GenerationResponse.org – What In The World Have We All Come To?

Aside from the birthrate and the age group of bearing mothers, another change in the population trend is the marriage of teens. In the earlier parts of this adolescent pregnancy, families resort to wedding as a first aid since a huge percentage of the population still believes that abortion is a sin. But these days, marriage rates have plunged down. Young girls and boys already make a stand if they want to end-up in a miserable marriage or not. Most of them do not end-up together even before the baby is born. Some of them get married and by the age of 24 or older, they find themselves sorry because they really do not want to be married at all.

Still, we say that prevention is better than cure. So we try to educate the youth about sexual activities. The problem here is that we have unique brains and we interpret knowledge in different ways. And sadly, in real life, a lot of us believe that experience is the best teacher. The next dilemma would be implementing of the birth control. Some people just do not have the idea of what it is, some just refuse to use one, and others refuse because of religion and some just pick-up the wrong information about it. So how do we resolve young parenthood?

We try to prevent a problem by all means but when it comes, then we have to face it. Being a mother and a father at a very young age is different and difficult. Teenagers could still be selfish and confused even if they already have that parental instinct from being pregnant. Marriage would not fix it all but remembering that both the mother and the father have a responsibility over the child is very important. They can choose to stay together or not but they should be certain that they will give the child the best or closest to a kind of family they could. The adults or the parents of the young parents also and still have a responsibility over the matter. They should be there to help, guide, and support the parents-to-be. Denying a pregnancy that is already there to save the family from humiliation would just make it more complicated. The best thing to do would be to get information first, about the pregnancy, then the options of the young parents regarding school and work after the baby is delivered, and the custody arrangements if ever they decide to break-up.

Getting ready and being always one step ahead is very essential when you become a parent. At youth you would think that it’s all about love and the person you are in love with. Then you become a parent and it’s just that. Everything is about the baby.

These days, since moms and dads have also become younger, parents dress their kids up as they would dress themselves. There are plenty of children’s clothing lines available and most of them also carry a label. But these clothing lines are only good until the child could walk because during this time, parents already dress their kids as an extension of themselves. They want their kids to look good and fashionable just like them or just like the kid models in the TV.

When parents buy branded jeans, they also want to buy their little ones with the same label but only in smaller sizes. Even toddlers are seen wearing jeans that are just like their dad’s or mom’s This is why most branded clothes now also have the same style of clothes in children’s sizes. Marc label of Marc Jacobs already put up the Little Marc for kids. On the other hand, Dolce & Gabana has the D&C Junior. When it comes to mommy’s shoes, there are also versions for the little ones except that they make it with smaller or no heels. Shoulder bags fashioned just like a ladies bag is also available for kids.

I think it’s cute and at the same time, a little overwhelming that a lot of parents would dress their child as a grown-up as if they want them to become old already. Some people have already speculated a lot over young children being used as models for clothes or grown-ups like Thylane Loubry Blondeau. Her images in Vogue Children gave way to a huge controversy because there are so many different reactions to her beauty. Other people say that it is creepy to look at a ten-year old girl in a woman’s clothes with that very pretty face. And some ladies are just plain jealous of her beauty. Other controversial angles include going around the issue of banning children below 16 years old from posing for ads in grown-up clothes because it takes away their innocence.

If parents want to dress their children just like them, it is their right but to some extent, parents should always consider the feelings and the choice of their children. You should consider if a child at the age of 2 would want to play around wearing jeans rather than plain cotton pajamas or if little girls would like to trot behind their mothers in expensive sandals rather than children’s sneakers or slippers. As for modeling, if a child enjoys being in front of the camera and as long as he or she is not being molested in any kind then it is her choice. Modeling is a form of art and children have the right for self-expression and art as well as adults given that they have proper guidance.

There are different musicians with not only different genres but also different fashion statements. And it is a fact that music genres now and even from the past still has an effect on fashion. The trend these days come from genres that actually create a look that both men and women can adopt to like punk bands.

Famous bands and musicians have greatly affected the fashion scene. Grunge music which is represented by thrift shop items, t-shirts, and tattered jeans became famous because of Kurt Cobain. Although a lot of people already has this style, it became famous and now malls and clothing lines already have designed tattered pants on their jeans section. Punk genre including punk rock and emo punk is represented by thick eyeliners even on boys, spiked hairstyles, and skin tight jeans for both genders. Although the genre is divided into more sub genres with differences in song lyrics and content, they almost have the same fashion style. Paramore, My Chemical Romance, The Starting Line, and Simple Plan are some of the bands that make this style a hit especially in teenagers. Pop music features artists in clean-cut fashion, classy eyeglasses and high heels, colorful clothing, white teeth, in short, a slick and neat appearance. The good boys and girls in school all want to look like them. Glam rock or glitter rock fashion is a hit again these days because of bands like Tokyo Hotel and of course, Adam Lambert who wears loud styles like leather jackets, glittered pants, and latex pants. The biggest influence on men’s clothing however came from Rap or Hip hop music. I think boys come in a certain age where they all want to learn how to skate and wear blings, oversized jerseys, round caps, and put grills on their teeth just like Snoop Dog, Eminem, 50 Cent, and Jay-Z.

Most teens are affected by their favorite music because at this stage they are looking for someone to look-up to and at the same time they are also finding out who they are and who they want to be. Sometimes they do not actually like the music but they like the fashion statement. And more often than not, if they just like the fashion, they cannot carry it since they cannot relate to the people who are actually using this style as a way of life and not just a fashion statement. A teen may find dressing up grunge as cool since most of the cool kids at school wear them but is not actually comfortable in wearing ripped pants. Another bad scenario is when a kid actually likes a music genre that is not as popular as the other genres of the time, they may tend to just hide under their hats.

