October is that time of year when leaves are changing color, horror movie marathons are starting and rich neighbors are stocking up on king-sized candy bars. Every year, many teenagers are left wondering if it is still appropriate to be trick-or-treating.
While some voice concern that teenagers might be too “mature” for the holiday tradition, others recognize that the classic activity doesn’t threaten the safety of anyone’s Halloween.
There is a lot of pressure on adolescents to start growing up and distancing themselves from what may be considered “childish” activities. However, for many high school students trying to balance their stressful lives, returning to the simple innocence of a childhood tradition could be exactly what they need.
Senior Larissa Thomson of Middletown Township is a supporter of teenage trick-or-treaters.
“It’s always fun seeing teenagers go out and have fun with their friends, or even college kids reminiscing on when they were kids,” said Thomson. “Even when parents go out with their kids, I think it’s really cute.”
Additionally, as their children get older, parents may be concerned with what they are doing unattended on days like Halloween. When imagining their children going out, many parents picture reckless parties and underage drinking. Going door-to-door for some candy is, therefore, a more than welcome alternative. Considering that 44% of Halloween-related accidents are caused by a drunk driver, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, parents may often encourage non-threatening alternatives to celebrate the holiday.
In a few cases, cities have placed a ban on trick-or-treating past a certain age. For instance, Belleville, Illinois put an age limit of 12-years-old on the activity, and Chesapeake, Virginia’s cutoff is 14.
Besides the odd exceptions, the decision ultimately comes down to individual families, as select teens, like Freshman Ryan Schiavo of Oceanport, don’t see much value in the holiday as they get older.
“It’s kind of unneeded. If you can drive, what’s the point of going door-to-door begging for candy when you can just go wherever you want anyway?” Schiavo said.
Most teens will naturally end their personal tradition when they start feeling “too old.” While parents can assume that teenagers may scare off younger trick-or-treaters, there isn’t any real evidence to back up this fear.
The average teen, like senior Ryann McArthur of Farmingdale, views the activity as a light-hearted break from their stressful, almost-adult lives.
“I don’t think there’s an age limit,” said McArthur.
It’s time society takes the pressure off of teenagers to say goodbye to their sense of innocence, and let them hold onto this harmless childhood activity a little while longer.
