Palm - Fall 2008 - (Page 6)

anymore and getting a gold watch.” Science also plays a role. Consider that just prior to the Civil War the average age for the onset of puberty was 16 for girls and 18 for boys. Now, it is 12 for girls and 14 for boys. THE EVOLUTION None of this in and of itself, says Kimmel, is a bad thing. In fact, he says it can be beneﬁcial to wait for a period of time to be burdened with all of the “real life” responsibilities. Where the problems begin to creep in is in how males are proving their masculinity in this new stage of development. “In many ways, guys are drifting through Guyland, not navigating it,” said Kimmel. “As guys, we’re offered lots of entertainment and distractions – videogames, pornography, online gambling – to keep us from entering into adulthood.” Entertainment, and distractions like Big Brother/Little Brother nights that focus on alcohol consumption. Kimmel suggests that one of the main struggles in Guyland, is that those people who are validating masculinity are other males who aren’t certain they have it ﬁgured out for themselves. “The current students are the most over-parented in history but when they go to college many parents say their teary goodbyes and wash their hands of it all,” said Kimmel. “Guys go in at age 18 and there is an adult-free vacuum where young men are looking to one another to deﬁne what it means to be a man.” “I believe we underestimate the role of parents in guys’ lives from adolescence on,” said Kimmel. “Parents who stay close to their post-adolescent sons are the ﬁrst defense against the worst elements of Guyland.” But data from the National Survey of Student Engagement reported 86 percent of ﬁrst-year college students were in frequent contact with their mother via phone or computer. And 71 percent of freshmen communicated frequently with their fathers. The same report concluded students with higher levels of parental involvement had signiﬁcantly lower grades. The problem isn’t that there is a lack of contact from parents; rather, it is the kind of contact being made. “I see students struggle with this every day,” said Georgia Tech Dean of Students John Stein. “This is a life experience and the ﬁrst time that many students have to navigate daily life on their own.” “One of the best things you can do for your child is to let them leave home believing they have the ability to overcome adversity,” said clinical psychologist Mark Crawford. “If we interfere with their ability to do that we really handicap them.” Fraternities have an excellent opportunity then, to step in and provide a positive support group and to create an environment of encouragement. Dr. Geoffrey Greif, a University of Maryland professor and author of Buddy System, says that fraternities play a major role in helping young men make the transition into adulthood, because young men enter fraternities at one of the times in life when friends play a key role. “College is a time when friends start to replace family and that makes friendships very important to our self-esteem and self concept,” said Greif. “If you’re in college and in a fraternity, this becomes a very important time in 6 AT O PA L M FA L L 2 0 0 8

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Palm - Fall 2008

Palm - Fall 2008 Contents Navigating Guyland The Next Star 78th ATO Congress NHQ: Headquarters News SIR: Success in Review TAU: Alumni News ITS: In the Spotlight

Palm - Fall 2008

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