It seems as though high school students have become less mature over the years. As we age we are supposed to mature, so why is it that in high school – our last 4 years of school – we are less mature? In elementary school, teachers were much bigger and more intimidating to us. For that reason, no one ever talked back. Now it seems as though students talk back and disrespect teachers a lot more than in their previous youthful years. Why is that? I personally believe it’s all about discipline. If we misbehaved in elementary school, there were consequences; no one wanted to get in trouble or get yelled at. However, nowadays, no one cares if a teacher or other adult yells at them. For this reason, our generation’s overall maturity is decreasing. The official dictionary definition of mature is: fully developed in mind, body, and as a person. Now even though some of us are fully developed physically, most of us are not anywhere near being fully developed mentally, even though we are in high school. Part of maturing is being responsible and dealing with the consequences of your actions. As an adult, there is no one to help you when you make a mistake. But as a child, in the law’s eyes, our parents are responsible for us. Even though they are responsible for us, legally, we still need to act with a sense of maturity. No one wants to be treated like a child, but if we don’t act with maturely, then why should we be treated like adults? Being immature is a hard thing to admit, but stop and ask yourself, “Do I ever push my chair in after class?” or “Have I ever thrown trash under the bleachers at a football game?” If you can’t truthfully answer these questions to yourself, then you’re still in the process of growing up.