I feel that we lower the quality of the RP somewhat when we don't have
any realistic expectations for RPing our characters at their appropriate age. That being said, variety is the spice of life. So it's fine to have your character be more timid or shy or immature than others his age. I still laugh at the word 'poop' and I'm an adult. I'll admit it. I'm not complaining there. But as a person with eyeballs, I really
would love to see 13-year-olds and up being used as character models. Not the children. Please. Think of the children. The internet is a scary place. Don't spread a child actor's face all across it.
And...... as for this..........
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Anna Banana 
Can I just say that I love this thread? It's actually a topic I've debated on starting myself. I, too, am a teacher. I teach 10 and 11 year olds, which is basically first years and about-to-be first years. They turn 12 toward the end of the school year.
In my opinion, first years are often times mis-portrayed here on SS. Here are a few things I can realistically tell you about 11-year-olds based on my experience. Again, this is based on my experience, so I do understand that others may have had very different experiences.
1. First years are not first graders. They're the equivalent of fifth and sixth graders (based on US groupings).
2. They don't look like really little kids. I see a lot of first years on SS portrayed by really young charrie models. 11-year-olds are almost teenagers and look more like them than they do really little kids.
3. Along the same lines, they don't act like little kids. They don't say "Mommy" and "Yippy" and things like that. They're the age when they start to get self-conscious about those things and want to "act cool."
4. They have boyfriends and girlfriends. Well, a good many do. I think it's a tough age where some don't and some are starting to. They do start having crushes and "asking each other out" (in their words, lol). We have school dances, and they do have dates for them. Other 11-year-olds, that is.
5. They don't still carry around stuffed animals and dolls.
Those are just a few things that I think can sometimes be unrealistically portrayed. Sometimes, because 11 is also a borderline age, and each kid has his or her own personality.
I think Felix basically hit the nail on the head. You have some who are still closer to how they acted as a little kid and some trying to grow up a little more.
This is the point I think Alisha/Bazinga is trying to make. Thank YOU, Anna! This list has to be helpful to someone out there. It's even helpful to me! Granted, I was one of those eleven-year-olds who was annoyed by how immature boys were, and no I would NOT go to the dance with one, thank you very much.
I'm not advocating that we should all play our characters the same way, but I do believe that we shouldn't have them acting like....... four-year-olds. I mean, if I see a middle or high schooler carrying around a stuffed animal or calling his mother "Mommy" ... I'm going to say something. Both IC and OOC. I've had to confiscate some really dumb items from some high schoolers in real life, so... yeah, Bunz would do the same to her Hogwartians.
That's my piece, yo.