[Sean28274]

I am a teenager and I have never, nor have any of my friends, gone through a store and torn it apart and then left. Some teenagers, like individuals in every other age group, go into stores and try on clothes and put it back poorly, and go into stores and open food and eat it in the store. Just because you have had an experience with some teenagers does not mean all of us are bad. I am not denying that some teenagers are bad, but I have worked in retail and have experienced 40 year old women doing similar things.

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Name : Sean28274, City : Honolulu, State : HI, Country : United States, 

[Melanie S]

I believe that we live in an age that has pretty much desensitized the youth of America. We have taught them that it is okay to play video games that are horribly violent, we have taught them that they need a cell phone to call all of their friends on the ‘In’, we have taught them that it is okay by what they see on TV, by what their friends do, by what we are not doing to prevent it because we have jobs or go to school, or any number of other things. This is a fast-paced world and they have very few consequences that we can make them adhere to. I just know that there is something to be said for people who make it a point to have a set of consequences, to be consistent, and to teach respect…it is lacking in many of today’s youth.

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Name : Melanie S, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : American Indian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 29, City : Bellingham, State : WA, Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Operator, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[Jared]

Most teenagers feel that they are allowed to do this because they are allowed to get away with such things at home. I mostly deals with the types of parenting one receives. If you are allowed to leave a huge mess around the house, knowing a parent or someone will clean up after you, it just reinforces the idea that someone else will always clean up after you, no matter where you are. Myself, for one, hate it when people leave messes, and usually clean up an area in a store if someone screwed around with things and made a mess of a display. Sadly enough, I;’m in the minority. Basically, it comes down to the parenting.

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Name : Jared, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 17, City : Somewhere in, State : ME, Country : United States, Occupation : School, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[T. W. Klein]

It’s not so much that the teens feel they have the right to do certain things. It’s that they don’t have the proper parenting and role models during thier upbringing. The teens were not taught how to behave in public, the respect due to others and how thier actions bring about hardships on others and consenquences of thier actions. With single parents, both parents working or worse basically no parents, due to ‘other factors’, the children of today have much less responsibilites and guidance compared to thier grandparents and therefore you get a bunch of adolencents who have the restraint, in public, of a child.

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Name : T. W. Klein, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Southern Baptist, Age : 26, City : Sedalia, State : MO, Country : United States, Occupation : Equipment Operator, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[Annie]

I have also worked in retail, and I’ve seen all sorts of people showing the same behaviors as you have described. I tend to attribute it to a general lack of interest in the feelings of others. Many of these people feel that since they are the customer in the store, they have the right to do whatever they want. I have seen a lot of older women, usually ‘socker moms’ go through and tear through a stack of products (all of which are the same quality) so that they could get to the back one that for some reason is better than the first twenty. Many people also feel that since there are people working in a store to clean up, it is not their job. Unfortunately it’s a problem that everyone in retail has to face.

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Name : Annie, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 19, City : Gurnee, State : IL, Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Ash]

You cannot only blame teenangers for this in a retail store. I have known grown women also tear up stores. However, teenagers figure that this is the one time they do not have to clean anything up. I am usally a very polite shopper, until one of the clerks give me a hard time. There are some stores where the employees believe they are better than the people shopping there. As soon as that idea is percieved by some shoppers, they will not think twice to throw clothes around that an employee just folded.

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Name : Ash, City : MIDLAND, State : TX, Country : United States, 

[Lauren]

I too have worked in retail related fields for many years. My general thoughts is that, unfortunately, a few bad apples spoil the overall picture. At the same time, these kids have grown up with a culture of immediate gratification, and while they may not intend to create havoc – sometimes there are those that may consider it normal. You and I both are not so much past that age, but as with every generation it seemed different when we were younger – and maybe it was.

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Name : Lauren, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 31, City : Melbourne, State : FL, Country : United States, Occupation : Marketing, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Tom-O32468]

Most of the jobs I’ve had over the years have been in retail, and I have to tell you I don’t notice a huge difference in the way that teenagers and adults act when they are out of their home environments. Adults just as often pull things off the shelves and do not put them back, open packages and pull out the contents then stuff them back into the box (or not) and toss the item wherever. If I had to choose one side or the other, I would say the adults are worse, because the teenagers seldom try to work the system. I can’t tell you how many times I have had grown men and women try to return clothing/shoes/jewelry after it had been worn for whatever function it was purchased for. Or want money back for an item they purchased a year prior because they ‘just don’t want it anymore.’ I also notice the number of adults caught shoplifing is far beyond the number of teenagers caught. Parents stuffing items into their child’s stroller or diaper bag was a common practice. The teenagers may be lound and inconsiderate, but so are the adults. The difference is, the teenagers learn from their parents how to get a lot worse.

