Ageism, prejudice against children, childism. Children are socially repressed, how do we work for their liberation? And what does it mean to "grow up"?
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Chapters:
00:00 Grow Up
0:17:14 Why is it ok to hate children?
0:23:18 Childism
0:44:09 Children in Politics
01:06:14 Everything is Connected
01:13:26 Education
01:30:19 Part Seven
01:34:04 Conclusion
Summary:
This video essay explores how “Grow Up” is used to dismiss criticism and moral outrage, especially around issues like sexual assault. The phrase serves as a political tool to belittle those challenging power by framing them as naive or immature. It argues society openly devalues and excludes children, especially those who are racialized or marginalized, using age as a tool for control. It highlights how this bias justifies discrimination, surveillance, and even violence against young people in public spaces. Introduces childism as a philosophy that challenges adult-centered norms, advocating for children’s full inclusion, respect, and agency in society. Society’s devaluation of children is not natural, but ideological—rooted in systems that prioritize economic productivity and adult-centric norms. Children not as lesser adults but as full people whose unique perspectives, interdependence, and difference should help shape a more just and inclusive world.