Why do adults say they know what its like to be a teenager? They think that they know what it's like, but they really don't, times change, I wont know what it will be like to be a teenager in 25 years, so much will be different. Thoughts?

You could turn that question around and say "Why do teenagers think they are the first generation to ever have teenage experiences."

People in their 40/50/60s have all been through the drugs on offer and all the teenage hormones and the bullying and crime.

I am not saying that things are easy for teens but there are many more help and counseling centres more places of entertainment. Computers , Phones, oppurtunities.

Yes times have changed and for a lot of teens times have changed for the better.

There are of course the unlucky ones but then every generation has had those that have a more difficult time than most.

They do know to an extent, and you would be wise to try to learn from them, for even though things have drastically changed in 25 years, you should not consider them clueless in life. They have lived at least 20 more years than you have. You should break the differences to them gently. In short, violence is more popular, as are drugs, sex, and problematic adolescence.

You're wrong. We remember exactly what it is like to be a teenager. It is one of the greatest, mosts vivid times of our lives. It is impossible to forget. You WILL remember. I promise you that.

We also remember how arrogant we were when we were teenagers. We remember how we thought we knew everything and that our parents just couldn't understand us.

Then we grew up and realized that there is a LOT to learn in life, and the only way you learn it is through experience. We realized that if we had listened to our parents more, and did what they encouraged us to do, we would have been better people because of it.

I have so much more respect for my parents now that I am grown with children of my own.

I agree.
According to my grandmother, being a teenager mainly consists of peeling potatoes, writing on old newspapers, and refusing to dance with those rowdy handsome boys. She had mostly different problems when she was one than I do now -- mainly because it was during a war and she was surrounded by intense Communism and a family dysfunctional in a completely different way from mine.
She may know some things -- insecurity about your looks and hormones and so on -- but even those, she handled quite differently and still does when it comes to anyone else talking to her about them. Eh.

I do remember 35 years later what it was like. The more things change - they more they stay the same. All the angst over besties and boys and schools and futures and parents....every generation goes through this a thinks that no one could ever understand or have ever been through this before. I thought that, my sons thought that and now my step-childlren think it too. It's part of being a teenager. Yes social conditions have changed. Every generation they change somewhat compared to the previous ones.

I fully appreciate where you are coming from; it's very true that the situations my teens find themselves in are different to anything I experienced - not least because my son is at Uni and I never went.

However, we do remember the process of growing up and the difficult stages in life that we faced, the decisions we had to make and the consequences of getting it wrong.

In 25 years time all of the answers here will make sense and hopefully your teenagers will come to you and you'll be able to understand what they are facing in terms of life experiences. Times change but the growing up process is pretty stable.

Hey, being a teen is not easy and when I was I remember that. I had peer pressure so much I was such a loner for a while. I remember all those hard times as if they were yesterday. I had no self esteem cause it was being put down all the time. Its a hard time. You do remember the hard times. But I am thankful for a different mindset now and for the great changes I made. What a different person today.