Dressing For Sex-cess
I found myself having a conversation with my sister the other day about the decline of today's youth. We were watching an old Britney Spears video, and were horrified that her parents let her out of the house dressed that way, let alone make music videos oozing with sexuality! Britney is 25 now and a mother herself, but at her peak she was between 16 and 20-years-old. After going on and on about this sad state of affairs, it hit me, I have become my mother! However, that doesn’t mean I’m wrong in thinking this way. It is said every generation, “in my day, parents would never allow you out of the house dressed like that,” or, “when a girl dresses like that boys will get the wrong impression.” Although I can’t say I would ever want a daughter of mine to present herself in that manner, I started to remember being told the same thing when I was a teenager and in my early 20’s. As a matter of fact, I used to take a change of clothes with me when I went out so I wouldn’t have to listen to my mother say, “you’re not going out dressed like that, are you?” I know I was a good kid; so maybe judging teenagers based on how they dress isn’t fair.
That being said, things do appear to be getting worse. I mean is it really necessary to wear your pants so low your butt crack shows when you’re sitting down? Another question we should be asking, is there a correlation between how kids today dress and the rise in sexual activity at younger and younger ages? I don’t know the answer to that question, but it does seem like more than just a coincidence. The thing that troubles me even more than kids whom willingly engage in promiscuous acts is the sexual objectification of mere children.
Going back to Britney Spears, when she first exploded onto the scene she was just 16-years-old, but she sure didn’t look it to me. Even worse, she didn’t look it to millions of adult men. It’s dangerous enough out there, why create even more potential for problems? When I was a teenager adults complained that kids copied Madonna’s style of dress; tons of bangle bracelets, bows in our hair, and day-glow shirts; my oh my, how far we have come. However, day-glow shirts don’t sexualize whoever is wearing them, whereas pants that sit below your hipbones do.
I don’t have any children of my own, and I remember vividly being a teenager and what I was like. I can sympathize with today’s parents, and I can understand the desire of these kids to want to look like their idols as well as compete with each other; however, I believe things have gotten out of control. It is very scary to see 12-year-old little girls dressing in such a way as to attract men four times their age. Combine all of these things with the hormones that rage inside every teenager, and you have a recipe for disaster.
I don’t mean to say children should not be allowed to express their individuality through clothes and other mean, merely; we should be watching over and redirecting them when they begin to veer off into risky expression and behavior.
I’m sure fifteen to twenty years from now these same children will be parents of their own teenagers, and terrified by all the things they are doing. This is part of what is called the circle of life. I don’t think it means, however, that we should just turn our heads and ignore behavior that can harm our youth. I suppose, ultimately, it is up to the parents to decide what is right for their own children. I know, should I ever be privileged enough to have kids of my own, the issue of clothing will be just one of many, many, many, concerns that will keep me up at night. But, I hear in the end, it’s more than worth it.
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That being said, things do appear to be getting worse. I mean is it really necessary to wear your pants so low your butt crack shows when you’re sitting down? Another question we should be asking, is there a correlation between how kids today dress and the rise in sexual activity at younger and younger ages? I don’t know the answer to that question, but it does seem like more than just a coincidence. The thing that troubles me even more than kids whom willingly engage in promiscuous acts is the sexual objectification of mere children.
Going back to Britney Spears, when she first exploded onto the scene she was just 16-years-old, but she sure didn’t look it to me. Even worse, she didn’t look it to millions of adult men. It’s dangerous enough out there, why create even more potential for problems? When I was a teenager adults complained that kids copied Madonna’s style of dress; tons of bangle bracelets, bows in our hair, and day-glow shirts; my oh my, how far we have come. However, day-glow shirts don’t sexualize whoever is wearing them, whereas pants that sit below your hipbones do.
I don’t have any children of my own, and I remember vividly being a teenager and what I was like. I can sympathize with today’s parents, and I can understand the desire of these kids to want to look like their idols as well as compete with each other; however, I believe things have gotten out of control. It is very scary to see 12-year-old little girls dressing in such a way as to attract men four times their age. Combine all of these things with the hormones that rage inside every teenager, and you have a recipe for disaster.
I don’t mean to say children should not be allowed to express their individuality through clothes and other mean, merely; we should be watching over and redirecting them when they begin to veer off into risky expression and behavior.
I’m sure fifteen to twenty years from now these same children will be parents of their own teenagers, and terrified by all the things they are doing. This is part of what is called the circle of life. I don’t think it means, however, that we should just turn our heads and ignore behavior that can harm our youth. I suppose, ultimately, it is up to the parents to decide what is right for their own children. I know, should I ever be privileged enough to have kids of my own, the issue of clothing will be just one of many, many, many, concerns that will keep me up at night. But, I hear in the end, it’s more than worth it.
<>DIV>
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