Why aren't kids taken seriously by adults? Are we a "joke"?

I personally think that we, (kids/teenagers) aren't taken seriously by adults because they feel that we have absolutely nothing to say, about what goes on in the world. They think that what we say is unimportant, that what we think has no point, or place in this world. This is all brought on by age, as soon as we are in our twenties, adults start to listen to us, and listen to what we have to say, what we care about, and how we feel about what is going on around us, and in the world that we live in. Is this because of age? Stereotypes? Ideas, that we are the problems of this world? What is it?

I personally feel that adults ignore what we have to say. Because of our age, they feel that we aren't old enough, or mature enough, to understand what is going on in the world, because they feel that it is too complicated for us to understand. Yet we understand a lot of it more, than our parents, and other adults do. It seems that part of this problem is because of a generation gap. A good example would be, the government, there is a HUGE generation gap there. I have yet to see someone in their twenties enter parliament, and voice the opinions of my generation. I don't even think anyone in their twenties is even in parliament, only because of this age gap. So without them, it is harder for us to gain a voice to get our opinions, and thoughts out, creating another reason, why adults do not listen to us. We have NO voice to speak out for us, and say how we feel.

But that is on a large, national scale. What about us as individuals? Do adults listen to each of us on our own? To what we have to say, and what we think? Personally I feel that our parents do listen to us as individuals, to what we have to say and what we think, but that's about it. I have yet to see an adult that isn't one of my parents (other than a teacher), that will listen to my opinions, on matters, they seem to think that the problems that we have, belong to us, and us alone. But the truth is they don't, they belong to everyone. Adults can help eliminate one of those problems, by listening to us, and hearing what we have to say as individuals, and as a whole. Eliminating that problem may also be a step towards world peace, and solving other problems that the world has today.

So what does not listening to us cause? Well, it can cause youth delinquency. Without someone to listen to us, our problems go unsolved, and we go out and find our own solutions, which aren't always the right ones. With adults to help us solve our problems they are able to push on the right path, to solving them, and to success, as they have been where we have been before. Although I don't blame them for not wanting to help us, with everything that they have to worry about, between where the next batch of groceries will come from, and how to make the next house, or car payment. But that is all secondary to how we as children, and family feel, and what we are doing. That may all be why the teen drug and alcohol use rate is up, compared to what it was when our parents were our age.

I do believe that there is a problem with adults not listening to us and in return they have the problem of us not listening to them. This can be solved by, our parents, and other adults, listening to what we have to say, and getting involved in what we are doing, and knowing what is going on. This way the lines of communication are always open.