Are today's young people more childish?

[HelenInHeels]

I've noticed this a lot on public transport, trams particularly from teenagers say 15, 16 years old or thereabouts. And in town.

They seem far more childish than my friends and I were at the same age. We were wanting to be seen as grown up. Now I see a lot of squealing, shouting, shoving and pushing, yelling and behaviour I'd expect in seven year olds. Usually in mixed groups, but not always.

I was mortified if I was seen as a "child" at 15 (technically I was of course) and we were just not like this. I'd have been mortified if I'd acted like this.

Have today's young people really changed so much? I'm talking late 90s here not the 1960s!

In some ways, yes. 🙄

I'm not sure I really understand the point of your post

My 13 year old and his friends all seem a lot younger and less street wise than I was at his age, but I like it, they should be kids for as long as possible!

I think pre covid children were expected to grow up too quickly. It’s not a bad thing that this process is slower now.

Oh god yes. My nephew, aged 17, burst into tears and got my brother to carry him back to their chalet after we'd seen a scorpion.

His dad was doing his basic military training at that age! He was in an active conflict zone by age 18.

Yes, definitely. But I'm not saying that in a derogatory way. I think its part of an overall context where people in every generation are reaching life stages later. 20/30s living at home and 40 year olds who have babies rather than the teenagers they would have had at one time, are 'young for their age', as are late 60s people still working and those in their 70s and 80s who are travelling the world. We live longer in better health so have plenty of time as adults. No rush to grow up.

Yes

I asked a question. That's the point. To get an answer and other points of view.

They had Covid so that's slowed down maturing. It's pretty much every year under 20 year old I say

Obvs there are some kids that it had opposite effect but on the whole.

I think social skills (the in person type!) are learned at a slower pace by today's teens, given the social media age.

I expect so, generation on generation childhood is extended.

DGDad left school to provide and was the man of the farm from aged 12.

DMum left school at 14 and was married twice first time at 16

I did the whole College, Uni thing and had DD at 23 and was living independently from 22

DD plans although it's a long way off to de a Masters and PHD, she'll be in education along time if so and won't be living properly independently for a good while. However behaviour wise she was born middle aged and wouldn't be seen dead squealing and pushing people.

Childhood is extending and with that comes both the good and the bad.

Maybe they just seem that way because we’re older? I dare say our behaviour in our teens/20s wasn’t quite as sophisticated as it seemed at the time 😂

I think in some ways yes. My parents left home at 17 for example and moved abroad which seems crazy now, people were parents at 20. However I’m not sure previous generations were anymore emotionally mature.

A lot them haven't been allowed out on their own. We spent from about age seven outside without parents. Some of these on allowed on their own until they are 12. I think they get giddy with the freedom.
I agree OP that at 15 I would have died to have been thought of as a child.

And? We know now the brain isn't at adult stage until early to mid twenties.

Honestly the idea of an 18 year old being able to go to war is beyond horrific to me. I like the fact young people are gaining a teenage hood. And to be quite frank if they aren't annoying to the generation before are they even teenagers? It's literally built in!

In the sixties people went from child to adult with little time between. The youth of today have a reasonable chance of living to a hundred there is no rush to be a grown up before their time.

I enjoyed my teen years and I am excited to see my teen having fun with his mates. They're a good group who do a lot quietly for people and the community, no instas of them doing a rubbish pick up after their parkrun and are the first to give a hand.

Yeah I think so. I had a part time job at 16 (I turned 16 in 2007 so a fair while ago) at Tesco that I had to be on time for and get to and be responsible at.

Some of my friends have kids that age now who would just not be able to function in an environment like that - most don’t even get themselves up for school or need lots of handholding, or are just too immature. To be fair that isn’t all kids that age - I’m sure there are many that would be fine, but when I was 16 all of my friends had part time jobs and we were just more grown up. Bit I think COVID has had a huge part to play in it and has meant that lots of experiences and stuff we had as teenagers they didn’t get.

Many children don't play for as long these days, as in too old for toys by 7 or 8 - I definitely think this affects development.

I find young people now are very tactile compared to what I experienced as a child. I’m a secondary school teacher - always lots of touching and throwing each other around on the yard regardless of their age group, more so boys but not confined to that. I don’t think they’re more child like. I think it’s the opposite actually, they’re bombarded with adult information all the time on social media and the internet so they’re trying to act like adults without the rationality and experience to navigate the world as an adult. It must be a very confusing time to be a teenager!

Not in my experience. The 16/17 year olds I know are all extremely mature.

Thinking far more seriously about uni/money/career paths than my friends and I ever did.

I didn’t allow my children to shriek as 3 year olds so they don’t do it as teens.

Some of my friends have kids that age now who would just not be able to function in an environment like that - most don’t even get themselves up for school or need lots of handholding, or are just too immature.

The majority of my children’s friends have part time jobs. Lots of them also volunteer, are involved in community activities, run clubs for younger children etc

i haven’t woken my own kids up for school since before they left primary.

Yes definitely. Twelve year olds believing in Santa Claus didn’t happen in my day.

Surprised he could carry a 17 year old 🤣 that’s just ridiculous. Why did he agree to do it? 🙈

At 15 I thought I was an adult! I used to skip lessons to go and sit in Starbucks (which was an exciting place for a teenager in the 2000s). 😂

There were some kids in my year who behaved exactly as you describe, so I don't think that's particularly unique to Generation Z / Alpha, no.

I dunno I was pretty silly at 15, 45 years ago. I was probably quieter about it though.

Please tell me you’re joking.