Strollerderby : adolescence

Child Pornography or Art?

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Fri, 23 May 2008 19:55:00 GMT

While a Wisconsin teen faces child porn charges because of the naked photos he posted to his MySpace page, the Aussies have an underage naked photo scandal of their own. Police shut down a photography exhibit in Sydney last night, citing concerns that the work crossed the line between art and child pornography.

The exhibition in question features the work of renowned artist Bill Henson, who focuses heavily on the turmoil of adolescence. The controversial photographs featured underage girls in the nude, which critics claimed lacked the nuance to make them artistic and not voyeuristic.

But a former curator of Henson’s has spoken out against the closing of the exhibition, saying that Henson is bearing the brunt of timely, societal concerns that have little to do with his work. “To take cheap shots at artists,” she said, “won’t change whatever the problems are in our social fabric.” She pointed out that Henson’s photographs, which she described as “very beautiful—still, classical, and formal,” have been exhibited in Sydney in the past with no public outcry.

Photo: By Bill Henson, courtesy of abc.net.au

Having Kids Ruins Marriage

Cole Gamble — Tue, 13 May 2008 16:00:00 GMT

Marriage, as many studies have shown, go a long way to increasing a person's happiness and longevity. Just as long as you don't have kids.

This recent study finds that people who have children experience a significant unhappiness in their marriage during the child rearing years.

Children actually do make couples happier—before they arrive. Pregnant or planning for pregnancy couples get an upswing in happiness, but that tanks once junior arrives on the scene. Married couples, should their unions survive the unholy process of childrearing, go back to being totally blissful once the kids leave the house.

When is happiness at it's lowest point? Right after childbirth and when the kids hit adolescence. Duh.

Some experts argue that it's not the actual act of having children that causes the unhappiness, but social factors that come with it. Says University of Nottingham's Richard Tunney, "... in countries like Britain having children is hard. Your finances are hit, childcare in this country is appalling and, for women especially, their careers suffer. That is not the fault of having children per se, but of society."

So how about it, parents? Is society ruining your marriage?

Drinking In Youth Won't Just Break Your Mama's Heart

Kelly Mills — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 13:02:00 GMT

I think it is just plain messed up when any teen wild oat sowing has repercussions later in life. I mean, how can adolescents really appreciate that current behavior might lead to problems when they are fifty? I'm still stunned I managed to fill out my college applications and send them in, I was so short-sighted. Well, it turns out that being a lush when you are a youngster makes you more at risk for certain problems, and not just being branded "the Beer Bong Queen" by your cohort and having the name stick with you at your high school reunion.

Researchers interviewed 2,818 people (in scientific terms we call that "a good honkin' sample") about their drinking histories and other lifestyle stuff like smoking and exercise. They found that people either tended to drink heavily in their youth, and then taper off in middle-age; or drink moderately throughout their lives. (Note that none of my roommates was ever on the latter trajectory.) Those who partied hardy were a third more likely to have metabolic syndrome, which is a grouping of risk factors for heart disease that includes abdominal obesity, low good cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other stuff. In other words, young drunkery might mean heart problems later. So you know, kids, don't do drugs.

Teen Drug Use Declines; Sales of Pink Floyd Laserium Tickets Also Fall

Kelly Mills — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 23:47:00 GMT

Kids these days. It turns out that teen drug use has taken a downward turn, and less and less kids are using marajuana and meth than in previous years. Since we know marajuana is also linked with being a well-adjusted, socially adept, upstanding young citizen, I think it is pretty clear this is a crisis of epic proportions. Makers of black light posters, Doritos, and the crystal meth snorting travel kit have expressed concern that this could spell trouble for their industries, and at least one meth lab has filed for bankruptcy. Officials are working on a public health campaign for high schools and malls, using the theme, "It's 4:20 All the Time" in an effort to raise awareness of the perils of pot smoking decline among kids.

Now, what drug hasn't declined in use among today's youth? Pills, man. Prescription pills, and particularly OxyContin. Yikes! Well, that kinda makes sense. I mean, have you ever had to take the stuff for medical reasons? Hmmm, doobie or pure bliss in tablet form... Ecstacy use may also be going up again. Omigod, how '90s. That's all sort of troubling. Stay in school, kids.

Supportive Homelife During Preschool Means Girls Hit Puberty Later

Kelly Mills — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:32:00 GMT

If you'd like the Barbie dolls to be the only young things in the house sporting boobs any time soon, I guess it's time to work on being supportive and happy and economically good, because researchers say your parental investment during the preschool years will make a difference. According to a new study, girls who grow up in households with marital conflict, depressed dads, and less supportive parenting hit puberty earlier than peers in stable, supportive homes. The idea is that early childhood experiences can influence sexual maturation rates in girls, and early puberty has been linked with mood disorders, substance abuse, teen pregnancy and reproductive system cancers. It has also been tied to earlier instances of eye rolling and the phrase, "Oh my gawd, you are ruining my life!"

There's other factors involved in the age of onset of the hormonal roller coaster. "Children whose mothers had started puberty later (a genetic factor), whose families were better off when the children were in preschool, whose mothers gave them more support when they were in preschool and who had lower Body Mass Index when they were in third grade developed secondary sexual characteristics later than their peers." Crap, I don't even remember when I hit puberty. Yesterday, I think? I should mention that some of the results of this study come from mother-daughter reports of development, never my favorite method, but oh well. And to think, all this time I've been worried about getting organic milk when I should have been trying to be more loving and well-off. It figures.

Having Sex Young Means Less Delinquency

Kelly Mills — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 20:32:00 GMT

Holy moley. While a study earlier this year linked teen sex to misbehavin', a new study found that teens who had sex young were less, not more likely to engage in delinquent behavior later. In fact, losing the virginity at a tender age might contribute to the development of better adult relationships. Between this and the study that found pot-smoking teens got along better with peers, a) I feel like my entire adolescence has been vindicated (take that eighth grade guidance counselor!) and b) we should keep our eyes open for a study linking rock n' roll to improved SAT scores.

The research on identical twin pairs shows that twins lost their virginity at a similar age, possibly indicating a genetic component in the behavior. One possible theory is that risk-taking has genetic influences, and that early sex might absorb some of the attention of the kids who might otherwise be naughty. But lead author Harden offers this: "Our hypothesis as a result of this finding is that teens who become involved in intimate romantic relationships early are having sex early and more often, but that those intimate relationships might later protect them from becoming involved in delinquent acts later." I guess it's a short road from abstinence education to juvenile hall.