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target_meet_arrow t1_j1zbh6o wrote

Reply to comment by uptown_gargoyle in Student dismissal at Central High School, which can be seen in the background. November 13th, 1981. Photo Credit: Temple University Archives. by AxlCobainVedder

This is a somewhat common trait in black people and it has significant consequences when it comes to treatment by the criminal justice system.

https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2014/03/black-boys-older

https://www.npr.org/2014/03/19/291405871/consequences-when-african-american-boys-are-seen-as-older

https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/adults-thinks-black-girls-are-older-than-they-are-and-it-matters/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6481933/

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Ng3me t1_j2038uj wrote

Common trait in white people to see black people as older than they are.

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target_meet_arrow t1_j205mrx wrote

That's also a somewhat accurate way to describe the situation. But I think many people regardless of color might have a tendency to view black kids as older if they were raised in the western world.

Plus black kids tend to enter puberty slightly earlier than their white peers which isn't about perception at all.

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Bubbleteame t1_j1zh8bi wrote

A common trait in black people?? Sounds like a blanket statement and importantly, an excuse for racism and not allowing black kids to be kids.

Also. You should refer to your own articles listed. Black kids are seen older because of racist tropes dating back to slavery. Black people aren’t inherently older looking. In fact it’s quite normal for black people, especially black women, to maintain their youthful imagine/skin well into adulthood.

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Namnagort t1_j1zjz7t wrote

Race aside it seems like old pictures of people always look older.

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target_meet_arrow t1_j1zr8zg wrote

In the past people literally aged faster due to diet, dental care, and UV protection. Fashion plays a role too.

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ssyoit t1_j1zwvh6 wrote

I think having more dated haircuts and clothing also contributes to that older look effect. If you watch 80’s movies you’d think all the daddies are playing high school teenagers.

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Bubbleteame t1_j1zksnw wrote

Yea I definitely agree with that! Especially looking at antique portraits, young people always look older and more hardened.

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ceMmnow t1_j1zjewk wrote

I think you two are on the same page but he worded it poorly. Yes, all the research showing negative outcomes with viewing Black youth as older is out of implicit biases programmed in us in the US thanks to our history and modern day stereotypes, not anything inherent. If we grew up in a society free of said biases and stereotypes, we wouldn't tend to overestimate Black youths' ages.

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target_meet_arrow t1_j1zl1lr wrote

>Sounds like a blanket statement

I said somewhat common. I don't have evidence of this beyond my experience being black and my wife being a highschool teacher in a majority black school. In my estimation it is more common for black kids to look older and this is echoed by the research I have read on the subject.

>importantly, an excuse for racism and not allowing black kids to be kids.

It's a partial explanation. Give people pictures of pubescent black kids and in general they will guess older ages for the black kids than similarly aged white kids. This is part of why black kids are charged as adults more often. IMO the only way to fix this is to have a hard cutoff. UNder 18 and kids can't be charged as adults with no exceptions.

Some of what racism is is built into people. Good people identify and account for those thoughts. Bad people either ignore them or give into them. Human beings are programmed to see patterns (whether or not they are there) and make shortcuts based on them. Think social optical illusions.

>Black people aren’t inherently older looking

Except experimentally it seems that black kids are seen as older by white people. And black kids tend to enter puberty slightly earlier than white kids.

> In fact it’s quite normal for black people, especially black women, to maintain their youthful imagine/skin well into adulthood.

Yes, my mother won't shut the fuck up about how young she looks. That's not the age nor the phenomenon I was referring to.

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Bubbleteame t1_j1zm0y9 wrote

Sir..

I stand behind everything I said in my response. Can we both agree that you could’ve possibly worded your comment wrong?

And I bought up the black people maintaining their youth as an epithet. It’s just something I wanted to state and no it’s not really what we’re talking about but it’s more truth than “it’s common trait for black people look older”…

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target_meet_arrow t1_j1zm7yr wrote

What would you have preferred?

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Bubbleteame t1_j1znt1q wrote

Honestly I don’t know.. but.. do you honestly think Black kids look older because it’s inherent? I know you said it’s ‘somewhat common’ but I’m genuinely curious

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target_meet_arrow t1_j1zpmtz wrote

I think when compared to white kids; which is how white people are generally basing their comparisons due to their life experiences, black kids have a tendency to look older once they enter puberty.

I can't figure out what issue you have with my initial statement unless you were reading it with a negative voice which doesn't make sense to me with the message and links provided. I guess I could have offered more explanation but I felt the provided links did that better than I could. If you think of something please let me know because I honestly don't get your issue.

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FriendlyFire_19 t1_j20zndy wrote

Her issue is that she thought you were white saying that. That’s it.

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