Parental Paranoia

Every student, from kindergarten to college, knows what it feels like to have a parent or guardian of some sort go completely crazy over the most random, and in their minds, pointless subjects. Sometimes, they are valid arguments that are brought on by curfew violations and ignored phone calls, however other times parents do exactly what they constantly tell their over-zealous teens not too; they have absolutely no trust.


Some students have their parents trust. They aren’t hassled about the possibility of them doing wrong because they have yet to do anything wrong. Other students aren’t so lucky. Whether or not they are truly as innocent as their parents would like to believe, some teenagers have the misfortune of having guardians that are victims of “Obsessive Worrying Syndrome” which for now we will refer to as “OWS.” If you have ever dealt with someone experiencing OWS then you know that listening to it can be long, loud and, if you get into it with a mother, ludicrously emotional.

Unfortunately for teens, the group that is most frequently affected by this behavior, OWS can be triggered by the simplest things without any prior warning. And now, more frequently than not, the main contributor to an adolescent’s biggest headache is none other than the television. The thing is, it isn’t just the depressing information that is brought in by the local news station. Oh no, everything from PBS to MTV has the ability to create a three hour long conversation about why what your parents just watched on a fictional show is bad and why if you have already done it you should stop and if you haven’t, you never should. Other times, when the show isn’t about a fictional adolescent’s sexual fiascos or brief endeavors within the drug world, parents are watching movies like “Taken” where the child is abducted. This edge-of-your-seat action flick will soon have you ready to throw your seat out of the window as you pull your hair out trying to explain that: 1. You have never been to Europe, 2. You aren’t stupid enough to jump into a car with a complete stranger, and 3. It is JUST a movie. Sure, it is possible for something like that to happen in the real world, but it is also possible to have someone break into or to get into a car crash. The point is that there is a fine line between safe planning and paranoia and lately far too many parents are crossing that line.

Just to be perfectly clear, it is important that teens listen to their parents. They are much older, (which is apparent by their music choices,) therefore, as painful as it is to admit, they know much more about life. Contrary to popular belief, they do not make rules and set boundaries just because they enjoy watching their precious children wallow in self pity. They want nothing more than to keep their loved ones safe from the evils of this world, but when does protection turn into suffocation? Yes, every parent is entitled to an occasional bout of OWS– worrying is basically a parents’ second nature– however they need to have a little faith in their children. Yes, some statistics are bad and yes, teenagers do some very idiotic things, but teens know that they aren’t invincible. They know that there is always a possibility for everything and they know that this world is usually more dangerous than it is safe. It seems as though the only difference is that teenagers see life as an adventure still waiting to happen as they walk around with their glasses half full whereas their overbearing parents mourn their half empty cups as they dwell on the evils this world has to offer.

-Kristina Smith