working with people who have children in this age range - middle to high school has vastly opened my eyes to how our world is changing ... FAST! I often think of myself not that far removed from my teens at 30, but it amazes me that now as freshmen these CHILDREN are being forced to choose a career by applying to educational academies within the school system to help direct and prepare them for their college applications and degrees. They are volunteering in the public as a part of them academies and learning at a young age how to appear professional and capable is so important. A girl walking into a hospital as part of a biomedical academy is going to be judged based on how she dresses, acts, carries herself, etc. It's in her best interest to impress... to me its sad these CHILDREN are being faced with some rather mature decisions at young ages, but it seems the way of our society. If we can trust them to make decisions about their LIFE at 13, I think we should expect them to act/dress in a fashion that supports those decisions too...

I often shake my head and think how stressful it must be to be a parent or a CHILD in today's world.

Most teen girls don't know how to even carry theirselves to look "sexy". Sure they may have the perfect little body to wear it but shouldn't be acting it. I know it's the style, because every store you go in has little tiny tops. If they have a little class, they might not look so ridiculous.

Hey, but who am I?

Being only recently out of my teens myself, I don't know how much wisdom I can contribute, but an opinion is something that I do have. A couple weeks ago, a friend and I wandered into a store in the mall that we had shopped at as middle-schoolers and that we thought was "scandalous" back then. Mind you, "back then" is about 7 years. Well, maybe we're getting old, but we really were scandalized by what we saw. The mini-skirts, suggestive t-shirts, and low necklines didn't even hold a candle to the underwear. Now, this is a shirt that middle-schoolers do shop at, and the racks held thong after thong, as well as lingerie! Why is lingerie being marketed to middle-schoolers? I don't know. But my friend had a comment after I held up a thong that barely fit around my hand. "If you're small enough to fit into that, you're definitely not old enough to wear it." And I agree. I feel that "sexy" is being marketed to children in a time when they ought to enjoy being children.

When I was in my teens, I didn't buy alluring things because I knew that my father would never approve. My sister, who's 16, is the same now. If she couldn't wear something in front of my father, she doesn't buy it. Now, I buy skimpy little underwear and things, but when I'm at home, I wash them myself. I think I would be too embarassed if my mother saw the thongs and such. And I think this engrained embarassment is what teenagers are missing now. Music videos, movies, TV... popular media is showing kids that this isn't something that you should be embarassed about. That your underwear is something you should keep to yourself doesn't cross many kid's minds, I don't think.

I do agree that some beauty cannot be covered up. But even the most beautiful can be modest. But I don't think all of the blame falls onto parents. Some, yes, because consumers can control the clothing market that is offered to them. But really, society can be to blame. Popular culture and media shows that sex sells. So to sell themselves to the "popular kids," and to the boys, girls are cashing in on their sex appeal.

:rant:

The good thing about freshman is I keep getting older but they stay the same age. :slurp: