View Poll Results: Which is best for teenagers Country or City
Country including Towns
17
48.57%
City, Capitals
18
51.43%
Voters: 35. You may not vote on this poll
Where do you think Teenagers are more likely to go astray....Country or City
Oct 5th 2010, 7:11 am
#1
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 15,526
Where do you think Teenagers are more likely to go astray....Country or City
Just thought I'd like to hear people views on this and why they hold them.
Personally I've always thought the Countryside and rural areas and Provincial towns are great for kids and very bad for Teenagers. Reason against the Country towns...Being a far smaller diversity in populace, people knowing everyone so its fairly easy to take a bad path. Boredom... = Same oh Same oh.
I realise that a lot of people are going to say it's up to the Parents. However I think it's fairly evident to most people that at no time in anyones life, is the Peer group more important than in the turbulent Teenage years.
So a Poll to decide and reasons for your vote could be interesting for all.
I'm obviously going to vote against the Country and for the City. The reason I prefer the City environment for my kids.... Far greater diversity... IE: my 3rd Daughter not considered a Geek just because she loves her classical music and plays Classical instruments... or My Boy can act and dress like a Skater boi... play his PS3 to the cows come home, and yet be accepted by the Sporty types as he is fairly good at Sports. I think there is greater acceptance across peer groups in the City, and much more difficult to find yourself on the social fringes.
I could be wrong though.... so lets hear your views.
I'm only going to offer two options on purpose. I personally dont buy the Parental involvement argument, as there are plenty of kids that go off the rails with good Parents and equally plenty of kids with bad Parents that dont. So for the purposes of this thread... it really comes down to a geographical view point.
Meant to be in Barbie apologies
Personally I've always thought the Countryside and rural areas and Provincial towns are great for kids and very bad for Teenagers. Reason against the Country towns...Being a far smaller diversity in populace, people knowing everyone so its fairly easy to take a bad path. Boredom... = Same oh Same oh.
I realise that a lot of people are going to say it's up to the Parents. However I think it's fairly evident to most people that at no time in anyones life, is the Peer group more important than in the turbulent Teenage years.
So a Poll to decide and reasons for your vote could be interesting for all.
I'm obviously going to vote against the Country and for the City. The reason I prefer the City environment for my kids.... Far greater diversity... IE: my 3rd Daughter not considered a Geek just because she loves her classical music and plays Classical instruments... or My Boy can act and dress like a Skater boi... play his PS3 to the cows come home, and yet be accepted by the Sporty types as he is fairly good at Sports. I think there is greater acceptance across peer groups in the City, and much more difficult to find yourself on the social fringes.
I could be wrong though.... so lets hear your views.
I'm only going to offer two options on purpose. I personally dont buy the Parental involvement argument, as there are plenty of kids that go off the rails with good Parents and equally plenty of kids with bad Parents that dont. So for the purposes of this thread... it really comes down to a geographical view point.
Meant to be in Barbie apologies
Oct 5th 2010, 7:30 am
#2
Going for a ride
Joined: Sep 2005
Location: Monbulk, Victoria.
Posts: 2,838
Re: Where do you think Teenagers are more likely to go astray....Country or City
Where we are I would say that we are on the edge of country/rural and personally think its a better atmosphere to grow up in than the city.
Here we still have a skate park, they can swim in friends dams on the farms in the summer, they go dirtbike riding, they can jump on the bus and 15 minutes later are at the cinema, many of the kids work on the local farms at weekends (either as a parttime job, or for the parents) and I feel that they become much more independant much quicker.
My boy has been working on farms since he was 12 and loves it. It pays better than macca's as well
Friends of ours in NSW have over 600 acres, and their children are much the same. Its 30/45 minutes into town, but they happlily jump on the bus.
They both help the parents on the farm. They both learnt to drive at the age of about 12 (just getting around the property) they have a river going through the property so they fish & swim any time they want to.
They still do a lot of the things city kids do such as Xbox/PStation/Facebook and all that stuff, they just are more laid back. Stay kids longer IMO but are more independant at the same time.
All kids get "bored" Most of the time, they are too lazy to get off their ass and do something. When I kick my boys off the Xbox and send them outside, they moan & complain, and then 4 hours later I have to ring them up to find out where they are.
Here we still have a skate park, they can swim in friends dams on the farms in the summer, they go dirtbike riding, they can jump on the bus and 15 minutes later are at the cinema, many of the kids work on the local farms at weekends (either as a parttime job, or for the parents) and I feel that they become much more independant much quicker.
My boy has been working on farms since he was 12 and loves it. It pays better than macca's as well
Friends of ours in NSW have over 600 acres, and their children are much the same. Its 30/45 minutes into town, but they happlily jump on the bus.
They both help the parents on the farm. They both learnt to drive at the age of about 12 (just getting around the property) they have a river going through the property so they fish & swim any time they want to.
They still do a lot of the things city kids do such as Xbox/PStation/Facebook and all that stuff, they just are more laid back. Stay kids longer IMO but are more independant at the same time.
All kids get "bored" Most of the time, they are too lazy to get off their ass and do something. When I kick my boys off the Xbox and send them outside, they moan & complain, and then 4 hours later I have to ring them up to find out where they are.
Oct 5th 2010, 7:54 am
#3
Victorian Evangelist
Joined: Sep 2005
Location: Melbourne, by the beach, living the dream.
Posts: 7,704
Re: Where do you think Teenagers are more likely to go astray....Country or City
I think it depends on the parents and thereby the kids.
I've known well balanced great teenagers in both city and country, I've known tearaway teenagers "known to police" in both city and country.
BB
I've known well balanced great teenagers in both city and country, I've known tearaway teenagers "known to police" in both city and country.
BB
Oct 5th 2010, 8:08 am
#4
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2010
Location: Roma
Posts: 338
Re: Where do you think Teenagers are more likely to go astray....Country or City
Having spent my teenage years in inner city Sydney and with country relatives (lliving in country towns in NSW, Qld and WA) I'd say country teens are more likely to 'go astray'.
I won't go into detail but let's just say that there's not much to do in the country so kids find ways of alleviating their boredom.
I won't go into detail but let's just say that there's not much to do in the country so kids find ways of alleviating their boredom.
Oct 5th 2010, 9:41 am
#5
Home and Happy
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Posts: 93,815
Oct 5th 2010, 11:06 am
#6
MODERATOR
Joined: Nov 2002
Location: Redneck Wonderland
Posts: 9,932
Re: Where do you think Teenagers are more likely to go astray....Country or City
Tough call & an interesting topic. My experience of raising kids is limited to one of each, girl 24 boy 19. Both vastly different in character & temperament. Our daughter [step daughter for me as I met her mom when A was just 6 months old] was a model child until she hit puberty then became a bit of a rebel. Nothing to bad just silly discipline stuff up until she turned 15 when she was the victim of a serious sexual assault by a 30 yr old bloke. She went off the rails big time for a couple of years drinking & smoking partying hard etc. When we came out here to live it was only a couple of months after the court case & she was still a bit wild. She has settled down now has two wonderful little girls & is a fantastic mum that works full time & still looks after the girls & her "waste of space" partner. She was a town girl raised in a large U.K town.
Our son was different, always helpful & well mannered. He would share without hesitation anything he had with anyone. Always cheerful & well behaved. He went off to sail Australasia when he was 9 with my folks so had the benefit of 2:1 tutoring for close to 2 years. Academically very bright but equally lazy in his efforts to study, more due to boredom than anything.
he was 12 when we moved here, we moved to Tin Can Bay, rural remote for sure He grew up living out here in the sticks on acreage. No real problems socially etc. He's just completing his training in the RAN as an ET & has turned into a decent lad.
I'm equally very proud of both of them, they've both turned out O.K, one a townie the other a hick
Our son was different, always helpful & well mannered. He would share without hesitation anything he had with anyone. Always cheerful & well behaved. He went off to sail Australasia when he was 9 with my folks so had the benefit of 2:1 tutoring for close to 2 years. Academically very bright but equally lazy in his efforts to study, more due to boredom than anything.
he was 12 when we moved here, we moved to Tin Can Bay, rural remote for sure
He grew up living out here in the sticks on acreage. No real problems socially etc. He's just completing his training in the RAN as an ET & has turned into a decent lad.I'm equally very proud of both of them, they've both turned out O.K, one a townie the other a hick
Oct 5th 2010, 11:23 am
#7
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Posts: 16,622
Re: Where do you think Teenagers are more likely to go astray....Country or City
I think it depends on the opportunities, family and luck.
