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.

[Jim_Curtis]

Those Dems Are devious, aren't they?

Yes. Thanks for leading me to that point because it probably looked like I have some moral agenda. I really don't care if someone has sex before they are married and if two thirteen year olds want to date, I don't necessarily have a problem with that either since I guess everyone is left to imagine what happens on these dates and form an opinion from what they imagine.

So apparently I'm far less "conservative" than these kids. The Democrats wanted this poll and published this result for a reason, that is what is important to understand. They don't publicize anything that is ultimately harmful to their purpose.

[Anti-Christ is Hillary]

"American children entering their teens remain very cautious about sex and dating and still trust their parents and church."

No say it ain't so. The high school and college teachers have their work cut out for them. The libs are soooo funny wondering why this might be happening. 1. They are killing all of their future voters (the only good thing about abortion), conservatives are having all of the children. 2. All of the 70's and 80's latch key kids are all grown up and don't want their children raised like that.