BLOG: Interacting in the adult world (From The Argus)

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BLOG: Interacting in the adult world

12:00pm Monday 9th February 2009

By Annie-Marie Page, teen outlook »

A few weeks ago I started a philosophy course.

I asked my friend who is fourteen and my tutor who’s an adult if they wanted to come as it’s a course for all ages.

I was pleased that they could both make it.

My friend and I were the only young people who attended the course.

In the first session I noticed some adults talking to each other when someone was already speaking and their mobile phones going off now and again.

It reminded me of when I used to go to school (I home educate now).

The teachers at school were telling a lot of their pupils off for having mobile phones and for talking over other people.

It amused me that adults could behave the same as the average young person.

This made me think that perhaps a lot of people of all ages behave similarly in particular situations.

I wonder if some school teachers might be disruptive themselves if they were attending classes as students, like some of the adults in my philosophy class.

Now and again I felt like an outsider in the group. For example, someone new came into the class and he introduced himself to everyone in the room except me and my fourteen year old friend.

I also found that we got patronised now and again, it felt like some people didn’t take what we said seriously because of our age.

I can cope with that though, it will not put me off attending the class because I gain many things from the group discussions.

My mum and I both agree that there is a general lack of communication between adults and young people in our society.

I think it’s healthy for people of different age groups to interact.

If we are doing something we are interested in and are communicating at the same time we will get to know one another and find we have some things in common and perhaps learn valuable lessons from each other.

This is different to parents trying to behave like teenagers and trying to fit in with their sons or daughters friends.

Leave your comments below.

Comments(12)

anubis says...
10:34pm Mon 9 Feb 09

Interested to read your comments -- it would be MORE interesting if you gave some indication of exactly what "philosophy" course you are attending. If you are paying fees, I would hope you aren't paying as much as someone in full time employment might be charged .. etc., etc.

When I was your age (14 years) I also began attending open adult classes that interested me. In the early days, like you I found people more readily "mix with" people of their own age. Generally speaking, thirty year olds are at first 'uncomfortable' approaching elderly strangers or, at the other extreme, teenagers. I'm sure you will soon find, as I did, that as soon as you are better known AND ARE MAKING USEFUL AND INTELLIGENT CONTRIBUTIONS to the discussions, you'll be readily accepted "as an equal".

The odds are you two are possibly 'brighter' than many of the adults present -- and this is also something that might make those who feel less adequate unwilling to adjust themselves to talking with you ... Be sure you don't get "big headed" -- this won't help you make friends. Everybody goes to classes to learn -- AND THAT GOES FOR THE TEACHER AS WELL!