Grown-ups not welcome! It’s not uncommon for many parents to see such a sign posted on their teenager’s bedroom door and realize that their child is asserting a desire for privacy.
What is Privacy?
Privacy is control over information and possessions that the child considers as his or her own, such as a bedroom, personal journal, schoolbag, or cellphone. Teenagers may want parents to keep out of their rooms, stop cleaning their closets or stay away from their social media sites. However, many parents consider the idea of their children desiring privacy from them as unsafe and risky. But experts say parents should always respect their children’s privacy.
Setting Up Boundaries
Starting around age ten, children may begin to explore what they wish to keep private from their parents. Teenagers want to preserve their privacy not only from their parents but also from their siblings. Child development experts say this is a part of growing up and should be encouraged. It helps children learn about life management in the safety of their parents’ home.
Each family has some privacy rules regarding what to share and not to share with outsiders. Similar rules may be negotiated for individual family members. Parents should teach their children how to set up boundaries that other people may not step over without permission. At the same time, parents must provide structure to let the child grow into a confident individual and not think of the world as a scary place.
Balancing the Act Between Privacy and Trust
Parents have a lot more experience of the world and know a great deal more about life than their teenagers. They want to keep their children safe from the dangers out there, especially when they are online. Parents can instill in their children that they trust them but not the world, and for their safety, parents will be monitoring their online activity. Teenagers can show they are trustworthy by fulfilling their obligations and respecting the rules set by their parents. This establishes a trust bond between parents and children, and children won’t see their parents as invading their privacy but as protecting it to keep them safe.
No Spying
While allowing their children to manage their privacy, parents must follow up on a genuine concern. However, sneaking behind their children’s back to find what they are doing is not the right way to do it. Parents should take their children in confidence and ask for permission to look through their things.
If parents don’t respect their children’s desire for privacy, they risk losing their trust. Parents should also realize that their children will find ways to hide information from them. If left unresolved between children and parents, privacy issues can cause conflict in the family.
Nevertheless, parents should also remember that teenagers need the opportunity to be successful on their own and learn from their mistakes without a parent hovering over them.
Youth Activism
B. Haq
The beginning of the 21st century saw a promising trend of youth activism. Since then, many kids have taken up activism for a cause they hold dear to their hearts. Be it advocacy for civil rights or global peace, children and youth are at the forefront with adults.
Activism is working to bring about a change to an issue that the person genuinely cares about. Young people are powerful drivers of change. They have fresh ideas and the desire and energy to carry on and accomplish their goals. Around the globe, they are engaging in social, political, environmental, and economic causes to help bring about a positive change.
For decades, schools have been teaching children to participate in civic activities through community organizations and municipal councils. However, the recent development of youth activism is different. Young people are carving out leadership roles in movements started and organized entirely by them. Malala Yousafzai’s girls’ education, Greta Thunberg’s climate change, and the Movement of Working Children in Peru are a few examples of efforts led by young people.
Activism can start at an early age. Activism provides children and teens a platform for civic engagement and a sense of hope, purpose, and self-identity. They become a part of a community and feel included instead of feeling socially isolated, powerless, and hopeless. Angelina Jolie says that she felt a sense of emptiness growing up until she started on a life of activism.
Parents should help children and youth to explore issues, such as forms of injustice or inequality. They should talk to their children about the values that underlie their social, political, and economic decisions. They should also guide their children in finding a meaningful purpose or cause to care about. With proper support from their parents, children can make their activism more effective.
Sometimes, we see that adults have false beliefs about youth and their activism. They do not take youth activism seriously or may think of it as pointless. Some adults may even be critical of youth who are engaged in activism. They only need to look at the history of the United States. Young people have organized successful movements for peace and civil rights all along. Adults should realize the potential in youth, acknowledge their positive contributions, and assist them in achieving their goals.
How is the concept of young people’s desire to be in charge treated differently in the two passages?
Responses
A In “Children’s Privacy and Parents,” the author mentions the young people’s desire to protect their private space. In contrast, in “Youth Activism,” the author discusses the youth’s desire to lead in a public sphere.In “Children’s Privacy and Parents,” the author mentions the young people’s desire to protect their private space. In contrast, in “Youth Activism,” the author discusses the youth’s desire to lead in a public sphere.
B In “Children’s Privacy and Parents,” the author stresses young people’s need to be by themselves. In contrast, in “Youth Activism,” the author emphasizes the youth’s need to be included.In “Children’s Privacy and Parents,” the author stresses young people’s need to be by themselves. In contrast, in “Youth Activism,” the author emphasizes the youth’s need to be included.
C In “Children’s Privacy and Parents,” the author reveals how to balance privacy and trust. In contrast, in “Youth Activism,” the author demonstrates how to create a positive change.In “Children’s Privacy and Parents,” the author reveals how to balance privacy and trust. In contrast, in “Youth Activism,” the author demonstrates how to create a positive change.
D In “Children’s Privacy and Parents,” the author describes the obligations of young people in a family. In contrast, in “Youth Activism,” the author expresses the youth’s potential for achieving their goals in life.
1 answer
The best response that highlights the differences in how the concept of young people’s desire to be in charge is treated in the two passages is:
A In “Children’s Privacy and Parents,” the author mentions the young people’s desire to protect their private space. In contrast, in “Youth Activism,” the author discusses the youth’s desire to lead in a public sphere.
This option accurately contrasts the theme of privacy and personal space emphasized in the first passage with the theme of activism and leadership in the second passage.
1 answer