Teenagers having freedom is a contentious issue. Some believe that with more freedom, teenagers learn how to be self-sufficient and learn other skills necessary to be a functioning adult. Others believe that teenagers should be completely shut down, given an inch of freedom and they will abuse it. However, scientists have linked many important character traits and skills to having freedom. It’s been proven that having freedom is important for teenagers to become confident, to regulate behaviors, to establish positive self image, to begin forming new opinions, and to learn how to fail and keep going.
According to a high school coach, who has chosen to remain anonymous, the effects of too little freedom are obvious. This coach has both watched the effects on her own athletes and has studied the subject while gaining a degree in psychology. Coach says, “It’s beyond obvious when kids didn’t have enough freedom growing up because when they gain it, it almost overwhelms them and they don’t know how to regulate their behavior. Even as teenagers, they just haven’t developed the ability to regulate themselves they were never given the opportunity to.” Oftentimes, parents keep their kids locked down and then, when they become a teenager, almost all their rules fall away so that their teenager can be a kid. This can cause problems later in life, because teenagers can’t regulate lots of freedom unless they’ve learned how to.
When students move from high school to college, many things change. They move out of the house or even out of the state, they go to a different school, there are higher expectations and most of all, more freedom. A freshman at the University of Montana, Corina Amudson, believes that the most difficult adjustment is the new structure. She says, “Honestly, it’s just learning how to create self discipline and a schedule and stick to it. There isn’t anything that really lets kids learn how to do that in high school.” Amudson herself has always been dedicated and focused and even she struggled with the quick transition from high school expectations to college reality. In high school, teenagers are made to follow many rules. They are told when to arrive, when they get to eat, what they get to wear, and when they are allowed to miss school. Every part of their school life is monitored and controlled and then, when they get to college, they don’t have the skills to regulate their behavior. Suddenly, they are responsible for getting themselves to school on time without the threat of a call home. And there’s no one to decide a bedtime and a curfew. Without being able to regulate their behavior, teenagers struggle with being able to live up to their responsibilities because they don’t have the necessary skills. And these are skills that must be taught by doing. A teenager can be lectured till the world ends but most of the time, the only time they will truly learn these lessons is by failing and learning from failure.
Even college professors can see issues, including Lynn Kinnaman, an educator at Montana State University. From what she has seen in her students, the students who grew up with too little freedom are obvious in her classroom. “The students who had no autonomy over their time and schedule all of a sudden are the only ones who have control when they leave for college. It goes one of two ways. Some get really crazy and will stay out late and not show up to class and will sleep until six in the evening. Others just freeze. They don’t know how to schedule their time or how to prioritize and those are very important in college and beyond it.” Yet another example of students not being able to manage their behavior because they’ve never been taught. Allowing teenagers and students some room will help most teenagers develop these skills.
The most difficult but important part of this issue is the fact that every teen needs something different. There are some that can handle more extra freedom than others. Some teenagers don’t need a curfew, others need a strict one. But, just because a stricter curfew is needed, that doesn’t mean that the teenager can never leave the house. Likewise, just because some students skip school for various reasons, parents should still be able to excuse their kids, if and when it is necessary, no matter what the reason. Rules and regulations should by no means be completely torn down, but there still needs to be room for schools and parents to work together so that each student can be given the freedom they need to become successful.
