Are we creating “teen angst”?
Interesting articles here and here by Dr. Robert Epstein.
Dr. Epstein maintains that the rebellious and irresponsible attitudes we see in teens are simply the result of artificially extending childhood, sometimes well into the 20’s. Cultures that do not recognize the period of “adolescence” do not have the phenomenon of teen angst.
“In most nonindustrialized societies, young people are integrated into adult society as soon as they are capable, and there is no sign of teen turmoil. Many cultures do not even have a term for adolescence. But we not only created this stage of life: We declared it inevitable. In 1904, American psychologist G. Stanley Hall said it was programmed by evolution. He was wrong.”
In recent surveys I’ve found that American teens are subjected to more than 10 times as many restrictions as mainstream adults, twice as many restrictions as active-duty U.S. Marines, and even twice as many as incarcerated felons. Psychologist Diane Dumas and I also found a correlation between infantilization and psychological dysfunction. The more young people are infantilized, the more psychopathology they show.”
Dr. Epstein has written a new book called “The Case Against Adolescence: Rediscovering The Adult In Every Teen”.
What do you think?
Do we artificially extend childhood?
Could this artificial extension be the very thing that causes teens to act irresponsibly?
Should we be giving our teens more freedom and responsibility, ie treating them more like adults?
I’d love to hear your thoughts…..I especially wonder about this in the church. My experience has been that in the church, we place even more restrictions on our teens than in the culture at large.
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We had an interesting conversation with our daughter (13) about this just the other evening. We were talking about how restrictive the rules are for kids (teens). Yet they are also exposed to adult levels of violence, sex and the like on television. So in some ways we ask teens to remain children, but in others we ask them to grow up too early. I think it send mixed messages and creates mixed expectations for the kids.
I think that we need to be working through the issues in a more healthy and holistic fashion. Such that our expectations are somewhat level across the board.
Beyond that … I’m not sure what to think. There’s a very harsh, libertarian part of me that says we’ve given over too much of our childrearing to the schools and government. But …. I think I need to give that more thought before I air that part
I agree. The problem is that we have a culture that is not conducive to changing that trend. “releasing” my teen into maturity in a culture that doesn’t support it is probably not the best idea. There will have to be a balance somehow.
I’m not sure if it’s giving our teens, and adolescents for that matter, more responsibilities and freedom as it is making them more accountable for their actions. Perhaps they are flip-side things: on one side is more responsibilities and freedoms, on the other more accountability. I’ve seen so many parents pass off the problems of their children as being the fault of others, never their kid.
B~
Sonja,
I agree that we send mixed messages….much of that through the media and “teen culture”. Part of Epstein’s complaints are the complete immersion of teens’ with their peers. He said that teens spend 65 hours a week with peers, versus other cultures that spend about 5 hours a week with peers…perhaps if teens weren’t fully relegated to peer oriented schooling, activities etc and were more “in touch” with people of all ages ie adults, that would eliminate some of the problems.
Interesting stuff. I think Epstein would side with you on some of your Libertarian leanings
Mak,
Yes, I agree. Let’s say we have a teen that is fully ready to take on adulthood…get a job, even move out. We don’t even have that option as parents/families because of our cultural norms…so it does present a problem. How would we fix that? I have no idea, but it’s an interesting thing to kick around and think about. Especially if our cultural norms are hurting our teens/adolescents/offspring/aspiring adults.
Bruce, I agree. When I said responsibility, I included accountability in that. I think accountability is inherent in responsibility. Yes, there are plenty of parents that do not hold their kids accountable. But do you think that perhaps that is due to this infantilizing of “young adults”?
This is a complicated area- and one that might benefit from a re-visiting of some older forms of community living- where mentoring and apprenticeship played significant roles- too often teens today are stripped of the ability to make and learn from their mistakes- they are cosseted and this in effect keeps them in a comfortable yet childish prison! A challenge indeed!
This is a complicated area- and one that might benefit from a re-visiting of some older forms of community living- where mentoring and apprenticeship played significant roles- too often teens today are stripped of the ability to make and learn from their mistakes- they are cosseted and this in effect keeps them in a comfortable yet childish prison! A challenge indeed!
I think if parents truly want their kids to grow up into mature adults then they need to teach them how to handle mature issues. Even though my parents could have provided for me without me having to work, my dad made me get a job and pay for my own expenditures. All through high school I had to work to pay for gas, going to the movies, going out to eat with friends. It wasn’t always fun, but the entire time my parents were there to help me, teaching me to manage money appropriately. It gave me a sense of independence and allowed me to make my own desicions, but they were always there to help and support me. I think it is very important for parents to give their teenager responsibilities and treat them as the young adults that they are. If adults will invest their time and show teenagers how to be mature responsible adults then they will.