13-years-old

Thanks to TV characters, tween stars, and fashion trends, we can see that 13-year-olds are beginning to act older than they should. This article basically made me question what it meant to be age 13: the first year of the teenage years. Should one still be treated like a tween? Should this age be considered the beginning of a smooth transition into teenhood? Or should age 13 signal a more rigid, contrasting change of attitudes and clothing styles? I remember being 13 and changing these aspects. I'd say I'd blame it on the media, and the images and ideas that were prevalent in my society. The article agrees by citing that "teens are growing up in a culture that sexualizes children and immerses them in adult images" -- it is no wonder that the second we hit the teen zone, we want to be adults. This article also explains however that girls are becoming physically more mature earlier in life than they were a generation ago. So this makes me question what the balance is between nature and nurture in creating a 13-year-old today, and as the title of the article, makes me question "What does it mean to be 13?"