Do today's youth grow up too fast or not fast enough?

Question

Some college students graduate and either jump right into jobs or go back to school (could be putting off growing up a bit) and then jump right into jobs. Are they rushing it or do they simply understand responsibility?
Others graduate and keep their part time jobs, move back in with their parents and keep up their college ways. Are they slacking or do they simply know how to experience and treasure their youth?
Which is better? What is a good compromise?

Answer 1

The answer to this question is YES.

First, all the growth hormones we're pumping into food combined with the multiple generations of (fairly) good prenatal and childhood nutrition, children are physically maturing faster than ever.

Simultaneously, as our life expectancy gets longer and longer, those children have longer to BE children before their brains point out that time is running out and they should be adults. It's widely accepted that Juliet in Romeo and Juliet would have been around 13 years old. But in a world where the average life expectancy was 30, she was already approaching middle age. Since middle age, now, is 40-50 years of age (if you assume that middle age is the part where you're about halfway through your years), then people don't feel the pressures of impending death until their 30s or 40s. Even if they think of death, they can just deny deny deny... And many of us also have parents who helicopter and don't expect us to BE grown-up.

Because of this, children stay immature mentally and emotionally longer than ever before.

The part-timers who move in with their parents? They're slackers. And their parents are enabling that behavior. The ones who jump right in already understand that real life is NOW, it's not later, and they're doing what they have to do. Think of it this way: you're going to work your butt off, retire, and die. The only way to avoid this trap is to work hard enough when you're young to retire early enough to enjoy some of life. So the ones who jump right in have the right idea.

Answer 2

I think the answer is "Both". There seems to be quite a rush to get kids to skip grades, do AP courses, graduate early, start college or university young, etc., all of which I think is a mistake.

However, kids often don't have to do chores, and get everything they want without having to work for it. If they get in trouble it is not unusual for their parents to believe they are not guilty of anything instead of insisting that they take responsibility for any misbehavior.

Our society is more affluent than previous generations. The baby boomers had the luxury of not requiring their children to contribute to the family financially and families were smaller so they were better off.

A good compromise would be to have children begin to take responsibility when they are younger. For example our kids did their own laundry as soon as they could reach the controls - it is not exactly difficult with automatic washers and dryers. They had to wash dishes, prepare simple meals, and regularly do other chores as their contribution to family life.

They also knew that even though we loved them to pieces, moving back home to live after graduation from university was not an option unless they were in dire straits. We would help them if they needed it, but they had to sort out their own lives. They knew that they were required to graduate from high school, and that after that they either had to get a job or go to college or university - no other choices.

Parents are not totally responsible for how their kids turn out, but as parents we do have to accept the responsibility that is ours.

I hope these thoughts help.

Answer 3

All kids today seem to be enthralled in events that are managed by adults. When I was young, leaders could be determined before they read a book on leadership.

Answer 4

today's youth are not facing enough responsibility early enough.
i believe it handicaps them in life. they don't face things like
having to support themselves or their own children. Our youth is kept "young" way too long.