{"id":105,"date":"2024-12-12T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-12T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/amy-mescus\/?p=105"},"modified":"2024-12-19T19:14:09","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T19:14:09","slug":"post-covid-19-should-age-restrictions-for-concerts-be-increased","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/amy-mescus\/2024\/12\/12\/post-covid-19-should-age-restrictions-for-concerts-be-increased\/","title":{"rendered":"Post Covid-19: Should Age Restrictions for Concerts be Increased?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
A growing debate since live music venues reopened after Covid-19<\/strong>: age restrictions<\/strong> at concerts<\/strong> – should they be increased?<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

The age to be able to go to concerts without an 18+ guardian in the UK is, on average, 14. This number varies amongst certain concerts and venues. However, this feels low when you consider all of the dangers that come with the thrill of concerts. Because of this, I believe that the age restrictions to attend concerts alone should be increased to 18.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Rowdy
Image of concert crowd. Taken by Amy Mescus.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In theory, concerts are stress-relieving, fun, and so much<\/em> better when you\u2019re not standing with dad, who doesn\u2019t know the lyrics, or is dancing to embarrass you. But in reality, there are countless health and safety concerns that come with attending concerts, which aren’t taken as seriously as they should be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most dangerous things about concerts is how unpredictable they are. You may know the band that’s playing on stage, but you can never know who you will end up standing next to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, there’s only so much control that on-site staff can have regarding crowd control. Rowdy crowds can lead to injury and fatality. We saw this after the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions were lifted back in 2021 at Travis Scott’s Astroworld festival. 50,000 people were crammed into this crowd and a surge within the audience devastatingly caused the death of ten people, one of the victims being nine years old. Another 300 people were injured<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Young people who are typically smaller and weaker than the average adult can be more prone to injury. So, to protect the youth from harm at concerts, age restrictions should be increased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Covid-19 pandemic has left us in an increasingly digital world with 35% of people in the UK admitting that they use social media more<\/a><\/span> than they did before Covid-19. For teens, this social media craze has led to a fixation with getting perfect concert videos to post on platforms like TikTok.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lot of young people will disregard necessary bodily functions – which are even more important when attending concerts – just to get a good spot in the crowd. These include staying hydrated, eating, and going to the bathroom. Not doing these things can lead to fainting. Increasing age restrictions will ensure there’s a responsible guardian preventing this from happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Evidence
Graph from study: Adolescents\u2019 Cognitive Capacity Reaches Adult Levels Prior to Their Psychosocial Maturity: Evidence for a \u201cMaturity Gap\u201d in a Multinational, Cross-Sectional Sample<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Psychosocial maturity is made up of three main components: temperance (impulse control), perspective (consideration of others), and responsibility (the ability to resist peer pressure). Teenagers are significantly less mature than adults<\/a><\/span>, which can lead to poor behaviour at concerts. Peer pressure is a concern regarding underage people at concerts since alcohol is always served at venues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being restricted to our rooms because of Covid-19, it’s understandable that young people grew attached to the celebrities that they saw on their screens every day, especially since adolescents are incredibly susceptible to parasocial relationships<\/a><\/span>. However, in the years following Covid-19, parasocial relationships have slowly started to get out of hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many teenagers have become so obsessed with trying to get a second of attention from their favourite artists at concerts that they are willing to act inappropriately to do this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We saw this after Covid-19 restrictions were lifted in 2022 when a fan threw a disposable camera at Steve Lacy during his concert<\/a><\/span> so he would take a picture with it. Steve Lacy smashed the camera to pieces and left the stage. This year fans insensitively chanted “FEIN”<\/span><\/a> – a trending meme – at Beabadoobee concerts whilst she was trying to perform an emotional song of hers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, these behaviours are not only displayed by teenagers and adolescents, but by some adults too. However, I still believe that the factors mentioned are good reasons for age restrictions at concerts to be increased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

–<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you for reading! This is definitely a controversial opinion, so I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below! Do you think age restrictions are fine as they are, or do you think that they should change? Do you think the behaviour at concerts has worsened since Covid-19?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you found this article interesting or simply enjoyed reading it then please save this website! You can find the rest of my work here<\/a><\/span>, and you can also find me on TikTok, @TunesoftheTyne<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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