The site of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. (Doug Kanter/Getty Images)
MEDFORD, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Many people know where they were 18 years ago on Sept. 11. However, there is an entire generation that only knows about the tragedy through what they learned from school and family.
As schools across the country are commemorating the attacks Wednesday, WBZ NewsRadio’s James Rojas spoke to teenagers about what Sept. 11 means to them.
“American kind of found itself a deeper national identity after that. Moments show that we can come together in times of crises and show our unity as a country,” 15-year-old Youssef said.
Marie, a 17-year-old senior from Medford, spoke about what she learned about the effects of Sept. 11.
“The only thing I could probably think of is discrimination issues and how people might be more prejudice after 9/11,” Marie said.
Today’s generation of students grew up post-Sept. 11 — an era of heightened security with the threat of terrorism.
While some students learned about the attacks in elementary school, 16-year-old Ben said his first lesson on the subject was in eighth grade.
“We’ve learned that we can’t always trust people,” Ben said. “Before you could literally bring knives and stuff on planes because there wasn’t as much security, and now there’s so much security.”
Growing up where this is the new normal, Ben said he thinks the heightened security has made America safer.
When asked what event happened in their lifetime that comes close to the attacks in 2001, many teenagers who spoke to WBZ NewsRadio brought up the Boston Marathon bombings.
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WBZ NewsRadio's James Rojas (@JamesRojasWBZ) reports