brake.

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