Are Kids of Today Growing Up Too Fast?

Macayla Scarpello
2.15.08

Riding bikes, climbing trees and baseball games in the sandlot. These were just a few of the common activities among parents when they were younger, but what about today?

Electronic products ranging from iPods to videogame systems such as Xbox and Wii raise the question of what will become of children 10 years from now.

Because of technology, the normal activities for children 10 years ago is much different than today. Children are more likely to stay inside playing “Guitar Hero” than going outside to play freeze tag or hide and seek. Not only is technology a factor but the media plays a part.

Some older teenagers see the changes in their younger siblings. They feel that elementary school students are spending more time trying to grow up faster than they should by being exposed to the media’s examples, such as Britney Spears and Paris Hilton.

“I think because of the media, it influences my eighth grade sister Kelley to be prettier than she is and grow up faster,” junior Rayna Berryman said.
Others feel that the pressure put on children by their parents is another factor that is contributing to them maturing earlier.

“I think that some kids are scared and pressured and if they aren’t given the chance to be a kid they aren’t going to be one,” junior Paige Bonin said. “I think it also has to do with parents expecting too much from kids today.”

From cell phones to MySpace and Facebook, pre-teens are being exposed to numerous amounts of information. It is more common now to see fifth graders walk around with cell phones, wearing makeup and chatting online as opposed to being treated their actual age.

“It’s ridiculous how sixth graders have cell phones and are running around with short little outfits with their bellybuttons pierced,” junior Kylie Maskell said.

Some teachers feel that there should be some boundaries when it comes to the freedoms kids have today.

“I think there’s a line that they shouldn’t be just sitting in front of the computer 24/7 visiting such sites such as YouTube and MySpace. They need to make things more safe for younger kids,” Lt. Commander Michael Vinkavich said.

The future is unpredictable with new things, but will one of those things be the typical 6-year-old becoming the 12-or 13 year-old in today’s society?