Here semi-rural village kids have chances - most are privately educated from secondary, and the primary has a very good reputation. Most kids grow up with the mix of country life with the added bonuses of some of the diversions on offer but they are not completely isolated. A new mum from the suburbs has arrived and says she finds the children here a lot happier, mature and better balanced than down the hill in the suburbs : I'd be more worried about the effects of boredom in the suburbs. (Neither city nor country). We have met children who know not much beyond the family room of their house and see the outdoors as 'dirt'. Their only cultural input is the rack of DVDs and TV. Most homes around here have pianos and we felt naturally our daughters should learn too. Horses and all that muck is also popular.
I know kids who grew up on farms who got sent to school in cities - in some cases - the best in Sydney's GPS - so grew up with the best of both worlds. They partied hard, played hard and worked as hard as they needed to..like most people, and also got up to all sorts of mischief..
Semi-rural - the only real drawback is lack of public transport so a car is a must as soon as possible - but then kids do have other kids nearby. It depends on whether you are in a village, or strung out on a rural road with barely a neighbour. Here a child can walk to a neighbour and they also walk 3k to school down the lane on their own quite happily.
We will also ensure lots of city breaks and trips - it's possible to get there and does not have to be a once in a few months event.
Here semi-rural village kids have chances - most are privately educated from secondary, and the primary has a very good reputation. Most kids grow up with the mix of country life with the added bonuses of some of the diversions on offer but they are not completely isolated. A new mum from the suburbs has arrived and says she finds the children here a lot happier, mature and better balanced than down the hill in the suburbs : I'd be more worried about the effects of boredom in the suburbs. (Neither city nor country). We have met children who know not much beyond the family room of their house and see the outdoors as 'dirt'. Their only cultural input is the rack of DVDs and TV. Most homes around here have pianos and we felt naturally our daughters should learn too. Horses and all that muck is also popular.
I know kids who grew up on farms who got sent to school in cities - in some cases - the best in Sydney's GPS - so grew up with the best of both worlds. They partied hard, played hard and worked as hard as they needed to..like most people, and also got up to all sorts of mischief..
Semi-rural - the only real drawback is lack of public transport so a car is a must as soon as possible - but then kids do have other kids nearby. It depends on whether you are in a village, or strung out on a rural road with barely a neighbour. Here a child can walk to a neighbour and they also walk 3k to school down the lane on their own quite happily.
We will also ensure lots of city breaks and trips - it's possible to get there and does not have to be a once in a few months event.
Oct 5th 2010, 12:42 pm
#8
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: May 2004
Location: Birkdale QLD
Posts: 7,642
Re: Where do you think Teenagers are more likely to go astray....Country or City
I blame genitals
JTL
JTL
Oct 5th 2010, 3:05 pm
#9
Sharon
Joined: Nov 2007
Location: Woodvale WA (But Ill always be a Norn Iron Gurl )
Posts: 571
Re: Where do you think Teenagers are more likely to go astray....Country or City
I blame the parents lol What do u say badger lmao
Oct 5th 2010, 3:11 pm
#10
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2010
Location: Roma
Posts: 338
Re: Where do you think Teenagers are more likely to go astray....Country or City
I know kids who grew up on farms who got sent to school in cities - in some cases - the best in Sydney's GPS - so grew up with the best of both worlds. They partied hard, played hard and worked as hard as they needed to..like most people, and also got up to all sorts of mischief..
.
