US 13-Year-olds are Fairly Conservative: Time Poll

AFP ^ | July 31, 2005

[West Coast Conservative]

It might surprise their parents, but in the age of graphic lyrics and violent video games, American children entering their teens remain very cautious about sex and dating and still trust their parents and church.

n a story on the lives and thinking of American 13-year-olds, Time magazine reports that sixty percent of the 500 surveyed by the magazine are against sex before marriage, and 63 percent believe they are too young to date at their age.

The 21-page cover feature characterizes kids at 13 as "backstage adults" in a particularly precarious formative period.

"It is the age of childhood leaning forward and adulthood holding back, when the world gets suddenly closer, the colors more vivid, the rules subject to never ending argument," writes Time editor Nancy Gibbs.

If anything is surprising in Time's feature, it is how normal and conservative -- in a day of provocative music videos, widespread Internet access, and lurid cable television shows -- today's 13 year olds are.

Nine out of ten of those polled on line by the magazine said their relationship with their parents is good or excellent, and only seven percent said their parents were too strict.

And 63 percent consider their religious faith at least somewhat important in their lives.

But today's early teens face new issues their parents, and even older siblings, never faced, like cyber-bullying, according to Time.

The magazine reports on a Clemson University survey showing that over one-fifth of children in eighth grade, those between 12 and 14, have been victims of on-line bullying, which includes receiving ugly text messages or being hurt by on-line rumors.

[mdittmar]

It might surprise their parents

Should read,

It might surprise the old media.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

The magazine reports on a Clemson University survey showing that over one-fifth of children in eighth grade, those between 12 and 14, have been victims of on-line bullying, which includes receiving ugly text messages or being hurt by on-line rumors.

In the old days they used to just pass notes.

[Hugin]

Well, the universities haven't gotten ahold of them yet.

[varyouga]

More proof that the DUmmies are aborting and euthanizing themselves out of existence. Maybe it isn't such a bad thing after all.

[madprof98]

They should read some of threads here on Free Republic to find out how naive it is considered to favor traditional moral standards in our day and age--even among self-described conservatives.

[Texas Eagle]

But today's early teens face new issues their parents, and even older siblings, never faced, like cyber-bullying, according to Time.

Say it ain't so! Poor little things. They'd've been better off aborted.

[DoughtyOne]

Cyber bullying...

Well big whoop-de-doo. I remember when it was nose to nose.

[SunkenCiv]

Ping!

[ozarkgirl]

I'd like to see a study if it changes by the time they're 15-17 years old.

[iconoclast]

thirteen year olds are fairly conservative

The ones that matriculate to college will be appropriately "corrected" with proper Orwellian indoctrination.

The others will just go to work and, sooner or later, be pilloried by FR market worshipers.

[Jim_Curtis]

Democrat Media polls will say what they want it to say. There is a reason that they want the public perception to be that the kids are conservative.

If you think about it, anything other than this result would lead to "concern about our kids" which would lead to taking action against that which is influencing them.

[iconoclast]

Democrat Media polls will say what they want it to say. There is a reason that they want the public perception to be that the kids are conservative.

Do you sleep on the bed or under it, Jim? (/sarc)

Those Dems Are devious, aren't they?

[kittymyrib]

Guess the media, Hollywood, and the Left will need to redouble their efforts after these disturbing poll numbers come out. I'm inclined to believe the research that indicate the brains of older teens show serious deficiencies where their center of judgment should be, however, so these 13 yr. olds may still have good sense that will be missing when they are 16.

[Brilliant]

In that case, we should let 13 year olds vote.

[little jeremiah]

later read/pingout?

[Jim_Curtis]

Do you sleep on the bed or under it, Jim? (/sarc)

There are thousands of topics for which one could conduct a poll. The topics that are chosen for polling are chosen for a reason. It wouldn't ever occur to me to conduct a poll like this but we see this same poll often and it always tells us that the kids are "just fine, nothing to worry about here".

How often do you see a Democrat Media poll asking Americans how they feel about our involvement in the Balkans? Do you believe there is no reason in particular that we do not see endless polls about how Americans feel about our alliance with Islam against the Christian Serbs? Nothing paranoid about these observation, just observations.

[DoughtyOne]

LOL, that last line was a zinger. Oucheroonie!

[rbg81]

No surprise here. 13 year olds have yet to complete the liberal brainwashing regimen. It also goes to show that even a 13 year old has more sense than a 40 year old liberal hack professor.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

A while back on Sean Hannity's radio show I heard a seventeen year old girl talking about a new trend in high school among her friends. They were Christians and they had decided to not date, ever, and to not have sex until they were married. They said that you could learn all you needed to know about someone by just being around them a lot in different wholesome situations. They said dating was for one purpose only, making out. They would only consider other Christians who shared their views as potential mates.

She sounded like a well rounded sharp young girl and I was amazed by her well thought out sincerity.

The teen years are the true coming out years where teens start learning who they are and spreading their own wings of independence. That is why traditionally teens have been rebellious, often doing thinks to upset their parents and starting new outrageous fads. Whatever the norm is a certain number of teens are going to do the opposite.

That is what we are seeing now to some extent. The norm is leftwing libertinism (new word?) for teens. Many are examining the norm and going in the opposite direction. That is good news. The pendulum always swings. When it gets to the extreme in either direction it hesitates, then starts moving back the other way and eventually returning to the extreme again. Fortunmately, it spends most of its time somewhere near the middle.