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Changes are occurring rapidly in our society, and the current school-age generation is growing up quickly, possibly too quickly. The emphasis on fashion, and conforming to current trends, seems to have a huge influence on children and adolescents, starting at a young age. With an emphasis on physical beauty, clothing and accessories, the need to conform is becoming intense for many young people, who feel that they may be ostracised by their peer group if they do not follow the trends.

The gap between being a child and becoming an ‘adult’, or at least trying to ‘look’ like one, appears to be shrinking. Many school-age children have their own mobile phones, frequently attend ‘parties’- commonly known as ‘piss-ups’- and dress in sexually provocative clothing, with young girls starting to wear make-up from an early age. The benchmark I have in making these observations is comparisons between my peers and myself at a young age, and my brother and his peers at the moment, five years my junior. In this relatively short space of time, attitudes and values of the so-called ‘younger generation’ have changed, and comparing my younger self with today’s children of the same age, I was quite naïve in regard to fashion, preferring a more holistic approach. These days, the innocence of childhood is in danger of being lost.

Interacting with screens, instead of one another, is commonplace for young people, the majority of whom have access to the computer and internet, television, play stations and the like. Although some people argue that internet chat sites give them the opportunity to talk to many different people who supposedly become ‘friends’, it is easy to construct a personality and lie about who you are; ‘chatting’ to people via the net is very different compared with face-to-face conversations, which are far more personal and expressive. Yet whenever people are relating conversations to me that they have had with people on chat sites, they put a lot of expression into their voices as they re-tell what was written, as if they were having an actual conversation. However, when you read off a computer screen, it is difficult to recognise subtleties such as the tone of voice a message was written in, and this ends up being constructed by the reader, just like identities are also constructed.

Another worrying trend involving ‘young people’ is current fashion. Birthday shopping recently for my younger brother gave me the opportunity to explore the children’s clothing department of the large chain stores. It was not a pleasant experience; while the boys’ section was just bearable, featuring rack after rack of brand name emblazoned clothing, the girls’ section was sickening. From the age of around six and up, parents have the opportunity to clothe their little darlings in see-through skimpy tops, mini skirts and knee-high boots. The clothing range is horrifying: there was a sleeveless top made of pink netting; faded denim shorts that definitely lived up to their name; tight faux-leather pants; fake-fur jackets and so on.

These clothing styles may contribute to a lack of self-respect at a later age, with adolescents feeling as if they must look or act in a certain way. Younger people, girls in particular, can mistake sexual attention from others as friendship, making them vulnerable to advances from, for example, older men. The mainstream music industry is fuelling this kind of behaviour. If you are a female, becoming famous tends to rely on whether or not you are ‘beautiful’, dress in skimpy outfits, and writhe provocatively on screen in your video clips. Frequent media exposure for these female ‘stars’ reinforces to young girls the fact that to be successful, you must present yourself in a sexual manner.

The worrying trend of clothing styles such as this at a young age can be associated with excessive alcohol consumption, with many adolescents feeling as if it is a rite-of-passage to binge-drink into adulthood. This message is reinforced in many areas of society; teachers, parents and, of course, peers seem to assume that all teenagers party most weekends and drink copious amounts of alcohol. I am constantly hearing stories from my peers about people vomiting everywhere at parties, and boasting about the amount of alcohol they managed to drink beforehand. This behaviour is deemed to be ‘cool’ by many of my peers. Various teachers also make comments about students and the consumption of alcohol in large amounts, tending to joke about this as if it is the ‘normal’ thing to do.

Is going out to a party and drinking with the sole intent of getting drunk the only means of fun for teenagers? The answer for many seems to be ‘yes’, and in some cases alcohol is used as an escape mechanism. Some teenagers are desperate for the need to be accepted by others, and thus conform, to what they believe is acceptable behaviour by the majority of their peers, by binge drinking. I personally feel as if there is a lot of pressure to conform to the partying, binge drinking pattern, and unless you have a supposedly ‘good reason’ not to drink- for example being a Mormon and therefore not being ‘allowed’ to drink- many people do not understand why individuals do not have the desire to get drunk frequently. In certain circumstances when asked about my weekend, I feel almost embarrassed to admit that no, I did not go to a party and get drunk.

Having such a ‘strict’ policy on underage drinking in Australia does not mean that people under age will not drink. It is relatively easy to obtain alcohol, with some liquor stores not even requiring identification. Of course, this is the exception to the rule, but some parents are also willing to buy their children large amounts of alcohol with the knowledge that it is with the intention of getting drunk. As I was growing up, I had my parents to act as ‘role models’ for the responsible consumption of alcohol. My parents regularly enjoy a bottle of wine with their meal, always appreciating what they are drinking, and from quite a young age I have had the opportunity to try what they are drinking; it has not been ‘off limits’. Perhaps this is why I have not been desperate to get my hands on heaps of alcohol and drink anything quickly to get drunk, which is the case with a lot of people at teenage parties. If the legal drinking age was lowered, it might eliminate the need to drink when underage simply because it is ‘illegal’ or restricted.

There are a number of health risks associated with regular binge drinking; some studies have found that teenagers who binge drink regularly are more likely to become addicted to alcohol even in their twenties. It would be a sad irony if a number of my peers who currently flaunt the amount they drink, end up alcohol dependent at a later stage in life. Of course, this does not mean that I am advocating the need for teetotalism. Alcohol can be a fundamental and often enjoyable part of many cultures if a sensible approach is taken towards it. Although I do not engage in binge drinking, this does not mean that I have led a ‘sheltered’ existence and do not go to any parties. I am fully aware of what goes on and I have made the decision to drink in moderation.

In Tasmania, the major cities are very small compared with mainland capital cities, with far fewer people and less diversity within the community. This seems to make more intense the apparent need to conform. For example, in Hobart there are relatively few ‘focus’ areas in which teenagers ‘hang out’, so it is easy to observe what a large number of people your age are wearing and think you need to follow this example.

As many young people become increasingly focused on partying and clothing, some are becoming self-absorbed, and in certain cases, feel that they are at the top of a ‘hierarchy’ within a school because they wear the latest fashion. There often seems to go with this a total inability to notice the ‘big picture’, that is, significant world events, and even events within their own community and country, and they are at risk of becoming narrow minded and ignorant. A number of ‘groups’ at college are single-mindedly focused on the next party, the next drinking session, and so on. They fail to realise that this is not the be-all and end-all of being a teenager. While it has been necessary to generalise in observations such as this, and that there are many individuals whose behaviour does not follow this pattern, for the majority, it is becoming a ‘for’ or ‘against’ situation; there is no middle ground.