Oct 5th 2010, 9:02 pm
#11
Shiny Arse Know All
Joined: Apr 2010
Location: Adelaide, somewhere
Posts: 14,180
Re: Where do you think Teenagers are more likely to go astray....Country or City
Tough call & an interesting topic. My experience of raising kids is limited to one of each, girl 24 boy 19. Both vastly different in character & temperament. Our daughter [step daughter for me as I met her mom when A was just 6 months old] was a model child until she hit puberty then became a bit of a rebel. Nothing to bad just silly discipline stuff up until she turned 15 when she was the victim of a serious sexual assault by a 30 yr old bloke. She went off the rails big time for a couple of years drinking & smoking partying hard etc. When we came out here to live it was only a couple of months after the court case & she was still a bit wild. She has settled down now has two wonderful little girls & is a fantastic mum that works full time & still looks after the girls & her "waste of space" partner. She was a town girl raised in a large U.K town.
Our son was different, always helpful & well mannered. He would share without hesitation anything he had with anyone. Always cheerful & well behaved. He went off to sail Australasia when he was 9 with my folks so had the benefit of 2:1 tutoring for close to 2 years. Academically very bright but equally lazy in his efforts to study, more due to boredom than anything.
he was 12 when we moved here, we moved to Tin Can Bay, rural remote for sure He grew up living out here in the sticks on acreage. No real problems socially etc. He's just completing his training in the RAN as an ET & has turned into a decent lad.
I'm equally very proud of both of them, they've both turned out O.K, one a townie the other a hick
Our son was different, always helpful & well mannered. He would share without hesitation anything he had with anyone. Always cheerful & well behaved. He went off to sail Australasia when he was 9 with my folks so had the benefit of 2:1 tutoring for close to 2 years. Academically very bright but equally lazy in his efforts to study, more due to boredom than anything.
he was 12 when we moved here, we moved to Tin Can Bay, rural remote for sure
He grew up living out here in the sticks on acreage. No real problems socially etc. He's just completing his training in the RAN as an ET & has turned into a decent lad.I'm equally very proud of both of them, they've both turned out O.K, one a townie the other a hick
Moved from London to the sticks in Ireland and then left as soon as to join the RN 
Stand by for years of shagging anything with a pulse and drinking anything alcoholic in vast quantities 
and he's chosen God's branch Weapon Engineering (RAN equivalent anyway) Good Lad 
Oct 5th 2010, 9:12 pm
#12
MODERATOR
Joined: Nov 2002
Location: Redneck Wonderland
Posts: 9,932
Re: Where do you think Teenagers are more likely to go astray....Country or City
Your lad sounds like me 20+years ago Moved from London to the sticks in Ireland and then left as soon as to join the RN Stand by for years of shagging anything with a pulse and drinking anything alcoholic in vast quantities and he's chosen God's branch Weapon Engineering (RAN equivalent anyway) Good Lad
Moved from London to the sticks in Ireland and then left as soon as to join the RN Stand by for years of shagging anything with a pulse and drinking anything alcoholic in vast quantities and he's chosen God's branch Weapon Engineering (RAN equivalent anyway) Good Lad 
He's just had his back done, all of it I think he expected to shock us
Oct 5th 2010, 9:15 pm
#13
Shiny Arse Know All
Joined: Apr 2010
Location: Adelaide, somewhere
Posts: 14,180
Re: Where do you think Teenagers are more likely to go astray....Country or City
I don't do tats, my body is a temple
as long as he doesn't get a girlfriends name all down his side as one of my ET's did, she binned him 2 days later for a bootneck
Oct 5th 2010, 10:03 pm
#14
Joined: Apr 2004
Location: High up in Joondalup.
Posts: 4,228
Re: Where do you think Teenagers are more likely to go astray....Country or City
It's a tough one personally I think most teens will go off the rails at some point.I'm a city girl and I had cousins that grew up in the country. The only difference between us is I used to find them a bit naive when I was younger but they ended up doing everything I did just a bit later.
Oct 5th 2010, 10:41 pm
#15
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Mar 2006
Location: Riverland, SA - Beds/Cambs/Nhants was home in UK
Posts: 1,503
Re: Where do you think Teenagers are more likely to go astray....Country or City
I hardly think you can draw conclusions about country vs city life for teens if all the kids you know are 'educated privately' and many go to GPS schools in Sydney. Obviously, if your family has enough dosh to send you to GPS schools, pay for horsey pursuits and riding lessons, buy a piano etc. you're hardly the average Aussie country (or city for that matter) family!