Tweens: Adolescence and Mini Black Dresses

Thesis: There is a growing propensity of children of ages 8 to 12 (tweens) acting more like teenagers and adults. There is no such thing as preadolescence anymore. Kids are teenagers at ten.”

Tweens see themselves as sophisticated, flirtatious, sexy, trendy, athletic and cool. By 11 years of age they no longer see themselves as children. It gets easier for them to portray a negative image of themselves because parents do not have much control over them, due to the lack of time and communication with their children. So while it gets harder for parent to inculcate moral and discipline in their children it gets easier for the media and big companies to market off of this aberration.

These Tweens worry more about their image then older teens because they have to prove how sophisticated they are. Girls wear mini black dresses and platform shoes and some go to school looking like grown ups, with make up, extravagant hair dyes, and very short mini skirts. And the boys are not immune to this phenomenon. Boys tend to go for the preppy look. And both have a “in your face attitude” according to teachers interviewed on (Tweens: Ten Going on Sixteen )

There are many physically dangerous behavioral trends, mostly due adults empowering the kids; from sex, drugs, and rock and roll, another teen problem is eating disorders which also are beginning to affect younger kids. This behavior grows out of premature fashion-consciousness, which has an even more pernicious effect on tweens than on teens. I think that we have to deal with the problem starting at home. Most of the problems are cause because of the no limit setter parents at home. I think that Parents should be held accountable for their kids’ attitudes, and according to (Gustavo Mesch 119-138) school should have a zero tolerance for disrespect. Since the children’s behavior is changing so, the schools rules and regulations. Send the kids home where they belong, where self respect and respect for others should be taught.

Works Cited

Hymowitz, Kay S.. “Tweens: Ten Going on Sixteen.” City Journal

August 1998 .

Mesch, Gustavo. Family Relations and the Internet: Exploring a Family

Boundaries Approach. Vol 6. Haifa, Israel: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.,, 2006.