Do you think our children are growing up too fast?

1. 62

   Melanie Trauschposted 13 years ago

   Do you think our children are growing up too fast?
   
   With kids being introduced to the internet as toddlers and mastering social websites and hosting blogs by the time they're tweens, I often wonder if all this global exposure so young is stripping our kids of the simplicity and innocence of just being a kid?
   
   

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2. 71

   DonDWestposted 13 years ago

   I don't know about that. . .
   
   The "steps towards adulthood" (school, job, house, marriage, kids, etc) seem to be taking longer than ever.

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3. 81

   jacqui2011posted 13 years ago

   I think this is true. I definitely feel that my 16 year old has grown up so fast especially in the last 12 months. She knows so much and is so conscious of fashion, make up,diet etc which she finds out about from the internet and facebook friends. I think many mums feel this way. They certainly aren't children for long.

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4. 79

   J.S.Matthewposted 13 years ago

   I think that while children perceive themselves to be "mature", they are often, not. I am making reference to my own children, and nieces and nephews. They are exposed to so much adult subject through mass media that they, and ultimately we the parents, become "desensitized". We become numb to what we see and hear.
   
   I remember being a kid and always playing outdoors (if you are interested, here is a link: http://hubpages.com/hub/Theres-Nowhere- … ds-To-Play). This is not the case for many children today because everything in the world is in the palm of their hand. Instant gratification and too many choices to make.
   
   Lets face it, when we were kids we had no idea what was going to happen in life. Did we ever think that Gas Prices would exceed $4.00 per gallon? So much has happened in so little time that I think we should try to slow down a little bit.
   
   I don't know what will happen in the future, but I know that history always repeats itself. I hope that the next generation can get a grip on reality as it is fading away, and get focused on preserving the future.
   
   Without trying to sound scary, we have the capacity to wipe out all of mankind. We have been developing that since the beginning of modern times. My hope for the future is to reverse that.
   
   I hope that the children will wake up and start sharing. Peace can happen; greed makes it difficult, but if we realize that we are all related and can make a difference, then prosperity can prevail.
   
   JSMatthew~

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5. 68

   onegoodwomanposted 13 years ago

   Bras at 10, careers decided at 12, "reconstructive" surgery at 8, motherhood at 14................
   
   yes, I link much of it to the hormones in our food supply, these things were in place before MTV, video games, mass media, latch key kids..........
   
   I am amazed at only, how long it has taken us to question these things.........it is as if our collective society has abandoned childhood.

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