fractalfeline
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@ xav0989
You're right, teens do try to grow up too fast. I mentioned this in the Reproductive Ethics thread but I'll say it here again: from a purely biological persepective, teens are fully adult by time they are about 16. But society treats them as if they are incapable of making their own decisions, incapable of dealing with responsibility, and such like that. In a way, it's somewhere in the middle. Yes, they are intelligent and aware, and can think for themselves, and handle problems, however they generally lack the Wisdom that comes from experience and the psychological maturity to handle it.
But how much of it is self-fulfilling prophecy? If the society and culture expect them to be unable to handle adult responsibility and have adult thinking patterns, then do they respond accordingly?
I think teens try very hard to show their parents, society, and everyone that they CAN be adult by attempting to do adult things, like work and sex. It comes from an underlying need to feel capable. No one really wants to think they are a useless child right?
But the point I was trying to get across was not the teens that work because they need a hobby, but work because it is necessary for the survival of their family. I mean the really poor families that need the extra income to pay the bills. The highest drop-out rate comes from teens from low-income families, and I would imagine the need to work to pay the bills is a rather large factor in the drop-out rate. There needs to be options for these teens to complete their education AND support the family.
You're right, teens do try to grow up too fast. I mentioned this in the Reproductive Ethics thread but I'll say it here again: from a purely biological persepective, teens are fully adult by time they are about 16. But society treats them as if they are incapable of making their own decisions, incapable of dealing with responsibility, and such like that. In a way, it's somewhere in the middle. Yes, they are intelligent and aware, and can think for themselves, and handle problems, however they generally lack the Wisdom that comes from experience and the psychological maturity to handle it.
But how much of it is self-fulfilling prophecy? If the society and culture expect them to be unable to handle adult responsibility and have adult thinking patterns, then do they respond accordingly?
I think teens try very hard to show their parents, society, and everyone that they CAN be adult by attempting to do adult things, like work and sex. It comes from an underlying need to feel capable. No one really wants to think they are a useless child right?
But the point I was trying to get across was not the teens that work because they need a hobby, but work because it is necessary for the survival of their family. I mean the really poor families that need the extra income to pay the bills. The highest drop-out rate comes from teens from low-income families, and I would imagine the need to work to pay the bills is a rather large factor in the drop-out rate. There needs to be options for these teens to complete their education AND support the family.
