Gone are the days when teenagers envied their elder siblings or cousins for being allowed to go to parties and clubs while leaving them behind with the retort that they were too young to party. Today, the age at which youngsters start attending the weekend bashes, poolside parties and DJ nights at clubs is going down. Nowadays, it’s not the elders, but the teenagers who are well-informed of the parties happening around town and concerns are being raised over the descending age of the party-goers.
Although most of the clubs do not allow people below the age of 18 to attend a party, teenagers somehow find a way to get an entry. DJ Rinton, who is also a party organiser, states, “When an event is organised by proper establishments or clubs like Mambos, they do implement an age restriction. However, other events like pool parties and DJ nights run by individual party-planners hardly check identity proof before letting party-goers in.”
Peer pressure is perceived to be one of the major factors making youngsters start partying at a very young age, either willingly or out of compulsion. Gourish, 23, reveals, “I started partying at the age of 19, and I was considered a late bloomer. Around 60 per cent of the times I find myself at parties out of pressure from my friends and 20 per cent of the times because I feel that I would be left out if I don’t go with my pals.” The fear of missing out (FOMO) is becoming a yet more serious issue. “When an individual declines an invitation from his/her group, they are sometimes viewed as being boring and tend to be ‘out of the loop’ in most conversations that follow within the friend circle. Socialising has become an important part of our lifestyle and ‘being seen’ at a happening party gets you to be more popular,” explains Kimberly Dias, a Psychologist and Counsellor at Sethu. Karen, another youngster, also shares a similar experience. “It’s the friends who influence us the most to go partying, even if we don’t always want to. Saying no to the friends every time is not possible as it makes us look anti-social,” expresses Karen.
What actually makes youngsters succumb to peer pressure is the urge to westernise. And as Gourish puts it, “It’s television and other media that make us feel drawn towards this lifestyle.” Father Walter de Sa, the Principal of St Xavier’s College, Mapusa, opines, “It’s mainly the media that is propagating this party culture amongst teenagers. In films, youngsters are often seen clubbing and partying a lot. Also, due to internet and social media, teenagers are informed of these parties easily and the hype around these events attracts young hearts.”
One effect of the parties today being flooded with a large number of teenagers is that it drives the elder ones, even those who were once the most enthusiastic of party-goers, away from the bash. Joseph Rodrigues, 55, says, “I don’t like partying any more as everything at the clubs and the parties is about the youngsters. The music played there is the one today’s youngsters like. The whole ambiance revolves around the younger ones, thus making me not want to attend these parties any more.” DJ Rinton, also thinks that most of the parties nowadays focus on EDM, which attracts the younger crowd. “The younger ones are open to music from all over the world. But the elder ones are not much into EDMs. Thus, they avoid partying,” he feels.
Though not taken so seriously at the moment, the decreasing age of partying can have grave consequences. “When youngsters start partying at an early age, they expose themselves to poor sleep habits, a shift in focus and reduced interest in studies, risk of substance abuse, road accidents due to road rage or trying to make an impression or just dosing off due to exhaustion. Youngsters sipping alcohol and trying to smoke cigarettes, in the name of ‘experimentation’ or when forced by ‘cool’ adults to ‘fit in’ are a common occurrence,” warns Kimberley. “It’s the parents and teachers who have the major role to play in order to help the youngsters out of this,” says Father de Sa. “Parents and teachers should instruct kids that they shouldn’t follow the crowd (peers) blindly. Children should be made aware of the merits and demerits of their habits and actions,” he adds.