Opinions | City Talk

Teenagers are 'growing up too fast'

Gulf News took to the streets and asked residents if they think children are growing up too fast, if they are becoming too fashion- conscious and are no longer interested in sports.

Gulf News
Published: 01:00 October 11, 2009

Abdullah Abdul Rahman

Abdullah Abdul Rahman, an Emirati bank employee, 22, said: "Teenagers want to be more independent these days and that is only natural because they are not children, and do not want to be treated like one. "They are definitely more interested in playing with electronic games and on the internet, but there are still many who are also interested in playing sports. "Once a person is interested in sports, like football, it does not matter what age they are because they will never stop playing. Parents have a big effect on their children and they can still encourage them to play outdoors. But once the children reach 12 and above, it is difficult to persuade them because they have their own interests."

Gbemga Adedeji

Gbemga Adedeji, a telecommunications consultant, Nigeria, 36, said: "I think that the family environment is very strong here, and it is quite common to see teenagers walking around shopping centres with their families. A lot of teenagers go out by themselves but I do not think that they are acting older than they should. "Back home the kids love playing sports, and many private companies sponsor basketball games because they know sports is still popular among children and young teenagers."

Sunil Nayyar

Sunil Nayyar, an Indian manager, 42, said: "My teenage days and the life of teenagers these days are entirely different. My son has turned 13. I feel he is changing fast and as parents we are keeping close watch. It is only natural that children mature faster these days because they are just keeping pace with the changing times, and they are also more knowledgeable."

Mae Ann Chavez

Mae Ann Chavez, secretary from the Philippines, 30, said: "From my observation, the weekends are when teenagers are entitled to go shopping and have fun with their friends because the rest of the week they are busy with school work. "Nowadays, we cannot prevent children from growing up too quickly because of the strong influence the media and advertisements have. In my neighbourhood I usually see children playing cricket in the afternoon, so it would be too much of a generalisation if we say that all children and teenagers are no longer interested in sports."

Cytara Miller

Cytara Miller, a South African assistant in a real estate firm, 23, said: "I have a 15-year-old brother to whom I am very close. All over the world, I think there is a marked difference in how teenagers used to be and how they are these days. For instance, they have started dating at a much younger age than before. They do not play outside as much and behave more like adults."

Angelyn Montoya Pangilian

Angelyn Montoya Pangilinan, a Filipina teacher, 38, said: "Nowadays teenagers are rushing [towards] maturity. Not only in terms of the way they think, but also the way they dress, the way they deal with fashion accessories and electronic gadgets. Elders may compromise with older models of mobile phones but there is no way a teenager would do that. I admire the way the UAE family is closely knit, but outdoor activities are lacking and they are an important part of growing up."