Okay so what is it with our teens these days and drugs, not to mention the drinking and the sex. It wasn't long ago that I was a teen myself and man have things changed. I am 24 years old, not much older then the teens today (well to them they may think so). I was on Myspace the other day, well someone I know has a daughter who is 14 years old. She has a boyfriend, stays at his house, and "Loves him" and he is 17 years old. Is it extreme of me to believe a 14 year old has no business calling a 17 year old their boyfriend? What happened to the days of barbies, and cooties? There are girls at 14 that look like they are 20. There are children who are pregnant, and again why not when parents allow them to have boyfriends and look like they are 20. There are appropriate ways for young teens to act, dress, and hold themselves. But really who is to blame? The Parents? The Teachers? The Kids???
Parents wonder why their teens are getting arrested, getting drunk, and doing drugs. Well who is stopping them? I don't see the parents doing it. Do parents not understand what they did at that age and try a little harder to prevent that from happening to their own children. I wasn't even allowed to date til I was 16, and that is just ludicrous nowadays! I believe parents need to step up to the plate and start being parents. There are actually parents out there that allow this type of behaviour. Allowing teens to stay home and drink with the excuse that it is safer, why not try to avoid them doing it in the first place. Step up, be parents, your teens have enough friends, they don't need another one, they need someone who will guide them, and correct them.
To think that kids are going out and doing drugs or drinking or having sex and not realizing the dangers of them, and they can cause harm to themselves, gain a bad reputation, or it could even be fatal. Kids don't know these things, and unfortunately I don't see parents stepping up and telling them what should and should not be done.
So what does everyone think, is this due to parents? Teachers?? Kids?? Television?? What is causing our future leaders to go down the wrong path, that leads to nowhere??
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When I was 14 or 15 I used to beg my parents to let me go on a date. Now that I'm older and in college, I understand their reasoning for not letting me. I see all these teenage girls having babies and I realize that if my parents hadn't been so involved in my life, I might have ended up like that. I used to get so mad at them but now all I can do is look back and thank them.
i think that every group that you mentioned is at fault.
Teachers are underpaid and as a result care less about their jobs. they don't spend as much time trying to tie in moral aspects in their lessons. their job is to get the student to pass the class. any personal investment beyond that is not important.
Parents are especially at fault. Parenting is considered much less serious than in previous times... people with bad examples for parents are bad examples to their children... its a neverending cycle.
and lastly, the media. treatment of drug scandals and alcohol abuse are taken a lot less seriously than ever before. there is no shock value anymore when we find out about lindsay lohan's 43,853,975 dui charge, heath ledger's drug overdose, or amy winehouses latest drug and alcohol binge.
the general public has become desensitized to immorality. It is so omnipresent that it doesn't phase anyone anymore.
A child MUST burn his/her hand on the stove...
not just KNOW it is hot (they can and are consistently TOLD that)...
but to EXPERIENCE the pain sensation associated with dangerously hot objects.
Knowledge cannot merely be told to someone and have expected retention 100% of the time.
Knowledge is only truly solidified with some sort of adrenaline-induced experience, in the case of sex, drugs and uniqueness the adrenaline-induced experience it is the actions themselves, not amount of good, bad or indifferent parenting will solve that problem
In the case of what you deem "good" parenting, situations form where a child has been TOLD EVERYTHING and EXPERIENCED NOTHING first-hand; excuse my French but "smart as hell with no common sense". It is rampant in universities across the country, students more than capable of doing the work and solving the problems asked of them find simple problems extremely complicated due to the lack of self-initiative, they've always been given CLEAR, EXACT instruction, leaving nothing for individual experience and exploration.
Good parents need be concerned with their child's whereabouts and extra-curriculars HOWEVER, they must also realize a child must fall on his face plenty of times to gain necessary world experience. Nature vs. nurture. History repeats itself.
The only people to really blame, I think, are the parents. It is the parents' job to teach their children values and good morals. It is NOT the job of teachers or main stream television. I agree when you say that high school students should have no intention on dating children in middle school.
I'm only 17 and I even see the changes between me when I was younger and the kids who are younger now. I absolutely hate seeing 10 year olds wearing clothes that a high schooler should be wearing. The line between parenting and friendship is slowly being erased. Parents will do anything to please there kids which means less boundries. With less boundries in the home, kids will have less boundries for themselves and will tend to act out more.
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All the believers, they were smiling and winking at each other, I could honestly say I was scared for my life.
Yeah I know what you mean about the 10 year olds wearing clothes that teens wear.
It irritates me to see that. I mean, they have no business wearing stuff like that.
Krystella, 17 years old.
shortstella@gmail.com
Being a teenager myself, I know that teens are very horny and dumb. Most of the people in my school do drugs because it's "cool" to be on something. or it's gang related. In which all the teens nowadays think they are in a gang. It's pretty lame and stupid. Than those that do drugs say, "I'm going to college." How the hell are they going to college if they are frying their brain and can't pass the basic classes in school. It's irritating to me.
I was at the doctor the other day and I saw that this little 6 year old was wearing make up, high heals, short skirt and so one. And I was like, "what the hell?" In that case, it's the parents fault because the parent is the one teaching the kids to act up. Ya know?
But in other cases, I think that it's the teenagers fault too. Most teens don't listen to their parents. And the parents are out of control with the kid and doesn't know what to do.
This should change...It's lame.
Krystella, 17 years old.
shortstella@gmail.com
I totally agree. Personally I had very good teachers who talked to us like they were our parents. My mom was never really a mom, but more of a friend, and is still that way. Luckily I've had the guidance of my grandparents, but my younger sisters weren't so lucky. They're acting outrageous! I just can't believe out out of control these youngsters are.
Not only do I blame the parents, but I do believe that it is the media as well having a big affect on these young ones. They sell products by using sex to advertise them, constantly sex comes up in movies, and is constantly mentioned where ever you go. Honestly, who can blame these kids for getting curious about sex, drugs and whatever else, when it's all that's really talked about? I can't even walk down the street without seeing something that is sexual! WOW.....things have really gotten bad that's for sure!!
Personally I think a lot of parents are too concerned about weather or not their children like them..
They are not making the line defined enough between friends and parents and that allows the children to push enough to get what they want not unlike what freinds do to each other. That's why we have such a large amount of underage drinkers and premartial sex.
It all starts at home. True, the media perpetuates a glamorized image of such conduct, but a strong foundation within the family can do wonders. If Mom and/or Dad do their part to instill morality at an early age, the bombardment of such behavior both in the media and in real life will be absolutely ineffective.