With the release of her latest album Speak Now, Taylor Swift has been credited with doing what a lot of other young entertainers can’t: Make the transition from teenager to a young adult in a mature way. Swift hasn’t resorted to skin show like most of her other counterparts did to show they were all grown up.
Unfortunately, her namesake Taylor Momsen (who plays Jenny Humphrey in Gossip Girls) isn’t showing a similar ability. She opened her shirt and flashed the audience at a recent concert for her band The Pretty Reckless — the latest in a string of wild behaviour. Why is it that Swift has been able to make a smooth transition, while Momsen has not?
First year engineering student Arpita Bose thinks how you deal with any transition depends on the environment around you. “It is more about the sensibilities that one grows up with and the upbringing you receive. When you’re talking about an actor or a musician like Swift, the maturity level is also very important. Swift was probably clear in her mind about what she wanted and focussed on that,” she says.
Twenty-year-old Aneeth Ekka says leaving the early teen years behind and moving into adulthood needn’t be a difficult process, but admits that there are some pitfalls. “One can get carried away with many things during this stage of life and I too felt that I should do certain things,” he says. “But what helped me was realising what I wanted from life.”
Dr Krishnaja A.P., mother of an 18-year-old, believes it is the company you keep that determines in a huge way, how you respond to situations. “If your friends are grounded, then you stay grounded. My daughter, who has suddenly formed a large group of friends since shifting to her new college, had a spurt in her socialising. There were dinners and parties and trips, until we sat down and talked about maintaining a balance between studies and fun,” she says.
Even agreeing that teen stars like the two Taylors operate in a very different environment than most other teens, the fact that stars like Swift and High School Musical sweetheart Zac Efron have managed a smooth transition, on the public front at least, implies that it is possible. It may not be too late for Momsen to stop herself from going the Britney Spears way.