Online news magazine Slate recently posted scans of comic books published by the Social Security Administration in the 1950s and 1960s designed to inform young people about the importance of Social Security – a common strategy to reach youth at that time. Slate writes:
Why should young people care about Social Security? Some of these comics sold the program as a way that the government could help free young people from familial obligation. The crew-cut young men and well-dressed girls wanted to help parents in dire straits, but they shouldn’t have to. Social Security would make sure Tom wouldn’t have to skip engineering school to take over the family farm, and Janet wouldn’t have to postpone her wedding to earn money for her family. (Yes, Janet’s “dream” was marriage, even in a comic published in 1965; the 1950s died hard.)
Here’s one of the comics Slate posted:
For a more updated take on Social Security, check out the music video Just Scrap the Cap, also aimed at educating young adults about the importance of Social Security.
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