Preview

Childhood Is Disappearing

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
309 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Childhood Is Disappearing
Childhood is disappearing

Some sociologists would argue that childhood is disappearing such as Neil Postman, whereas other sociologists would argue against this. I will evaluate the arguments for and against. The first argument for this statement is that girls are wearing too much make-up and are reading articles from magazines which are telling them to act and dress as adults do-which means there is a loss of innocence.
However an argument against this statement is all children now have the right to an education, and this is being extended to 18, which means they are trying to preserve childhood even longer. On the other hand a sociologist would argue for this statement is that there had been a huge rise in the number of children who are smoking and drinking-which are both seen to be adult activities.
Another argument against this statement is children are now more protected more than ever through laws e.g. it is against the law for 16s to have sex and smoke. A final argument for this statement is that Neil Postman believes children have become confused little adults because of the images they see on the media. These children are known as ‘Tweenagers’.
Finally an argument against this statement is that compared to the 1800’s children have a much better and longer childhood, and are not expected to work long hours in factories, mines and up chimneys. In conclusion the strongest argument is the argument for that childhood is disappearing because of the increase in pressure of underage sex, drugs, magazines and instructing girls to be more ‘grown-up’ with make-up and certain clothing. The media is also putting kids under pressure to look and act like adults, they have posing models wearing make-up and being airbrushed influencing children to be as ‘perfect’ as the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    After reading the article 'What sort of example is this to set our children' by Levy & Davidson, published 23rd September in the Daily Mail I feel obliged to address my concerns to you. I believe the article has belittled teenagers and shone them in a negative light to the public.…

    • 622 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    One alarming point made by you is that girls are described as’ Walking talking dolls’ and one ‘panda eyed teenagers’. I feel that this article make young teenaged girls who wear a lot of makeup feel like zoo animals. This can also show that young teenagers don’t care about their education and they care more about their appearance. On the other hand the teenaged girls could be wearing a lot of makeup because they might have something to hide behind as they can be really insecure. Also you cannot talk about young teenagers wearing makeup as there is no one in the media that does not wear makeup and now days there is not one person that does not wear makeup everyone does. When saying walking talking Bratz dolls we know that Bratz dolls have large heads and have a lot of makeup so the writer is trying to say that the girls are dolls and they all ways want to look good but is there anything wrong with looking good?…

    • 569 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    When walking down the street there is an eight-year-old sitting on the side of the street crying, with dirty, ripped clothing. The young child is nothing but skin and bones from not eating for a week. If there was not a set age for becoming an adult this would be a common scene. The law recognizes an 18-year-old as an adult. If there was not a set age for adulthood, parents could stop caring for their children at young ages. The law requires parents to care for their children up to the age 18. If adulthood was recognized based on maturity, a parent could say their kid was mature at age eight. Yet, the kids aren’t allowed to work until age fourteen. This could leave the kids in starvation, and critical life situations. Therefore, kids become…

    • 1237 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    As a member of the 'National Task Force on the Role of Youth in Australian Society' the team have decided to report on the issue that adolescents are represented in media in relation to 'schoolies week'.…

    • 1333 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    uses the technique of descriptive language to create imagery. The use of imagery not only…

    • 817 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In this essay I will be talking about the reasons and beliefs on how the status of childhood has changed. Something that is socially constructed is created and designed by society. Differences in childhood can be seen across different times, places and cultures. How society influences what is right and wrong to help develop your child correctly this can be through the form of TV and books. Different cultures have different opinions on how children are viewed and ultimately treated.…

    • 1069 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Some sociologists believe childhood is only a recent occurrence and there was no defined period of childhood compared to what childhood is perceived to be in today’s society.…

    • 850 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Neil Postman (1982) argues that childhood is gradually disappearing. His statement is connected to two ideas that state about technology and social blurring. His first idea about technology is that the growth of television is taking over, so there is unlimited access to the adult world which involves, sex, drugs, violence and suffering. His other idea is that the connection between adults and children is becoming too close together. He states that children are becoming “little adults”, their games disappearing, speaking, behaving and dressing like they are adults. The traditional features that mark adulthood are just seen as the norm now, for example getting a job, leaving home etc. David brooks criticises Postman’s argument by saying that parents are taking more control and are more concerned about the safety and wellbeing of their children. He argues that is isn’t childhood that is disappearing, it is children themselves.…

    • 746 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Part of the blame in childhood disappearing is placed on the parents of the children that encourage what is portrayed on this show while the other blame is placed on the greedy entertainment business that is allowing children to be sexualized, on television, to profit financially from it. In “Toddlers and Tiaras,” young girls are dressed in extravagant dresses, with their hair and makeup worn like women, spray-tanned, swaying down the runway showcasing their beauty and being judged for it. This poses another problem with a society where adults encourage children to act like more mature because it is easier for adults to relate to someone similar to themselves. The mothers in this show are insistent on their daughters modeling because of the mothers' possibly unrealized desires to have modeled sometime throughout their own lives. The sexualization of girls has significant consequences, such as negative effects on cognitive and emotional development in women and an increase in sexual harassment and violence in men toward women. If this show sexualizes and exploits young girls by allowing them to dress in provocative clothes such as the prostitute in “Pretty Woman,” girls are losing their…

    • 1412 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Best Essays

    A look into the history of childhood shows, however, that childhood is constructed differently in different times and places. Class, religion, labor, gender, race, politics, and education shape the way in which children experience life.…

    • 2738 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Examine different sociological views on changes in the experience of childhood over the past 50 years.…

    • 317 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    There has been a significant change of ideas about children and childhood within our society for the past fifty years and across the centuries within different cultures. Therefore, I will look in further and explain in detail how society’s ideas about children have changed over time and why it’s important for those working with children and family.…

    • 1347 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    As Sociology

    • 600 Words
    • 3 Pages

    (d) Examine the ways in which childhood can be said to be socially constructed. (24 marks)…

    • 600 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    ‘Childhood’ is a social construct. This means that it is different depending on the period of history that you look at or the place. Sociologists argue whether ‘childhood’ has improved or has got worse and use theories and evidence to prove this .There are to two sides to the argument and phrases used by sociologists to describe that either childhood has improved ‘The march of progress ‘ , or been made worse ‘ Conflict view’.…

    • 694 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Childhood is socially construted, this means it is only a human concept and the only reason that 'childhood ' exists is because society makes it that way. Over time childhood has changed as different norms and values over each century of life have been different and is still changing at present. Also in different places of the world there are different cultures and ethics so therefore their veiw of childhood will also be different. As Wagg (1992) states ‘Childhood is socially constructed. It is, in other words, what members of particular societies, at particular times, and in particular places, say it is. There is no single universal childhood, experienced by all. So, childhood isnt “natural” and should be distinguished from mere biological immaturity.’…

    • 1109 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays