--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: How are children supposed to learn to act…" description: "\"How are children supposed to learn to act like adults, when so much of what they see on television shows adults acting like children?\" — Thomas Sowell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ed/thomas-sowell-247_acting_how-are-children-supposed-to-learn-to-ac_1222831.jpg" --- # How are children supposed to learn to act like adults… ![“How are children supposed to learn to act like adults, when so much of what they see on television shows adults acting like children?” quote by Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ed/thomas-sowell-247_acting_how-are-children-supposed-to-learn-to-ac_1222831.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ed/thomas-sowell-247_acting_how-are-children-supposed-to-learn-to-ac_1222831.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ed/thomas-sowell-247_acting_how-are-children-supposed-to-learn-to-ac_1222831.jpg) > “How are children supposed to learn to act like adults, when so much of what they see on television shows adults acting like children?” [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Children emulate adult behavior seen on TV, highlighting media’s role in shaping maturity. **In simple terms:** Kids copy adult actions shown on TV. Key Takeaway Promote responsible media role. Themes media influence child development role models culture Mood concerned optimistic Type philosophical social When to use this quote - parental guidance - educational programming - media regulation - family discussions Key Concepts social learning theory media literacy Questions to Reflect On - How can we ensure TV shows model mature behavior? - What responsibilities do creators have? A Different Perspective Media may also provide positive role models. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Acting Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting-like/) [Adults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adults/) [Adults Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adults-acting-263072/) [Adults Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adults-television-3751220/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Libertarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/libertarian/) [Like Adults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-adults/) [Shows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shows/) [Shows Adults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shows-adults-3751219/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) [Television shows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television-shows/) ## Related quotes > [Adults acting like children and children acting like adults is generally a pretty reliable comic device.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-macfarlane/adults-acting-like-children-and-children-acting-like-adults-is/) [Seth MacFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-macfarlane/) > [“Sometimes you just have to let crap slide when it comes to adults acting like kids, because that can be a beautiful thing. True?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/sometimes-you-just-have-to-let-crap-slide-when-it-comes-to-adults/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [If you're going to take care of your kids and pay for your house and do something good for adults, you have to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bob-thornton/if-you-re-going-to-take-care-of-your-kids-and-pay-for-your-house-and/) [Billy Bob Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bob-thornton/) > [If you want to be treated like adults then start acting like them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cera/if-you-want-to-be-treated-like-adults-then-start-acting-like-them/) [Michael Cera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cera/) > [A babysitter is a teenager acting like an adult while the adults are out acting like teenagers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-babysitter-is-a-teenager-acting-like-an-adult-while-the-adults-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A baby-sitter is a teenager acting like an adult while the adults are out acting like teenagers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-baby-sitter-is-a-teenager-acting-like-an-adult-while-the-adults-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [TEENAGER the most misunderstood people on earth, treated like children but expected to act like adults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/teenager-the-most-misunderstood-people-on-earth-treated-like-children/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We don't grow up. We just learn how to act like adults.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew/we-don-t-grow-up-we-just-learn-how-to-act-like-adults/) [Andrew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew/) > [Teenagers are the most misunderstood people on earth. 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They treated us like adults from a very young age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-hanson/my-parents-were-never-condescending-to-us-they-treated-us-like-adults/) [Isaac Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-hanson/) > [O, to be sure, we laugh less and play less and wear uncomfortable disguises like adults, but beneath the costume is the child we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-rosten/o-to-be-sure-we-laugh-less-and-play-less-and-wear-uncomfortable/) [Leo Rosten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-rosten/) > [When adults behave like Children and children like adults, life becomes chaotic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/when-adults-behave-like-children-and-children-like-adults-life/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Teenagers: The most misunderstood people on earth. Treated like children and expected to act like adults.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/teenagers-the-most-misunderstood-people-on-earth-treated-like/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Thomas Sowell > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [There is no bigger waste of time than doing 90% of what is necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/there-is-no-bigger-waste-of-time-than-doing-90-of-what-is-necessary/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [If you have always believed that everyone should play by the same rules and be judged by the same standards, that would have gotten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/if-you-have-always-believed-that-everyone-should-play-by-the-same/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“In 1962, Democratic President John F. Kennedy, like both Democratic and Republican Presidents and Secretaries of the Treasury in earlier years, pointed out that “it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/in-1962-democratic-president-john-f-kennedy-like-both-democratic-and/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Ideological bigotry has become the norm on even our most prestigious campuses, where students can go for years without reading or hearing anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/ideological-bigotry-has-become-the-norm-on-even-our-most-prestigious/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Bailing out people who made ill-advised mortgages makes no more sense that bailing out people who lost their life savings in Las Vegas casinos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/bailing-out-people-who-made-ill-advised-mortgages-makes-no-more-sense/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“One third of all Scots in the mid-nineteenth century moved from one county to another”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/one-third-of-all-scots-in-the-mid-nineteenth-century-moved-from-one/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [The difference is that we have the hardest and most painful evidence that there was a Holocaust. But, for the global warming scenario that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-difference-is-that-we-have-the-hardest-and-most-painful-evidence/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“Just as price fluctuations allocate scarce resources which have alternative uses, price controls which limit those fluctuations reduce the incentives for individuals to limit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/just-as-price-fluctuations-allocate-scarce-resources-which-have/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [The greatest danger to the liberal vision are facts about the consequences of liberalism itself and the laws, policies, and ways of life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-greatest-danger-to-the-liberal-vision-are-facts-about-the/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Having spent years ruining the housing markets with their interference, leading to a housing meltdown that has taken the whole economy down with it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/having-spent-years-ruining-the-housing-markets-with-their/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Do all children have some inherent right to live in America if they have done nothing wrong? If not, then why should the children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/do-all-children-have-some-inherent-right-to-live-in-america-if-they/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [What 'eminent domain' laws mean in practice is that politicians have a right to seize your property and turn it over to someone else,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/what-eminent-domain-laws-mean-in-practice-is-that-politicians-have-a/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“those parts of the British Isles without the advantage of coal deposits or ports, industrialization was as handicapped as in other countries.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/those-parts-of-the-british-isles-without-the-advantage-of-coal/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [The whole idea of equal justice under law is completely incompatible with the idea of judges deciding cases according to "empathy".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-whole-idea-of-equal-justice-under-law-is-completely-incompatible/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) [Explore all 823 Thomas Sowell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) ## More Acting quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [Acting is a grind, just like music is a grind. Sometimes it takes longer than what you can give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/acting-is-a-grind-just-like-music-is-a-grind-sometimes-it-takes/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [It was only when I started making short films in college and I was looking for girls to play the me-ish parts that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/it-was-only-when-i-started-making-short-films-in-college-and-i-was/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [Writing is something I took up rather than anything I had an inclination toward. I like acting -delivering someone else's message - but writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/writing-is-something-i-took-up-rather-than-anything-i-had-an/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/) [Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/) > [Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/actors-don-t-hate-acting-most-people-don-t-hate-acting-whether-you-re/) [Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/) > [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [Once I committed to acting, this has been it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-hudson/once-i-committed-to-acting-this-has-been-it/) [Ernie Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-hudson/) > [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/) [Ryan Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-newman/) > [The show was number one in the ratings, Gordon Russell was our head writer, the story lines were magnificent and the acting most exciting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-storm/the-show-was-number-one-in-the-ratings-gordon-russell-was-our-head/) [Michael Storm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-storm/) > [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [I do not believe in public shaming. 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