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.