How senior year worries have changed over the past 55 years

I had the opportunity to visit with the Philip High School Class of 1970 during their class reunion in August.  I learned that when the Class of 1970 tossed their caps into the air, the nation was in turmoil.  The Vietnam War loomed large in the minds of young men, with the draft hanging over many.  Draft numbers were still a conversation 55 years later, and no one forgot their number. College campuses were rolling with anti-war protests, civil rights marches filled the streets, and the music of Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin provided a rebellious soundtrack to an era of change.
For High School Seniors then, the future felt both uncertain and urgent.  They didn’t know if they’d be sent overseas or if they’d find jobs when they got out of high school. Even going to college wasn’t a guarantee of safety.  And for women, there were fewer career paths-most were told they could become teachers, nurses, or secretaries.  Becoming an engineer was hard to imagine if you were a woman in the class of 1970.
The class of 1970 concerns were being drafted into the military and war- uncertain futures for young men, fear of injury or death abroad.  The Civil Rights Movement- hopes for progress paired with deep societal divisions. Gender Roles were at ‘top of minds’ for young women graduating from high school in 1970.  There were fewer professional options for women, with societal expectations still firmly in place.
Fast forward to the Class of 2026, and the worries look different-but are no less pressing.  Today’s high school seniors face a world defined by rapid technological change, and the high cost of simply starting adult life.
High school graduates today can feel like they are stepping into a storm with overwhelming college debt and AI replacing half the jobs they are preparing for.  “Every week there seems to be some type of global crisis breathing down their necks,” one high school senior noted.  Another senior added that the mental health crisis with anxiety, depression, and burnout at an unprecedented rate among teens is a concern. 
Historians note that while the specifics have shifted, the underlying theme is the same:  each generation graduates into a world where the rules are changing faster than they can learn.
In 1970, young people were caught in the crossfire of a political upheaval and cultural transformation.  In 2025, they’re navigating technological revolutions and rising costs of becoming an adult.  The fears are different, but not in intensity.
Both generations share one more similarity: resilience.  Whether dodging uncertain futures, or dodging online misinformation, graduating seniors have always found ways to carve out their futures-even in uncertain times.
The Class of 1970 made it through and the Class of 2026 will too.  Every generation finds their way.