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Name : Tom-O32468, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : Hispanic/Latino (may be any race), Religion : 'Spritual in my own right.', Age : 34, City : West Hills, State : CA, Country : United States, Occupation : Health Care, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, 

[Kristen M]

Here’s the thing: their habits are no different at home, in their cars, or even with their friends things. I think that they just don’t notice the amount of work they cause by not cleaning up. As we get older, and move into our own apartments, and have to buy our own cars, we realize how much work (and money) goes into keeping any space neat. But many teens and adults ARE aware of the mess they make; they may claim ‘the people who work here are paid to clean this.’ Again, they don’t realize how much work is involved in retail, let alone how much they add with their mess.

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Name : Kristen M, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 23, City : Issaquah, State : WA, Country : United States, Occupation : Receptionist, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Angela]

I think teenagers act that way because they have grown up thinking that they are not responsible for their actions. As parents we are no longer allowed to discipline our children without someone makeing an issue of it. Society as a whole has determined that we are not responsible. It’s always someone else’s fault. We sue McDonalds when we spill our coffee, which we prefer hot of course. We blame the city for not fixing sidewalks, when we should have been watching where we were walking. Kids get these messages loud & clear.

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Name : Angela, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, City : Sinclair, State : WY, Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[Lucille Haack]

I cannot be sure of the reason, but I’d like to make a guess. I blame parents who don’t take the time to teach their kids the importance of treating property that does not belong to you, with respect. My parents had a simple solution. If we misbehaved in a store, we were taken home. Immediately. My mother said more times than I can count, “There is nothing I need so much that I am willing to put up with bad behavior”. I remember teaching my 4-year-old niece not to touch things in a store. After I explained how the things would become dirty if too many people touched them, she understood, and stopped touching everything she came across. She is now a well behaved, responsible young adult.

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Name : Lucille Haack, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Lutheran, Age : 43, City : Omaha, State : NE, Country : United States, Occupation : Military, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[Jennifer]

One word–Immaturity. But not all teenagers do this. In fact, I would say a small percentage are this immature. My parents taught me respect for others and how to act in a public place. The teens that wreck your store have either not been taught any better or have a problem with authority.

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Name : Jennifer, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 20, City : Anywhere, State : NM, Country : United States, Occupation : Secretary, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Sam N Clay]

In short – Puberty. Chances are the teens you witnessed committing these acts of vandalism were in the presence of other teens, all of whom were either giving or given a show of independence and courage and all of whom were under the influence of one of natures strongest motivational, metamorphic and multipurpose drugs – HORMONES, which are responsible for everything from breasts, beards and other adult physical features to behavior patterns such as domineering, aggressiveness, permisivness, passivity, leaders and followers, success and failure, survival or extinction all of which will hopefully result in a baby more likely to compete and win in the race to survive.

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Name : Sam N Clay, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Relaxed Searching Agnostic, Age : 44, City : Denver, State : CO, Country : United States, Occupation : Graphic Arts and Multimedia, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Ann]

The short answer: That’s what their parents taught them. The long answer: Thanks to the ‘experts’ who have controlled the conventional wisdom on child-rearing since about 1983, we have succeeded in this country in raising almost three full generations of narcisistic, egomaniacal little sociopaths who have been taught almost from birth that everything they do is permissible, as long as it makes them ‘feel good about themselves.’ They have never heard the word ‘no’, they have never been refused anything, they have never had to face the consequences of their actions, their parents (or their nannies, au pairs, etc.) have cleaned up after them every day of their lives, and they have never, ever, ever ever, (GOD FORBID!!!!!!) been punished for misbehaving, as this might hurt their precious little self-esteemie-weemies. As a result, they stop maturing emotionally somewhere in the vicinity of ‘toddler’, and continue reacting to the world the way a spoiled two-year-old would, well into their late teens. By now shopkeepers know better than to expect them to clean up their messes, as, should the shop owner press the issue, Mummsy and Diddy-widdy are likely to leap to Junior’s defense and sue the shop owner for ‘harassing’ their precious widdle darling; and the average small business person can’t afford to keep defending him/herself in court, even if he/she wins every time.

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Name : Ann, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Animist, Age : 39, City : Kansas City, State : MO, Country : United States, Occupation : Executive Assistant, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Ashley]

?????? This is just the sort of stupid sterotype that makes me not go in some stores(and I am a very good patron). I have never shoplifted. I don’t open boxes in stores. I don’t eat food in grocery stores before I pay. I don’t yell to a friend across the room when we’re shopping I walk over. I don’t insult clerks, though they quite commonly insult me by watching with eagle eyes while not even pretending to just be waiting to see if I need help. I’ve seen more middle aged ladies act in outrageous ways flipping through clothes then just letting them hit the floor and not pick them up something I’ve never seen a teen girl I know do though I’ve seen strangers do it no more often than adults(not my mom so maybe it’s just home life teachings)

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Name : Ashley, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, City : Pasco, State : WA, Country : United States, Social class : Upper middle class, 

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