Psychology of Childhood and Adolescence in an Urban Context

The construction of childhood is largely defined by the influences subjected to an individual.  Today, influences such as media (TV and music), clothing, and sexuality have a bigger impact in the development of child than the role of parents. The definition of a child, according to http://www.elizabethi.org/uk/essays/childhood.htm is a non-adult, or an individual with a lower level of maturity needing adult protection, love and nurturing. This concept of childhood has now both deteriorated and expanded into a genre that encapsulates a group of individuals who are mature in knowledge, but lack responsibilities of maintaining a wage.

To begin, the idea of a child being one of lower maturity is something that is changing today. As Postman argues in his article The Disappearing Child, children are exposed to media that is over sexualized, and inappropriate for their age. In addition, the access of information through technology they have gives them tremendous amounts of knowledge, basically ‘adultifying’ them.

Personally, the media and the access of information children have through technology is insane, especially since parents use the TV, video games, etc as “baby-sitters”; children are just streaming uncensored information.  Television exposes kids to more than just scenarios re-enacted but to a level of sexuality, and mimicking dress/ styles (children on television look as adults). I didn’t realize how in line I was with Postman’s argument, but even as I sat to watch Nickelodeon with my little cousin the other day, I found myself being entertained by shows she was watching; me a 22 year old “adult”, and a 10 year- old “child”, processing the same information. My little cousin was being subjected to the drama of relationships, adult language, etc.

Stations and censorship has dramatically changed, Fox Family, a station who’s name suggests an appropriate showcase for its viewers have inappropriate shows to which children have access to, and un-cautious parents deceived. (The following supports the shift of how censorship in the past has now changed, http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=censorship).  The exposure to uncensored information, technology, is something that increases a child’s maturity in understanding adult situations, and erodes the innocence or ignorance that usually characterizes children. To support with another example, my little cousin who is 5 was sitting at the dinner table, accessing YouTube videos off of his mother’s iPhone. His mother preoccupied with her own meal did not even acknowledge what he was viewing. Although he wasn’t viewing anything profane, children have the world at their fingertips and access to so much information; they are virtually capable of teaching themselves- adultifying.

In my opinion I believe the definition of childhood will shift within each generation, what was once childhood for us will not be the same for the children of today. No matter what there will always be a distinguishable factor of age that signifies a child or an adult, until then the definition and qualities of child and adult are subject to the one who is using them.