Sunday's Parade insert in the newspaper had an article about kids being wired - being overly connected to everything because of Facebook, texting, and all things digital.
"You have to be 13 to join Facebook," the article says, "but children should learn before then not to share personal information. 'Pre-teenagers are very rule focused, so you can tell them, "Don't do this," and they're going to follow it,' Dr. O'Keeffe says." The piece went on to talk about how rebellion/disobedience issues arise usually when the kid is an older teen.
When I was a preteen, I was rule focused, and I obeyed my parents to the letter. But that was because the consequences I faced from my dad were harsh and very vivid, and he was much more strict than any of my friends' parents. As a child I remember being sheltered to an extreme extent, and I was always laughed at or criticized because if Daddy told me not to do something, I wouldn't,whereas my friends didn't care and would do what they wanted. Granted, it wasn't because I necessarily WANTED to obey my parents -- it was because I was afraid not to - but nonetheless, I did what they asked. And I continually felt different and left out because all of my friends just did whatever they wanted to do, and to hell with their parents.
I legitimately don't understand why parents/adults don't have a clue what their kids are up to. Anyone who thinks that the majority of preteens are going to automatically trust what their parents have to say without questioning it is disgustingly mistaken and naive. With how connected young kids are becoming to each other and with the outside world, I believe the rebellious "I can do it my way" mentality is much more prevalent, stronger, and harder to break in teenagers and preteens. It's not getting better, or even remaining the same. The conditions of our younger generations are deteriorating.
No comments:
Post a Comment