13 year olds more conservative

[Azi Tohak]

Since my farming topic is doing well, here is another for your enjoyment:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050731...s_050731205712

US 13-year-olds are fairly conservative: Time poll Sun Jul 31, 4:57 PM ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) - It might surprise their parents, but in the age of graphic lyrics and violent video games, American children entering their teens remain very cautious about sex and dating and still trust their parents and church.

In a story on the lives and thinking of American 13-year-olds, Time magazine reports that sixty percent of the 500 surveyed by the magazine are against sex before marriage, and 63 percent believe they are too young to date at their age.

The 21-page cover feature characterizes kids at 13 as "backstage adults" in a particularly precarious formative period.

"It is the age of childhood leaning forward and adulthood holding back, when the world gets suddenly closer, the colors more vivid, the rules subject to never ending argument," writes Time editor Nancy Gibbs.

If anything is surprising in Time's feature, it is how normal and conservative -- in a day of provocative music videos, widespread Internet access, and lurid cable television shows -- today's 13 year olds are.

Nine out of ten of those polled on line by the magazine said their relationship with their parents is good or excellent, and only seven percent said their parents were too strict.

And 63 percent consider their religious faith at least somewhat important in their lives.

But today's early teens face new issues their parents, and even older siblings, never faced, like cyber-bullying, according to Time.

The magazine reports on a Clemson University survey showing that over one-fifth of children in eighth grade, those between 12 and 14, have been victims of on-line bullying, which includes receiving ugly text messages or being hurt by on-line rumors.

But to me, this has a host of questions attached. What about when they are 16, 18, 21, 25, 30? How accurate is this over a big area? I do think it interesting though. Good for their parents. Nice to know not all kids are dirtbags that early.

Azi

[Sasaki Kojiro]

In a story on the lives and thinking of American 13-year-olds, Time magazine reports that sixty percent of the 500 surveyed by the magazine are against sex before marriage, and 63 percent believe they are too young to date at their age.

The sex ed classes do their job well. Scare the crap out of them with those nasty pictures of warts

[Strike For The South]

Sasaki youre right some of the stuff they show us ugh... I wouldnt wish own my wrost enemy

[Azi Tohak]

The sex ed classes do their job well. Scare the crap out of them with those nasty pictures of warts

Yup. That is what I am most interested in seeing chage. From 60% to... well... a lot less than that I can guarantee.

Is that pushed in Europe I wonder? Brits? French? Dutch? I'm curious now that I think about it....

Azi

[Franconicus]

[Watchman]

I don't think most of us ever had an US-level teen pregnancy issue in the first place anyway. Although advertising in particular tries its best to remedy the situation... "Who's that yoghurt ad meant to appeal to, pedophiles?" as my brother recently commented.

Anyway, what people think at the age of 6 or 13 or 16 or 19 doesn't necessarily have much bearing on what they'll be thinking in the age of 22 or 32 or later on; the later, more mature period (starts around 19-25 depending on the individual) often differs considerably from the infantile phase (which, it should be noted, some people apparently never grow out of...) and in any case fully mature people tend to change their views and opinions too.

[rasoforos]

13 yr olds more conservative than their parents...

...taking the actions and ideals of the current US administration into consideration this reminds me a whole lot of 1984...

...brainwashing is working rather well in the land of the free?