While I in no way support kids becoming soldiers, there is an interesting question that I feel this video highlights. What is an adult?
Our society, particularly America, has pushed adulthood further back than it’s ever been in history. Many say 18 is an adult, some even say 21. On top of that, there are an alarming number of ‘kids’ who continue to live with their parents into their mid-twenties, and it’s not at all looked down upon.
The reality is, outside of America and throughout most of history, kids enter adulthood at or shortly after puberty.
I think in many ways, it’s not good that we’ve pushed adulthood almost a decade beyond that point.
I’m not saying we should send all kids off to work when they turn 13 or anything like that. I am saying we have a problem of not giving REAL responsibility to kids until they are way way over the point where they could have handled it…
Very VERY interesting, Steve. I really like hearing viewpoints like this … and I wholeheartedly agree, in many ways, to your idea about giving REAL responsibility to kids. Years of hanging with pubescent teens have proven that, in my mind.
Would you say the same about kids in China? ‘Cause I’d argue the opposite of what you’re saying about “outside of America”.
Well, I guess I shouldn’t make a blanket statement about American kids as if they are the only ones delaying adulthood by a decade. There certainly are others.
China is a complex situation, in my mind anyway. On one hand, you have these kids who grow up in urban settings who are pushed insanely hard in school in order to get into a desirable college / university. But in the race to achieve academically, almost nothing is left to chance, and students arrive at college without ever having taken any responsibility for anything in their life. Their family / teachers run their lives completely. (The university system continues this trend as well, but slightly less effectively.)
However, get outside of the urban settings and you have your typical agricultural paradigm where things are not so black/white. I think the kids who’s parents are not pushing them down the academic route, end up growing up much faster than their more urban counterparts.
I guess it’s when you look at primarily agricultural societies and third world societies, those are the kids who MUST grow up quickly (often too quickly.) Those are also the people who balk at America’s ethnocentrism when we tell them their kids shouldn’t become ‘adults’ or have any adult-like responsibility until they are 18.
April 3rd, 2008 at 7:46 am EST
The video’s funny … but the camp is real!
April 3rd, 2008 at 9:12 am EST
Ummm… Lance, I found this…
their official site
and it is a propaganda film…
April 3rd, 2008 at 10:54 am EST
I know, of course. I just wanted you to look.
April 14th, 2008 at 12:16 am EST
That’s twisted.
While I in no way support kids becoming soldiers, there is an interesting question that I feel this video highlights. What is an adult?
Our society, particularly America, has pushed adulthood further back than it’s ever been in history. Many say 18 is an adult, some even say 21. On top of that, there are an alarming number of ‘kids’ who continue to live with their parents into their mid-twenties, and it’s not at all looked down upon.
The reality is, outside of America and throughout most of history, kids enter adulthood at or shortly after puberty.
I think in many ways, it’s not good that we’ve pushed adulthood almost a decade beyond that point.
I’m not saying we should send all kids off to work when they turn 13 or anything like that. I am saying we have a problem of not giving REAL responsibility to kids until they are way way over the point where they could have handled it…
April 14th, 2008 at 12:24 am EST
Very VERY interesting, Steve. I really like hearing viewpoints like this … and I wholeheartedly agree, in many ways, to your idea about giving REAL responsibility to kids. Years of hanging with pubescent teens have proven that, in my mind.
Would you say the same about kids in China? ‘Cause I’d argue the opposite of what you’re saying about “outside of America”.
April 14th, 2008 at 3:02 am EST
Well, I guess I shouldn’t make a blanket statement about American kids as if they are the only ones delaying adulthood by a decade. There certainly are others.
China is a complex situation, in my mind anyway. On one hand, you have these kids who grow up in urban settings who are pushed insanely hard in school in order to get into a desirable college / university. But in the race to achieve academically, almost nothing is left to chance, and students arrive at college without ever having taken any responsibility for anything in their life. Their family / teachers run their lives completely. (The university system continues this trend as well, but slightly less effectively.)
However, get outside of the urban settings and you have your typical agricultural paradigm where things are not so black/white. I think the kids who’s parents are not pushing them down the academic route, end up growing up much faster than their more urban counterparts.
I guess it’s when you look at primarily agricultural societies and third world societies, those are the kids who MUST grow up quickly (often too quickly.) Those are also the people who balk at America’s ethnocentrism when we tell them their kids shouldn’t become ‘adults’ or have any adult-like responsibility until they are 18.
It’s late here, I hope I’m making sense!