Impressions of Rome/ Seattle Youth

In my first few days in Rome, I have noted many interesting interactions with the youth in Rome. These have occurred mostly through wandering the streets and interacting in my everyday activities. My most prominent memory of the youth here in Rome occurred last night while we were walking through the Campo after going out to dinner with a few of the classmates. Here, on a Saturday night, hundreds of teenagers gathered in the square in groups talking and hanging out. The atmosphere was vibrant, happy and full of life. Music played while groups of friends gathered on the statue as well as wooden blocks set up throughout the campo. People of drinking age flooded out of the bars and into the square and intermixed with the groups of youth. This memory stood out because this setting differs greatly from that of my experiences of the youth in Seattle as well as in other parts of the United States. In the states, even in the dead of winter, the youth usually does not gather in such a manner. Youth back at home would often gather at their parent’s house or in smaller groups in front of cafes or pizza places if the weather were nice. These events would be much less social and would spread across the entire town instead of centralized in one plaza.

Another time I noted Rome’s youth was while eating dinner in a small authentic restaurant. After wondering the streets near the Piazza Navona, we came across a small quaint restaurant filled with Italian families. At the table across from us, there were two small children who were around the age of 8. Throughout dinner these children kept to themselves, quietly ate their food and were often observing their American neighbors. They seemed to be independent of their parents and were not boisterous, as I would think children would be at a restaurant. Although this is only one case, these are the impressions of the Roman youth at dinners so far. In the states, I often find children constantly demanding the attention of their parents, being loud and making a scene at the restaurant. This is a major difference from the behaviors of the youth in Rome. Since this was only one instance, I will continue to observe the youth in the restaurant setting and note any differences. As we spend more and more time out in Rome, we will be able to get a better understanding of the normal behaviors and conducts of the youth in Rome.