Caring for the Tween

Growing Up Too Fast by Jennifer Pierce is an article which focuses on the implications of a society where girls are experiencing onset of puberty earlier than in the past. The article argues that this places the girl at risk, increasing the chances of breast cancer and upping the occurrence of teen suicide. One of the key contributers to this early onset is "melatonin, which plays a role in regulating puberty, is affected by television viewing and computer use"(Pierce, 2008, p.62). Pierce goes on to mention that reduced time in front of a screen and more time with the family, and particularly having a loving father in the home, increases melatonin levels which contributes to a much later puberty onset and reduces aforementioned risks. My first thought was, "what does this have to do with libraries?" I decided to write about this article, however, because if the research about the effect of screen time and melatonin levels is accurate then librarians can have a significant affect on the health of these tweens by encouraging more time reading individually and as a family. Not only are libraries, and reading, important for moral health (Soltan, 2007) but for physical health as well. Well developed reading programs, which effectively engage tweens and teens, have the potential to significantly affect the physiology of youth in a positive way.

Pierce, J. B. (2008). Growing Up Too Fast. American Libraries, 39(11), 62.

Soltan, R. (2007). Fairy Tale Characters Breathe New Life: A Fantasy Book Club Approach for Tweens. Children & Libraries, 5(2), 34-39.