Are teens today being influenced in a bad way?

@RobinJ (2501)
Canada
February 7, 2008 1:27pm CST
I just tried to answer a post about short shorts, and lost it , but I have to wonder if TV, Movies, Internet is influencing you people into doing thing far beyond their years. My granddaughter is very easily lead and she Trys to copy what she sees in movies and on TV, her mom is very careful about what she watches but the influence is still there , What do you believe, positive or negative replies welcome. Just tell me if you agree or disagree and why. Thanks
5 people like this
9 responses
@uath13 (8192)
• United States
7 Feb 08
My daughter won't get to dress like that. We won't buy that junk. Kids shouldn't look like streetwalkers or thugs. We've allowed a lot of less than positive role models to take over the media & it rubs off. Paris Hilton should be SHOT!
4 people like this
@RobinJ (2501)
• Canada
7 Feb 08
Sorry i do not condone shooting any one but if it were not Paris Hilton it would be some one else, I recall when Elvis appeared on Ed Sullivan, yes I am that old, there was shock from all the religious community, as well as parents and teachers. It was like it was the end of the world, and I guess in a way it was. I don't know how many people saw that actual program but it did go around the world pretty darn fast, and is still talked about to this very day. So it is going to happen no matter what and I think in the end we just have to trust that we have raised our children with an enough common sense to do the right thing.
2 people like this
@BlackBay (584)
• Canada
7 Feb 08
You know I'm 37 and think back to when I was growing up and the type of behaviour that wasn't aloud. Things like no TV until your chores, homework, etc. were done,no back talk, yes mame or yes sir, excuse me, pardon me, Thank you, Please...these were a must if you wanted to be repected or heard. Now I look at my daughters generation( my daughter was raised with the same values as me)her friends hate their parents, curse, rude, disrespectful,lazy,think life owes them...these are kids are 19-20 years old...what happened in such a short period of time....could it be nintendo,playstaion,xbox,150 tv channels, no cencorship,both parents having to work to make ends meet, no supervision....the list goes on.It has become a consume all and anything at all cost world. I really hate to think what life will be like in another 25 years, the way it's going now it looks pretty bleak for our younger generation
3 people like this
@RobinJ (2501)
• Canada
24 Feb 08
I really appreciate your response and felt it added so much to my discussion your is the best and will be marked as such
@BlackBay (584)
• Canada
24 Feb 08
Thank you! I appreciate it very much!!
@SViswan (12051)
• India
10 Feb 08
My kids are not in their teens yet...but I can see what you mean. I was very careful about what my 7 year old son used to watch when he was younger...but now he is influenced at school too. He knows he can't watch certain cartoons and the reason why he can't watch them...but he does gets glimpses as he surfs and I can see how even the few seconds have affected him. But seeing other kids his age whose parents do not care what they wtch or who they emulate as long as the kids are out of their hair, I think he's much better (though not to my expectations which are quite high..lol) Though he is really jumpy at home, I find that when he goes to his friend's place he is quite well behaved and practices everything that I've told him. I have a doubt if he is doing what he does at home just to get me irritated. As far as clothes go, he's more influenced by his friends than what's on TV (probably because he's not a teen). But he also knows that I won't get him everything his friend has. As long as it's reasonable and neat, I don't mind a little indulging...but not EVERYTHING.
1 person likes this
@SViswan (12051)
• India
10 Feb 08
I had a neighbour whose 9 year old would wear very short clothes and clothes which I wouldn't have let my daughter wear. The girl was big for her age and looked grown up in the clothes she wore. Anyone would mistake her for a teenager in high school. Once the topic came up as we friends were discussing clothes (the rest of us have boys) and the mother said these are the clothes her daughter picks up and she would throw a tantrum if she doesn't get them. I couldn't believe what I heard...because I felt it was the parent's duty to put their foot down where necessary....especially if they are going to throw a tantrum (well, that's how I am...call me a witch....I'd rather be a witch than a permissive mother)
1 person likes this
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
7 Feb 08
I think the media is a bad influence on everyone not just our youth. We think that as adults, we are immune to the ways of the world but in reality, we are just as easily swayed as the younger ones are.
3 people like this
• United States
7 Feb 08
I think TV has always been an influance on our young people as long as their was TV, it is just that when I was growing up the TV was truned off during the day and there was not so many TV channels. I also think that with type of TV there is out there today. The sensoring is not as strict as it use to be.
3 people like this
• United States
8 Feb 08
T.v and Magazines are a really big influence but no the only ones. In school she is most likely to mimic the in crowd including what they wear. It also depends on her personality. If shes intreseted in being part of the cool kids or the one who all the boys like than shes more likely to be influenced. Cutting off influences isn't the only thing you should do. Teach modesty and self identity....if you want it to stick better it needs to be a discussion and not a judgement.
3 people like this
@RobinJ (2501)
• Canada
8 Feb 08
thank you I think you hit the main thing self worth, if a child know their self worth they do not need to mimic or try to be like others, they can be leaders. and that is what we need to be instilling in all children that they have minds of their own no need to be lead around like sheep good answer thanks
2 people like this
• Canada
9 Feb 08
Yes I agree that they are and its not only tv its everywhere and thats the sad thing , we have no power at what they see outside of our vision and at school , the mall even at the park ... Its all around us and there is no way one of us can stop it ...
@RobinJ (2501)
• Canada
10 Feb 08
Actually I have to disagree with you there is a way to stop it and that is to teach our children respect for themselves as well as others. To show them they are worthy people and that we value them. that way they grow up with a sense of self and not have to seek it in others
• India
8 Feb 08
You cannot say that the teens today are being influenced in a bad way.You can say that the teens are influenced by Movies,Television,Magazines etc.It depends on how the teens take what they see.If they watch good family movies,then they impart good values in them,love and peace.But if they watch horror flicks or action flicks then you know what is going to happen.So its in the hands of the parents what values they inculcate in their children in their childhood days,so that when they become big they still remember what you had taught them in their childhood days. It was nice replying to your discussion. Have a nice day.
@crazynurse (7482)
• United States
9 Feb 08
I watch in horror each year as the age of some of the pregnant clients at one of our local clinics becomes lower and lower. It seems that there is almost an 'honor' in being sexually active at younger and younger ages. Yes, the dress of the young girls is much to 'adult' for their young ages. Things have just gotten out of hand and I do belive that a lot of the behavior comes from idolizing some of the pop culture people. However, if these kids parents would step in and teach values, then all would be okay. As my daughter was growing up, I didn't say that she couldn't watch certain things or have certain music or whatever, I would use it as a teaching tool. We would discuss the values of the artist or whatever and compare them to our own family values. My daughter wasn't raised in a cave, but yet, she didn't adopt the habits and values of the pop culture.
1 person likes this