For nearly 99% of the time that humans have lived on Earth (if we've been here around 6,500 years), adolescence was nonexistent. It was simply youth or adult. How weird would that be right now? But why aren't we treating our 15 year olds like adults? There are probably a ton of reasons that can be thrown out. I'll name a few that I believe.
- We don't believe they can handle it
Teenagers aren't responsible enough to be considered adults! I certainly won't argue that...but then, how many adults are responsible enough to be considered adults? And where does responsibility come from? I have a feeling it doesn't just pop up.
Perhaps being responsible comes from having responsibilities... crazy right? But honestly, how else is a teenager going to learn to prioritize his time, or make hard decisions, or transition into the real world with this ficticious "adolescent" timeframe that basically allows them the freedom to slack off? Maybe we should forget about that and give them responsibilities, let them make mistakes and learn from them. Sure, they can (and WILL) fail, but in my experience there is no better way to learn. At 18, teens don't just become responsible...they need experience with responsibility.
- That's not what culture wants us to do
We live in a time where youthfulness is coveted by a vast majority of adults. We want to give kids the freedom to be kids for as long as they can milk it. Fantastic.
If you want to raise a 17 year old "kid", then have at it. Treat him like a child. Make decisions for him, pay for his music and clothes, give him a RIDICULOUS allowance, and attach a GPS to his ankle. What drives me crazy is when people do this and expect these kids to be mature. They expect the 10 year old that they've raised for nearly 2 decades to focus on the important things, like a good education or their future, but all they ever do is feed their present. But if you want a 17 year old ADULT, maybe it's time to treat him like one.
And why is adulthood so bad? The stigma is that being an adult is boring and mundane, and all the fun is gone. Sadly, for many, that is true...but I know it doesn't have to be. If your adult life is boring, it may be time to reevaluate what you're living for.
- We have a misunderstanding of maturity
"Well, we can't treat them like adults because they don't act like adults."
Yes, you're right, many American teens don't look anything like adults. But maybe our logic is a bit skewed. What if teens don't act like adults because we don't treat them like adults? That makes way more sense...I mean, it's obvious that teens are maturing faster physically (check out the ages that they are starting puberty now...crazy!) but this spiritual and mental maturity thing is way lacking. If anything, they should be able to mature faster now than when you were a teenager...I mean, compare them to you when you were that age! Generally there is quite a difference...the hindrance? It might be the adults.
I don't write this to bash parents or to start a revolt among teenagers, I just wanted to point out something I consider to be hindering our students, especially spiritually. An immature lifestyle will yield an immature faith. I write all this to make this one point: it may be time to bring back the 15 year old adult, and that just might involve eliminating adolescence.
