The moral atmosphere in America has changed dramatically from when this country was first founded more than 200 years ago. It seems that with each generation, people are less virtuous and their faults are more commonly accepted. This trend continues in today's teenagers. Teens are looked down on as miscreants, partially due to the media's tenancy to take rare, individual circumstances of teen delinquency and make it look common place. With all their faults, teens still possess a few redeeming qualities.
             The average teen is considerably more active in volunteer work than teens in the past. Many young men and women are genuinely concerned enough for the welfare of those less fortunate, and are willing to spend hours helping charitable organizations. Groups, such as the Salvation Army, are staffing a record amount of teens to jobs that in the past had been reserved for adults. Teens, like most Americans, still possess a good, strong Puritan work ethic. Many teens hold part-time jobs and make-up an important part of America's work force in this time of low unemployment.
             Despite these virtues, the faults of teenagers seem to over shadow them. The lack of interest in school work and a misplaced importance in their social life in today's teens stands in stark contrast to the teens of fifty years ago. Many students put the minimal amount of effort into their schoolwork and fail to see the effect of their poor grades on their future. If it were not for parents and teachers constantly pushing teens to achieve high academic standards, many teens would complete high school without learning much of anything. However, the most critical flaw in today's teens is the major emphasis they place on their social lives. This emphasis has always been their, but it seems to have become more powerful in recent years. Peer pressure is a powerful force, and even the most virtuous people fall victim to its power. It has been said that chastity is no longer ...