Młodzież a praca nad sobą – w świetle listów młodych czytelników do redakcji wybranych czasopism młodzieżowych: Cogito, Victor Gimnazjalista i Mały Gość Niedzielny

Contemporary adolescents are subjected to two opposing forces: consumer culture characterized by subordination and revolt against controlled activity. Youth fosters self-improvement, which requires intentional and conscious changes in behaviors and personalities conforming to accepted standards as well as an orientation toward faraway pro-social goals. Both are difficult. This article addresses the following questions: Are contemporary adolescents interested in self-improvement, and – if so – how do they express this interest? Answers come from the analysis of young readers’ letters to the editor in selected youth magazines. The results suggest that, despite the lack of the term “work on oneself” in the letters, young readers discuss three important types of activity: self-knowledge, self-improvement and self-education. In this way young people express their interest in self-improvement.