Society puts pressure on kids and teenagers to grow up faster than they should to meet the standards and expectations of the fast paced environment we have become accustomed to. This expectation known as “adultification” is influenced by societal pressures, racial bias and various sorts of media like Instagram and Tiktok as well as shows and movies.
“I feel like everyone my age wants to be older, look older and act older to be like everyone else and be like who they see on social media,” junior Maya Pashan said.
Social media platforms are infamous for showcasing a false sense of perfection, adding on to the pressure teens feel to live up to these fabricated images in order to be ‘cool’ like these adults they see on their feed. These feelings can ultimately lead to kids making rash decisions that could affect them later in life.
“This age group is already more susceptible to self-esteem issues: they’re less aware of who they are, who they’re becoming, and they’re extremely sensitive to comparisons with others, including appearances, clothes,” a writer for the Child Mind Institute said.
Media also has played a big role in the “adultification” of kids. The constant exposure to unrealistic expectations of adulthood that are shown to kids at a young age feeds into the allure of becoming an adult faster.
Shows like “Euphoria,” “Sex Education” and “Elite” depict teenagers engaging in adult behavior. Shows like “Euphoria” specifically glorifies things like drugs, sex and alcohol which can lead children to believe that this is how a teenager or adult should act.
“There is increased exposure to violent or sexual content at a younger age, which causes a desensitisation and normalisation, because children’s brains aren’t fully developed to process this in a way that an adult brain can,” Dr. Willough Jenkins said in a BBC article.
Another factor in the “adultification” of kids is racial bias, especially towards Black boys and girls. Many Black children and teens are viewed as older and more mature than white teenagers which makes them seen as more adult. This stigma causes them to take up more responsibility younger and having to force them to act like an adult faster..
According to parents.com “Black children are often viewed as older than they actually are by their teachers, peers, police officers and even society at large.”
Kids should be able to focus on and enjoy their childhood instead of feeling pressure from the different factors off and online. Teens can do this in so many ways by not relying on stereotypes and fake images on the internet or racial biases and instead create shows that can portray how it actually is being a kid or teen. Kids should have the ability to preserve their “childlike’ innocence and wonder and grow up on their own time in an environment where they feel safe and not pressured to grow up too fast.