Is it easier to be a young person today compared to the 1960s?

Both. The hardest thing I see today for young people is “knowing” what your friends are doing. When I was young, obviously, if your friends had plans, you simply weren’t included all the time. No big deal. Now there are “snap maps” that show exactly where your friends are and whether or not you’re being included or excluded socially. That’s just awful. So, that’s one example.

Second would be freedoms like alcohol and drugs. We all experimented when we were young. Parents and school systems knew it went on and just treated it as a part of life. Getting drunk in HS was no big deal. Getting high in college right your dorm room was no big deal. You could have a huge party and no one cared and it was “legal”. Now, it’s like you’ve murdered someone if there’s a party that’s not “legal”. What a complete joke. It was ok then. It’s ok now.

Drinking was moved from 18 to 21 ages ago in the US. I think that’s ridiculous. Kids make mistakes. Let them have fun. Let them make mistakes when they’re young. Responsibility can be taught without such hard rules. Who are the adults that couldn’t handle “fun” and shoved a stick up everyones’ ass so everything is out of bounds for young adults. It’s just pathetic.

The internet has brought a healthier level of freedom to sex, particularly for women. Things are freer now for everyone, which is a good thing. In the 70’s if a girl had had sex with more than one male in HS, she was practically a prostitute. Now sexuality has changed. Women can speak up about what they like, want and deserve. Generally, they can seek it out as well without being judged as immoral. A level playing field is always better. If it’s good for a man, it’s good for a woman too.

Cancel culture. This I’ll just never understand. People are different. It’s ok to say things. The overreaction today is enough to drive you nuts. Not everyone is going to succeed. Participation trophies are a joke. If someone is better at something than you are, so be it. We’re not equal at everything. We’re not all the same at everything. Deal with it. Go kick someone’s ass at what you do best and stop worrying about what you’re not good at. There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with diversity. We’re fans of things because others are better at it than we are. It doesn’t mean we were shortchanged of the same opportunity. They just worked harder and were more naturally talented. Enjoy their skill. Stop being so angry at everything

There’s obviously more, but these are just a couple of observations, good bad and ugly

Well, it's nice not having to die of measles and polio. 😷

Nobody can give you a definite answer, unless we invent a time machine and travel back to the 60s ~

I think in the 1960s it was simpler

In my experience, MOST young people want the same things. They want to blend in with the crowd, and they want to be accepted. They want to be attractive, they want the sex to whom they are attracted to find them attractive, and they want to have fun. They are almost always completely clueless. Those who are not silly or clueless usually have good guidance, and well developed brains, and they use them.

I also noticed that everyone is different. Some young people struggle with their feelings, and some are very dramatic, while others seem to have their heads on straight. It's possible that the parents and family have a lot to do with the "heads on straight" part of the equation.

Young people in the 60s had a different set of problems to deal with than now, and experience is relative so arguably no harder or easier just different.

They didn't have the internet though. Much as I've come to love SW, they probably had it easier in that regard...

Well, they used to get raised in the belief that they should get married young, and some people had quite some sex considering the many babies they've had. Today one would rather have as many legal cases considering the metoo stuff and such.

There is no doubt that kids growing up before 1992 ... had way more fun ... grew up smarter ... stronger ... and way less conflicted

The sad thing today ... is so many young people are joyless ... it is difficult to comprehend ... youth used to be full of joy

pick your poison--the difficulties of today are different from the difficulties of long ago.

I think it's certainly easier with digital media to explore and gain knowledge if you have a curious mind however, the reliability of web and social media based facts can be misleading and sometimes dangerous. I think every child has better opportunities to do well in education (UK) compared to those of the 60s.

I have been neither

In some ways it's easier, in other ways it's harder. There is less poverty and child labor, but life is much more stressful nowadays.

I think that depends on which generation you ask about it... they all say something different. 😜

Way too generic a question.

Starvation is real.

For some it's food.

For others it's real life .

I think kissing was more in the 60s because they didn't have much else to do 🤔

No it gets harder with each year for kids out there

Not really, no. At least in my country.

Each era has its hardships and good living. Personally, I preferred the sixties

No one can truly compare because if you were young then well you'd be old now but on paper I'd still say that each generation has its challenges.
I do think that everything is accelerated now.

More social responsibility