People are quick to judge kids nowadays on how spoiled they are or how irresponsible some can be. Honestly, I am one of those people. However, after reading about Justin Bieber and his rise to fame, I realize that as much as I care about the future of our children, I am more jealous of him than ever.
About two weeks ago, I read an article on Yahoo.com that discussed recent results of a study, conducted at Tulane University in New Orleans, La., about the effects of corporal punishment on children. The study showed that children who were spanked when they were about 3 years old — compared to children that were not spanked or rarely spanked — showed more aggression when they were about 5 years old.
The study’s researchers said they believed that “time-outs” were a better solution when compared to spanking. That way, children are not only punished but also have time to reflect on their actions.
This is all good except for the fact that I a time-out is bullshit, this study only increased my jealousy. I am not an aggressive person; I was not an aggressive child. However, I meet countless aggressive teens that were spoiled as children while I had to receive spankings every time I was bad.
Though I hated spankings, it not only instilled mere fear, it also showed that doing troublesome things — like interrupting elders when they speak — resulted in my palms getting a painful visit. So, for all the things I got spanked for, I rarely ever did them again. But enough of the preaching, I wish someone had revealed this study to my parents years back. I would have faked the aggression.
Honestly, how does one even punish children nowadays? Today, kids are not kids. Have you ever seen the Miley Cyrus section in Wal-Mart? Most of the outfits sized for little girls make me — a sophomore in college — want to blush.
Most children adore Miley Cyrus; she is and idol to man little girls. Whatever she decides to release, her fans will want. The pop star cannot seem to dress her age, so it is no surprise that her outfits, sized for a 6-year-old, resembles something a 21-year-old would wear.
Nowadays there are even crop tops made for little girls. Then, again, who am I to hate? When I was their age, I always wished that my clothes looked like what I saw on older girls. However, I was showered with shirts that had pictures of the Bratz dolls and the Ninja Turtles, pants with no shape and shoes that had tunes and a light show every time I took a step. Those were the days.
My jealousy skyrocketed when I read that new teen sensation, Bieber, was discovered on YouTube at the age of 12. Prior to knowing this, it was sickening when I saw pre-teens on YouTube. There are 10-year-olds online with video blogs, singing in videos, dancing in videos and frivolous activities.
I’m not talking about videos like “David after Dentist” or “Charlie Bit My Finger,” because those are just blatantly funny.
But I wonder. Why does a 10-year-old need to tell the world about their day? “Hi, so I had class, then recess, oh, and lunch.”
It is dangerous when a children puts themselves on the Internet at such an age. Some may not be aware of the type of people that could be watching them. Then, again, Bieber did get famous because of You Tube.
The technologically spoiled kids of today, ones that religiously listen to Miley Cyrus, should not only get away with being spanked. They should get away with all the scandalous outfits Cyrus offers them, the rubbish music that is released to their age group and all the activities they perform on the Internet. In addition, when you catch a child acting like an adult, remember that your anger — like mine — may be due to jealousy.
Uzo Umeh is a sophomore pre-nursing major and assistant opinions editor for the Daily 49er
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