There are other things that can affect a person’s fashion statement aside from music. The important thing is to have the right attitude about what you are wearing and to make sure that you feel good about it.

Teenagers are into new gadgets. They talk about the newest Iphone. They compare Androids. And even if they know nothing about the best specifications of these modern devices, they buy them for the polished look or the fame it would cause them, or the thrill it would bring in their teenage lives. The young ones are so into the technology that even their social lives are sometimes dependent on them.

These young people are confused about themselves. They do not know what they want and who they really are. They wanted to belong to a group but not all of them make it. There are always the ones who are considered outcasts. And these lonely bunch resort to technology to form another realm where people could accept them because their flaws are invisible. This is when virtual relationships become a hit. The anonymity and lack of physicality is very appealing for those who do not belong to the actual world.

Virtual relationships, whether romantic or platonic and social is a clear compensation for bad interpersonal relationships. A teen could not join a famous girl group in school because she’s short and chubby and they are Barbie dolls. So she joins an online group where she chooses a super sexy avatar and starts conversations as if she really is that avatar. She gains the confidence that her pears rob from her because of her physical appearance since no one can really see her in the net. There are risks and dangers in this type of connection but for those who are socially dependent on the virtual world, it is hard to see the risks. This is why parents should always be alert on what their teens are doing in front of the computer or on their cell phones.

Social networks are also very popular these days specially Facebook and Twitter. This form of virtual connection is a compensation for those people who are far from each other and still wants to connect. In Asia, a lot of people create a group for people with the same last name. This is the place where they could find long lost relatives and catch up. Some sites promote groups for school batch mates and this is where the reunion happens. Some teens just could not move on from high school and long to know whatever happened to their classmates. The cyber world is a good way to still feel close to people who are far away from you. This is also a good way to meet new people and find friends. It gives an opportunity to know people who live 50 States away and a chance to admire the culture of people who are half-way around the world.

Nothing is more important for parents and parents-to-be than to ensure the safety of their child especially the unborn fetus which is dependent on his mother. Due to the continued efforts of experts and developers, new generation of babies could be born safer and healthier compared to the days before. There are plenty of new ways to check the baby inside the womb and even correct some of the genetic conditions that could hinder the baby’s healthy delivery.

Stillbirth cases are heartbreaking and completely undetectable until the dawn of a device the size of a mobile phone that can detect and monitor the heartbeat of the baby. It is developed by the scientists in The University of Nottingham. After 15 years of development, the device has passed EU regulatory safety standards and is just going through clinical trials. Mothers-to-be can keep the device which is able to detect 0.00000001 volts and it will transmit data to the nearest PC for monitoring fetal heartbeat. It is a big help especially for mothers who have medical conditions and are very much worried about their baby’s health. It is a good way to manage pregnancy even if the mother could not go to a hospital for regular check-up.

Aside from hand-held devices that are the same size of a mobile phone, an actual mobile phone can actually aid parents in taking care of their child. Biloop Technologic, S.L. has patented a Cry Translator Application for mobile phones. After ten seconds of crying, it will translate the sound into adult language which will tell you if your child is wet, hungry, bored, sleepy, stressed, or uncomfortable. Although the pitch and frequency of a baby’s cry may indicate different meanings and also suggests clearly that different babies could deliver different sounds while crying, this device relies on patterns instead of sound waves. It will be a great help for nurses and nanny’s to be able to understand the cry of the child easily since they are not as accustomed as the parents are to the child.

Another new advancement for the new generation of babies allows parents to hold a life-size model of their child even if they are still inside the mother’s womb. Data from ultrasound and MRI scans are converted to plaster models of the embryos using rapid prototyping. Having the prototype helps the parents have a clearer grasp on the actual condition of their babies inside the womb. It is also the best way to allow the parents see if there are deformities or problems with the baby. Rapid prototyping is just like printing using plastic powder instead of ink until the plastic powder results in the 3D image of the baby.

When you become a parent, your world revolves around that tiny thing inside the womb and you would do anything to protect that life.

Nowadays, it is impossible to have an actual count of the people who uses blogs to share their life stories and their thoughts. Although blogging has captivated a wide range of age group, it is particularly a hit for the new generation. Because it comes along as part of the new technology, it is the newest way of teenagers to show who they really are.

There is also a variety when it comes to blogging. Some blogs are social, political, or economical. Examples of social blogs include personal, community, arts, and entertainment blogs. People share pictures and stories of their adventures. They also write poems or short stories and ask others to read it or comment about it. Political and economical blogs mainly contain one’s opinion on a current issue. These blogs are actually public diaries that people keep on updating everyday as if everyone really cares about what is happening in their lives and their thoughts.

Sociologists have tried to decipher why people are hooked into blogging as if it is more than just a hobby but an actual part of their lives. Blogging does not stay as a trend just because it is fun. Psychologically, blogging brings ego gratification because when you have a blog, you get the chance to be the center of attention. It is also a way of achieving personality. When people feel like they are just being swept away in the current, they would feel the need to stand-out and blogging is one way to do it. Some people even become very famous because of their blog contents. Blogging also serves as an outlet for people. They can say what they want in their own blogs and complain about the world. They can also share their own learning experiences or their own knowledge like many how-to-do blogs. As an outlet, the blog is also very useful for frustrated writers, whether they just want to share their ability to write or if they want to know other’s comments regarding their skills.

So we all have this freedom of expression and we all have something to say in the back of our minds. It has always been like that then and now. The thing is we don’t have a pen and a paper most times right now. All we have are our fingers, that creative thought flickering inside our brain, and the technology to shout it to the world.