InAmerica,wevalueindividualityandliketothinkthateveryoneisdifferent.Itisexpectedthatmostyouthwillbesomewhatrebellioussometimearoundcollegeage.Youthfulrebellionisoftenseenasahealthyandnormalgropingtowardindividuality,especiallyasneededtobecomedistinctfromone’sparents.
Therebelliousnessmayberelatedtomajorsocialissues—peace,orracialjustice,aswehadinthelate1960s.Ontheotherhand,normal,healthyrebelliousnessmaybeanindividualtestofthelinebetweenfoolishnessandtrouble.
Earlyteensmaytrytoshockandworrytheirparents.Tattoos,piercednoses,andbrightlycoloredhairareexamples.
Bycollegeage,studentsmaybeexpectedtobetestingbroadersocialnorms.Ofparticulardelightareactionsthatpointoutthehypocrisyofoldergenerations.Streaking,or“runningnakedthroughapublicplace”,isafineexampleofthatkindoftesting.Publicnudityiswidelycondemnedbyofficialdomandcanbepunished.
However,aslongasthestreakerescapeswithoutbeingcaught,streakingisclearlyharmless;onewouldbesorrytomissseeingagiveninstance.Streakingisafad.Afadallowseveryonetodemonstratehowdifferentheis—inthesameway.
Fadswearout.Fadscomeandgo.Streakingbecameafadinthefallof1973,soonmakingnationalheadlines.
Itfadedoutandthencamebackinthe80’sandagaininthe90’s.Onatleastonecampus(PrincetonUniversity,ahighlyrespectedschool),aformofstreakinghasbecomeatradition.Eachyearatmidnightonthenightofthefirstsnow,nudesophomoresrunaroundPrinceton’sHolderCourtyard.Thetraditionhastakenholdtoanextentthatitgetsfavorabletreatmentinthenationalpress,andofficialattemptstoendthepracticegetnopublicsupport.