What Happened To The Kids?

Something I watched on a weekend edition of Kids Central both tickled and alarmed me. A short talent showcase segment that aired in between programmes featured Rachel, a 9-year-old girl who sang the catchy Christina Aguilera number, ‘Come On Over (All I Want Is You)’. Now, that song is fine (I suppose) when Ms Aguilera crooned it, but for a 9-year-old? It just seems horribly misplaced.

I watched little Rachel in absolute horror as she sang the song in her sweet, off-key lilt, wiggling her hips and attempting as much as possible to look like a mini-Aguilera clone. And the only thing that crossed my mind at that point was, “Does she actually know what she’s singing?” I mean, really, what does a pre-teen know about ‘crossing the line’ with a boy?

How about this other nugget: Imagine my utmost horror when my then-7-year-old nephew (he’s now 9) started rapping me Linkin Park’s ‘In The End’, thanks to the influence of his dad. Hearing lyrics like ‘in the end, it doesn’t even matter’ coming from his young self just utterly stunned me.

Call me old-fashioned, but what happened to kids just being kids? When kids were content playing hopscotch and skipping rope during recess, and playing catching and ‘masak-masak’ (Malay for ‘pretend cooking’) during their free time, instead of trying to emulate their idols while watching MTV. When kids enjoyed listening to songs about ‘apples and bananas’ and not about trying to get a girl (or guy) into bed.

While delusional young adults like myself refuse to grow up, these kids already want to embrace their adulthood – even before they’ve already finished their childhood.

As kids get more exposed to the wonders (and horrors) of the media, they suddenly think that it’s cool for them to act all grown up; to act, dress and talk as mature individuals do. And thanks to this exposure, they also feel that it’s cool for them to be like showbiz personalities like Eminem, Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan, whom they also look up to as role models.

That shouldn’t be the case at all – the parental forces ought to be that role model for their kids, especially at this impressionable age where just about anything goes. I acknowledge, however, that we can only protect them so much. But as much as possible, I feel that parents should also be discerning enough to know what to expose their kids to, though not to a dictatorial extent.

It’s a pity, really. These kids don’t realise that these are the best days of their lives, where the best memories are created, when best friends are made, when things are so much simpler.

In the words of punk rock band, The Ataris, “Being grown up isn’t half as fun as growing up / these are the best days of our lives”.

PS: Okay, before anyone tries to label me as some righteous crusader for our precious future, let me be the first to admit that I was probably just as clueless as young Rachel is now. I can only imagine my parents’ horror when I used to sing Inner Circle’s ‘Sweat (a La La La La Long)’ at the top of my lungs. (‘Girl, I want to make you sweat…’) And that was before I even knew about lesbianism, thank you.

::Michelle::
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