An impressionistic, interpretative analysis of information from direct observation, known informants, and interviews provides a picture of the life situation of Spanish American youth living in rural Taos County, New Mexico. Northern Taos County has experienced dramatic social change over the last several decades, altering the traditional, folk-type, village-centered society. The majority live better physically and economically than they did before; more are affluent and better educated. Still, forces producing these benefits have also gutted the villages of their cohesive structures, reducing them to relatively atomized clusters of kin groups interspersed with increasing numbers of Anglo strangers. The life situation of youth has changed dramatically as well. The young people are oriented predominantly toward informal peer associations of extremely limited local and ethnic nature. Major ties to larger social systems are through television and school classes. They hold liberal attitudes toward sexual activity and begin using alcohol and "pot" at a relatively early age. They neither attend church regularly nor consider themselves particularly religious. While they like their communities, all want to leave, at least temporarily, when they finish school. They are uncertain about their futures and tend to think nobody cares about them, their needs and aspirations. (NEC)