~Dazy Life~

Read this little post from a friend's blog. Totally agree with wad he says. Hai, the mindset of today's teenagers is so inappropriate. They dun show the respect their bodies deserve. Instead, the respect is being replaced by instant gratification, with the mentality that bodies are simply objects of sexual desire. What happened to the LOVE, PATIENCE n EMPATHY?

-"The media, the guys, hell, the girls themselves, they all seem to leave the same impression on the younger ones nowadays. Being sexually forward and provocative is seen as the next step from being coquettish; it's being touted as a yardstick for maturity. As we're encouraged by all quarters to seek instant gratification in everything we see, think and do, the handphones keep getting upgraded, the skirts get shorter, the second thoughts get pushed aside and the communication becomes more concise. The act, the destination, the achievement is all that matters.

So many girls are wearing the same things now, complaining about their weights, talking about their next object of commercial affection and bleeding themselves dry to attain a certain image. Unique enough to look like the other 300 girls who 'thought' the same thing, apparently. 'Thought' it out of a fashion mag, for that matter.

And then it progresses. They flirt, they make contact with the opposite sex. They feel empowered. Their attractiveness determines their self-worth. And attractiveness, we all know, is what makes us want to do the hokey pokey with one person over the other.

But what of the consequences?

The consequences seem to be given less and less attention nowadays. It's almost uncool to consider the consequences. People would all sound like moms and dads then.

That's why they're moms and dads, people! They had a 20 to 30 year headstart to be embarrassed, humiliated, scorned and wasted so that you could learn from their mistakes. They're uncool because they learnt the hard way.

The thing is, girls are on the losing end of the stick already, no thanks to what is known as a womb. After the wooha is all said and done, the girls are the ones carrying the babies. That's a consequence. A MAJOR one. We're talking life here. And already its value is cheapened by the dismissal or ignorance of this consequence. No thanks to the guys.

Maturity is knowing the consequences of our actions and acting accordingly. Nothing can replace that, and any attempt to leaves telltale marks - consequences. At such a young age, we're all raring to prove our worth, show that we aren't as weak and dependent as others may think. And so we listen to anything that promises us that power to break free, to 'be yourself'. So when these kids get bombarded every day with images of long haired models and actresses who look like they were trying out for the Kenyan Olympic running team, what do ya expect? Especially when they like to go for photoshoots with their hands acting as bra cups (and sometimes even that's not necessary?)

The ball's already started rolling. People are having sex younger and younger, and if they're gonna do it, there's little that's going to change their minds. But what set their minds that way in the first place? What convinced them that sex and sexuality would make them any better in their own eyes and in the eyes of their peers, and neglected to inform them of the risks and consequences?

We can't just wash our hands of this issue and say things like "It's their choice and their life" or "They're probably well aware of what they're doing". Yeah, and I'm well aware that I still have a fear of deep water because I nearly drowned once when I was about 6. Young people are EASILY INFLUENCED. You can't blame them totally and leave them to fend for themselves when you know that. It's our responsibility to protect them.

I just wish everyone would give the young ones the time they need to grow up. The media (especially advertising) needs to stop espousing such excessive self-gratification and instant fulfillment; guys need to learn a respect for their female counterparts that goes far beyond bodily function; and girls need to know, naturally and subconsciously, that they are worth much more than the superficial images that many parts of society ask them to aspire to. That they're too good to be caricatures. That they've got a good head on their shoulders, and that their thoughts and opinions will make them far more powerful than all the charm and sexuality they can muster.

And maybe, just maybe, people will learn that things have a time and a place, and that sexuality and maturity, though they go with each other, are not interchangeable."-

WaiZai fumbled with chopsticks @ 11/22/2005 07:35:00 pm | 0 has delicate hands

0 has delicate hands

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