Ah, ignorance -- the state of lacking in knowledge and information. Ignorance has its place in life for awhile, though. There's a saying "ignorance is bliss", but is it really? There are moments of bliss in early childhood. Children do not experience the burdens that come with adulthood, making them unaware of the complexities of life.
Parents make the conscience decision to protect their children from the knowledge that is too much for them to comprehend. Why confuse them with information that is retained at a higher mental age when they can function at a "need-to-know basis" for their age?
However, parents can only protect their children from the real world for some time. As we grow and become independent, we must develop an adult mind of our own. We won't always have someone by our side to shield us from this beautiful world full of its shame and drudgery. We must learn to make the right decisions for ourselves and for others around us. As we grow up, we're bound to make mistakes -- it's only human nature. But to learn from those mistakes, that is a virtue.
It's likely that most teenagers/young adolescents fall into the trap of peer pressure or choose to behave a certain way because of the underlying message, and that message is more often than not, the wrong one. What really grinds my bicycle gears is that in today's world, maturity is mistaken for reckless behavior.
What I've taken away from high school is that you're not part of the "cool" crowd unless you party with drugs and alcohol. You're considered a "little kid" if you haven't had any experience with sexual activity. Really?! This is the kind of world we live in today?! Engaging in these actions do not make you mature. Maturity is the ability to respond to the environment in an appropriate manner. Maturity is having responsibility, awareness, and the ability to make the right decisions. Maturity should not be defined by your experience with reckless behavior.
If this is the kind of ignorant example we're setting for generations to come, then the future is in big, big trouble.
