The Bright Young People: The Bright Young Groups Of British Teens

What is truly the causes of teenage turmoil? Looking at teenagers in history may be able to provide that answer. The Bright Young People, sometimes referred to as the Bright Youngs Things, were a group of British teens who were too young to fight in World War I but were becoming adolescents during what Kerrie Holloway describes as an “economic, political and social changes wrought by the war” and used their own flair and personalities in order to solve “inter-war problems” (Holloway 316), understand themselves better, and not be forgotten. The need of not wanting to be forgotten, but also being stuck in the middle of two very different groups, those old enough to fight in World War I and those old enough to make life changing decisions after

When taxes rose, The Bright Young people started bring in their own liquor and throw cocktail parties. They also helped in the overall economic transition from lavish mansions and townhouses to flats. The Bright Young People also helped bring changes in fashion with women wearing shorter dresses and skirts and men wore more feminine clothing which Holloway states is, “in response to the masculinity of the military uniforms they were never allowed to don.” (Holloway 320). There was also a change in the structure of the family home, though not caused by the Bright Young People but observed by them. The young men involved in the Bright Young People grew with a lack of male role models do to the fact that their fathers and or brothers would be off to fight and the war. Then their mothers would be working, usually in factories, and they would be alone. To most critics these young men which Holloway reiterates, “‘[had] been deprived of a father’s guiding hand and wisdom throughout the most critical years of their lives’”. (Holloway 322). Though Holloway also states this lack of male role models may have been very important to the nature of the Bright Young People, “Because this generation had not been taught the conventional way to approach unprecedented situations, it should have been no surprise that they would choose unconventional avenues of problem – solving later in life.” (Holloway 322). As previously stated the Bright Young Things had a lot to do with the way marriage and courtship was viewed which made things less structured, more relaxed and focused more on what the couple