November 26, 2006

30 the new 20.....but is 10 the new 15?

An AP article I stumbled on today describes the lives of 10 year olds, suggesting that 10 is the new 15. I'd like to hear your thoughts on this. The piece describes the world of 10 or so year olds: exposure to sexually explicit music, a desire for "relationships" instead of just talking about dating in the future tense, casual conversation on their cell phones, the fact that they have cell phones, and ..
Beyond the drugs, sex and rock'n'roll their boomer and Gen X parents navigated, technology and consumerism have accelerated the pace of life, giving kids easy access to influences that may or may not be parent-approved. Sex, violence and foul language that used to be relegated to late-night viewing and R-rated movies are expected fixtures in everyday TV.
There is no escape from sexual innuendo in childrens movies and prime time television offers nothing safe or sensible. It frustates me because while I want my own children to know the culture that they live in, to understand the philosophies of our time, I don't want them to figure everything out all in one sitting. It's clear that the knowledge base of today's 10 year olds is astounding. How many of us laugh at the fact that we can't work our own VCR's....oh wait, we don't have those anymore. Our kids are able to navigate the DVD/DVR players in ways that only leave us awe struck. Should I really take joy in the fact that my 13 year old can change my spark plugs, change the oil, fix the brakes....and my car will still work?

1 comment:

Unknown said...

So is 50 the new 35?
Now I'm feeling really young!

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