Growing Up Scripted

I agree with Doyle.  Doyle says, “The problem is that adolescents imagine adulthood as an extension of their own experience, and most see themselves as overworked, overregulated, and overstressed.” (Doyle).  Someday I will have to go to work, come home, take care of my kids, make dinner, and then house work.  This craziness and stress is similar to what I deal with on some days. I feel that he is right in what he is saying since today many kids stress over things more than they ever used to. Years ago kids were able to have more free time compared to life now.  Today many kids have work, homework, or extra circular activates that they devote their times.  In the old days, kids had less homework and were able to spend more time having fun.  Today homework time for kids has risen and that makes it hard for kids to have fun.  This, as Doyle says, leads to kids being diagnosed with many personality disorders.  “They are far more likely to be diagnosed with a psychological malady of the stress, depression, or attention-deficit variety and to be medicated.” (Doyle).  These are problems that full grown adults should be dealing with, not teenagers.  Doyle also points out how different life in the 1970’s is compared to today’s world through his experiments. “In middle and high school, I never felt too burdened by homework to read extensively for pleasure, and I played two varsity sports. I applied to two colleges and paid my own way through the state school that accepted me.” (Doyle).  This seems foreign to kids in today’s world.  Now, kids spend hours doing homework and might to limit their extra activates depending on how much homework they get.  Kids also leave college with debt compared to what Doyle dealt with when he went to college.  When I go to college I hope to leave with little to no debt but in today’s world it’s hard to say if that is possible.  I think thought the author’s ideas on how we can change things to make kids lives a lot easier is a great idea.          “I like to believe we could change direction. For starters, we could repeal the No Child Left Behind Act, offer free public education through college, eliminate most standardized tests, reconfigure town planning to make neighborhoods accessible to bicycles and pedestrians, and slash homework requirements. Doing so would be freeing.” (Doyle). If we follow these tips presented by Doyle then we can relieve stress on kids and allow them to have fun with their childhood and teen years before they enter the adult world.

Comments

[Melissababesxox]

Katherine, I totally agree with you. Even though I was an idiot and did this blog just about two weeks before it was due I can actually remember what Doyle believed. Not only can I remember what he said, but I always made my mom read this article. While thinking about this blog and talking to my mom, a few major points came up, that you would also point. You mention the No Child Left Behind Act. This act would help children stay children. However, it would cause more trouble later on in life. If this act is to stay in action, in the long run it would harm every tax payer. It is the tax payers that are paying for these children to go to school and to gain an education.Very often people have to pay very high taxes, and because of that they have to get another job or find a different means of income. Trying to keep a steady income and provide all the needs to children is very difficult and stressful itself. Additionally, there are questions that should be answered. If a parent does not have a child in public school, should they be allowed a tax break, or should they continue to pay for someone else's child to go to school? Doyle proves many good points, however, there are also points like these that are needed to be clearified.

[alexandria cruz]

Katie I agree with you too. You list the same things that I worry about such as going to work, cooking dinner, taking care of the house and the kids, it all seems tiring already. Thinking about it now makes me appreciate my mom so much more because that is what she deals with everyday. However, I am not sure I agree with the fact that getting more homework gives kids mental disorders. I think kids now a days have more to stress about sure, but I also believe kids exaggerate a whole lot. Now I feel as though kids are lazier than kids of the past. My parents, grandparents, etc. always say how lucky kids now a days are because we never ‘do anything’, which I don’t agree with. I guess I am on the fence about this issue. I do see both sides of the problem and I agree and disagree with both. Back then I feel as though kids had more responsibilities helping their families. Now, with technology and such kids are distracted. Perhaps they are up late stressing about homework because they don’t do it during the day, not because they work, but because they were on facebook. On the same token, I do see many teens that ARE under REAL stressors in their lives. It is hard to juggle school, a job, family, friends, homework, extra curricular activities, etc. . Sometimes school can be too stressful and too much to handle. Not to mention rising costs of an education. Doyle’s ideas of free education are great, but let’s face it, it is probably not going to happen with today’s economy I think kids now are growing up too fast, and that is the real problem. With growing up, come new responsibilities and new worries, which lead to more stress. If kids and teens learn to relax and enjoy being a kid again without sweating the small stuff, then perhaps that would be a simpiler and more realistic solution.