Many hands make light work of the washing up at Grasmere Youth Hostel in the Lake District, 1941

Yay for the Youth Hostel!

In the early twentieth century, hostel organizations helped young people to get out into the country and travel independently—with a bit of overnight supervision.
Photograph: Marley Shelton, Marla Sokoloff and the rest of the girls at a sleepover in a scene from the film 'Sugar & Spice', 2001

Source: Getty

Slumber Parties and Folklore

Slumber party rituals are indeed alive and well, and being passed down to the next generation in person and online.
Girl Scouts, 1951

How American Girl Scouts Shocked Mexico in the 1950s

At a retreat center called Our Cabaña, girls from all over the world became Cold War–era diplomats. American scouts had additional ideas.
A stamp for the 50th Anniversary of Boy Scouts of America (1960)

Boy Scouts and the Phenomenon of “Boyification”

After a series of traumatic wars, the U.K. and the U.S. embraced a trend of "boyification." Scholars theorize it was an attempt to recover lost innocence.
The Columbine Memorial in Littleton, Colorado.

How Columbine Brought Religion into Public Life

In the aftermath of 1999's Columbine massacre, American media and politicians focused on the secret world of delinquent youth and how they might be saved.
Young Egyptian protesters

Could Youth Unemployment in the Middle East Be Dangerous?

Nearly half the population in the Middle East is under 25 years old, and their unemployment rate hovers at a staggering 30%.
Man ironing a work shirt

How the “Boomerang Generation” Sees Itself — and Adulthood

Researchers looked at young people's sense of their identity as adults after moving back home, with results published in Sociological Forum in 2008.