How long does childhood last?

Miniature toys whose names I don’t know—I see them tagged onto bags, backpacks, phones, pencil cases, and other accessories belonging to youth and young adults. I used to think that, as people grew older, their interest in toys diminished. It doesn’t seem so now. My university students hold a teddy bear, or whatever may be popular at the time, when their graduation pictures are taken. They think it’s cute. Holding a bouquet of flowers, sure, but a teddy bear?

I used to think it was Asians who clung to their childhood. Because many Asian cultures are highly protective of their young, I believed young Chinese people were somewhat less mature than their Western counterparts. But then I saw a newspaper article in which a university student from a Western country was showing off the collection of toys in her bedroom. The plush toys were all around the head of her bed. There must have been more than 20 of them.

In the olden days, French children dressed like adults. Their clothing was no different from adult clothing. Children were considered little people. In those times, in many countries, children were married off early, while still in their teenage years. Luckily, that is not so any more in most cultures. In some war-torn countries, such as Afghanistan, some children are made soldiers. This, of course, is extreme abuse and certainly unethical.

But I can’t help but think, what is the meaning of this phenomenon? Does it mean that adults in developed countries are too protective of their children, causing them to mature more slowly? Does it mean that society is more tolerant of childish behavior in adults? Does it mean that the younger generations are more eccentric and not afraid of being who they really are? Is it just that they use toys as accessories? That miniature toys have replaced badges and brooches?

One thing for sure is that these toys—both large and miniature—must have special meanings for these young people. It must be because I am from a different and much older generation that I cannot fathom the meaning they attach to them.

Maybe I should not complain. As a gerontologist, I am very much aware that it is much the same with old age. Only my neighbors or friends are old; I am not old. People in late adulthood get facelifts and take up bodybuilding or contouring. They wear trendy clothes that seem more suitable for young people.

It seems that the more developed a society is, the less demarcation there is between different age groups within that society.

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International.