Teenage Bedroom, 2011 Style

In the picture montage above you can see what I am led to believe is a 'normal' teenage bedroom, 2011 style, which contrasts with the photograph below of an actual teenager's bedroom in the early 1960s. You will, I'm certain, notice the subtle differences, quite apart from the fact that much of the mess in the top picture is covered over by the cartoon. I wasn't sure that you were ready for the whole thing in one go!

How family life has changed since I was entering my teens way back in the Middle Ages --- well, 1956 actually. Nowadays teenagers generally seem prefer to isolate themselves in their rooms, spending their time either lazing in bed, in front of either the TV or computer scree, and with the great majority of their clothing either spread across the floor or spilling out of the open dresser drawers. Interspersed with all of this muddle are the items of crockery which have been brought up over the past few days, the detritus of the various meal leftovers gradually showing its age by the amount of mould growing on it.

When I was a teenager, and indeed throughout the time that I lived with my parents, the only time that food would be allowed in the bedroom was at times of sickness. The bedroom had to be tidied daily, and that meant that the floors had to be clear, clothes tidily put away in either the wardrobe or the dresser, and magazines, books or other items, put away from sight. By contrast, many teenage bedrooms today --- the majority, according to the folk with teenagers who I have spoken to --- appear more as if they have been ransacked totally, every inch thoroughly turned over.

You can, of course, suggest that the teenager in question might tidy it all up, but you do so at your own peril! Many years ago, whilst living in Africa, my nephew, who lived a short distance from me, refused repeatedly to tidy the perpetual mess which made his bedroom look as though it was part of the local tip. It was so bad that even the maid refused to enter the room, let alone tidy it up. He was given one last opportunity to get it tidy, with a threat from his parents that if it was not done by the following morning then they would do it themselves and get rid of everything. Of course, this was a challenge to him, and so he did nothing, only to find the next day, on his return from school, that his room was spotless. It took him only a moment or two to start shouting, "Where's this, where's that?" He soon found out that everything had been placed in black bin-bags and was down with the rest of the household rubbish, waiting to go to the tip.

After his tantrum burned itself out somewhat he was allowed to bring the sacks back in, one at a time, so long as he put everything away tidily. It didn't cure him altogether, but it did improve things a little!