Most parents agree that modern children grow up faster than any previous generation. By the age of 12, kids have their own Facebook account and at the age of 15, they expect nearly full independence and trust from adults. The latter are confused and even frightened by the behavior of the offspring: enhanced sexuality, perfectionism, substance abuse, and neglect of the family duties prevent a comprehensive development of a young personality.
Technology and online media are frequently blamed for accelerated growth which does not come along with maturity and personal development. Printed and online magazines targeted at girls promote images of impeccable teen and young adult celebrities who eagerly reveal secrets of their success in the interviews. They look so much like adults with heavy make up and sophisticated dresses. Girls find these images most appealing and want to resemble their favorite stars in everything.
The persuasive power of media is incontestable. Therapists all over the country regularly meet young patients with eating disorders and inferiority complex. Perhaps, that is a consequence of the natural desire to look more appealing to the others which easily grows into an obsession under the impact of media.
Social media is not the only factor which accelerates growing -up. Unrestricted access to information is a distinct characteristic of present-day youth. Parents have no time to entertain their kids so that they put this responsibility on the internet. First of all, they find the global net very convenient, but then they do not know how to take their kids back to the real life. Thus, technology is one more accelerator of teen’s growing-up.