Skipping to Adulthood: Teenagers Today

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In today’s modern and fast paced society, teenagers have had to rush through life and begin adulthood earlier than the generations before. Many teens have also been expected to make this step in life without the help of a parent or mature adult, because they are too busy with their own lives. The media has replaced parents’ jobs of teaching their children about life, and the media surrounds teens with mature themes which affect teenagers in a negative way. Many teenagers have lost a section of their lives by having to skip to adulthood where they are unprotected from many negative parts of this world. I agree with David Elkind that “teenagers have lost their privileged position…” and that unlike generations of teenagers before, this generation has had to rush into an adult world. These young adults deal with excessive, everyday stress, the corrupted media’s influence, and greater access to drugs and alcohol in school, which are all forcing these teenagers to grow up faster and live in an adult world.

Everyday, teenagers have to struggle with balancing school, homework, extracurricular activities, and many other things that fill their hectic lives. These teenagers have had to mature in order to manage their time and complete all their work that has to be done. Especially with their parents having to live in their own busy, over scheduled lives, teenagers have had to learn to do and plan things on their own, without the support of parents. I have experienced the chaos of adult life myself, and sometimes I am so stressed I get to the point of tears, because there are so many things to be done in a limited amount of time. High school should be a time to relax, have fun and enjoy life before having to deal with adult resp...

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...he media are now being reflected in the lives of the newly matured teenage generation, who were in part forced to grow up because of the media’s influence.

American culture in today’s society portrays teenagers as mature adults, and no longer as a privileged and protected generation where a unique culture is created. Teenagers do not have a leisurely and relaxed life, but have similar stresses, issues, and realities that adults deal with. Teens in high school are now expected to be matured and able to face the challenges of the real world in our fast changing society. The existence of theft, violence, illegal substances, and other negative influences in high schools create an adult environment that modern teenagers have to deal with every day. These negative influences and circumstances many teens experience make them turn into adults faster than ever before.

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