Extreme Controls only Breed Rebels
I read with disbelief the reports and suggestions in TheStar recently especially an article today titled “Student laud the move to make teenagers get home at prescribed hour“. While I agree that it is generally unhealthy to be staying out late nights regularly, it’s hard to believe anyone would suggest a nationwide curfew.
First of all, the staying up culture is somewhat associated to globalization too. What’s the point of having live telecast of Champions League or English Premier League which happens at the other side of the world and we will need to watch it individually at our homes? While I am no longer a teen, I still remember the days when we enjoy hanging out at mamak watching football or at cybercafes playing games. It’s afterall part of life.
My friends and I used to hangout at cybercafes during the teenage days (and sometimes still do till today). I admit we were once able to stay in the cybercafes from 10pm until 6am the next morning during our younger days, especially when there’s no classes the following day. But did any of us get involved in the gangsters, became mat rempit, or drug addict? Hmmm … don’t seem to recall any. So what’s the co-relation between hanging out late and all these “society issues”?
All these issues are due to lack of education and discipline within the society. It’s because the lawmakers are focusing too much on efficiency and law encorcements. Coming up with a new law that forbids people to stay out late may be easy, but it’s nothing more than a temporary fix which will explode when people get restless. Instead, we should focus on a more effective rather than efficient method of educating, creating awareness and to shower with care. Besides, can anyone show me the statistics of how many teenagers we have, how many stay out late, and how many got involved in criminal activities? I believe those that got into trouble is just a small fraction of those staying out late. But once control comes into place, I’m sure there will be more rebels and more issues later.
Let me just take a few examples and see how many would agree with me. If we should set a nationwide curfew to prevent youth from mixing with the wrong crowd or getting into trouble, these are some things you might want to consider too:
- Ban all vehicles from the road so that there’s no more road accident.
- Ban all ciggarete since it’s bad for health.
- Ban sale and consumption of alcohol after 6pm (I can’t be sure but I guess we have more issues from the drunk than we have from youth staying out late). Oh yes, maybe ban alcohol altogether, it’s for your own good too!
- Anyone above 60 shouldn’t get out of your house, there are too many news about old people getting conned.
- Teenagers are to be banned from using the Internet, because there are too many teenagers that got conned while befriending someone on the Internet.
- Sugar should be banned, because it potentially causes diabetics.
- Only vegetable consumption is allowed in this country. Because that’s the healthiest lifestyle for you.
- All ladies shouldn’t step out of the house because there’s a potential of getting raped.
- All men should be banned from leaving their homes because all are equiped to become potential rapist.
Don’t you think all the above seems too crazy? Trying to control the world when it’s a small fraction that got into trouble? Why are we treating the teenagers as if they do not have a brain of their own? People live up to expectation placed onto them. So if we continue treating the teenagers as kids, they are bound to remain as kid for life. Remember those old days when teenagers get married at 18? When that is expected of them, they have the ability to grow up and even become good parents at 18. Some of our grandparents do, don’t they? So now when there’s more education teenagers should grow up slower? Then aren’t we allowing “education” to distort the growth of a person? Today we say teens should be given curfew, 50 years from now are we gonna say twenties should be subjected to the curfew too? It’s just rediculous.
Now let me analyze those statements made by respondents in TheStar:
“They might mix around with the wrong crowd like gangsters and invite trouble for themselves and their families,” the Form 4 student said yesterday.
Even adults do. If there are adults that borrows from ahlong and put their family into dangers, I think we should forbid all adults from going out of their homes too.
“I think the curfew should be set at 10.30pm. I admit I do stay out late at night but I always tell my parents where I’m going,” he said.
See! If we could educate our young ones to be as disciplined as this respondent and let the parents know where he is, why the need for curfew? It’s education that we need. And parental responsibilities.
“Some kids won’t follow the law. The parents must also stop them from often going out late at night,” said the Form 4 student.
If they are not following the law now, do you expect them to follow the law when there’s a curfew?
The key to development is to educate someone and let them make the most reasonable decisions for themselves. Tell them the why rather than the what (I’ve posted about this before).
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No doubt at night crimes happens more frequently as many are asleep leaving outdoors very silent without people and the criminals can be shadowed by the darkness. That is why walking around outdoors at night would be dangerous. But what if we change the circumstances to non-outdoors where the kids go to a specific place where silence and darkness isn’t a factor? Then the danger wouldn’t be a factor whether it’s night or day isn’t it?
If it’s the kid’s actions that is worried, it is the parent’s responsibility to ensure that the kid doesn’t do unwanted actions. In that case, day and night doesn’t play a role. Actions isn’t confined by the time of the day. That’s why your point to educate the children is definitely the key point. Educate however is not a one time explanation thing. It is important to explain but it is also important that in the daily lifestyle, the moral values are instilled by what is done in the family.