The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1950-09-27
BY TSUGI SHIRAISHI
WOmen's Editor
Nippon Times

American teenagers are much
more matured than the youths of
some years ago. The problem IS,
therefore. what kind of guidance
should be given SO that they will be
properly guided in adjusting them
selves in the society of adults and
become responsible citizens. Lea
dership which was adequate some
years ago must undergo changes in
methods and technique.
Today. the young people read
newspapers and magazines and lis
ten to radio programs more than
they Gid some years ago. This
accounts for the early maturity of
young people Introduction of
television is said to have more in
fluence on children and young peo-
pie than moving pictures. Schools
also conduct discussions on social,
national and world affairs to get
the young people interested in the
world in which they live. The teen-
ayers cannot remain indifferent to
the events happening daily around
them
However. maturity sometimes is
only superficial. They look sophisti-
Gated and act and talk like adults,
but to the core they are still very
young, not ready to participate in
the society of adults.
Start Dating Early
The teenagers start dating very
early, girls as young as IA years old
and boys at the average age of Is.
The girls expect their boy friends
to send them corsage and drive
them to the party just as the adults
would do. At one discussion group
which I attended some so girls of 10
wears of age discussed whether or
not they should allow their dates to
kiss them goodnight when escorted
home. To parties. the girls wear
evening dresses whereas till some
years ago they did not wear formals
till they become much older.
On one occasion when went to a
certain high school to speak. couple
of girls met me at the bus terminal
and drove me to the school where
they introduced me to the faculty
members. The meeting was conduc-
ted by the students without help
from the teachers. In the evening
| three girls took me to eat and later
to the school party. The girls were
not older than 16, but they acted like
grown-ups and knew how to enter
tain and talk intelligently.
Marry Young
Because of the early maturity
there is a tendency for boys and
girls to marry young and their par
ents also favor early marriage. The
average age for girls is 81 and for
bows %. Tt is not seldom that the
girls marry as young as II and the
bows just over 20. Many young mar
ried couples continue their studies al
the college and in that case the par
ents of the brides and bridegrooms
give financial help. Such marriage
is called subsidized marriage.
In the rural areas, however, a
young husband works for his father
and is able to support his wife
Sometimes. he rents a patch of land
from his father and works for him
self SO that the young couple may
feel independent of his parents The
fact that the farmers are much bet
ter off than before and during the
war accounts for early marriage
among the rural populace. In gen.
eral early marriage is more frequent
in the south than in the north.
Search for Security
This tendency for early marriage
is partly the result of search for
security by the young people. Be-
cause of the war and the unsettled
conditions since, after the war the
youths have felt a sense of insecurity
During the war families were broken
up and many young people who were
then in their early teens experienced
! the bitterness of financial as well
as spiritual insecurity In marriage
thew feel they can find security.
Also because of fear of another
wal and constant talk about the
dangers of war prevalent the world
over young people rush into early
marriage so that they can have a
good time while they can. They do