In some ways, modern rock concerts are far safer than they once were. This is mainly thanks to increased security efforts, as well as the personal communications technology that allows parents to stay connected to their concert-going teens. However, these group gatherings still feature many of the same safety concerns as they did when you were a young’un attending your first rock show.
So if you’re worried about sending your teens to such an event unprepared, here are a few safety tips that you’ll no doubt want to impose.
- Take a phone. In this day and age there’s no reason for teens to go without a mobile form of communication. When you were a kid your parents may have been hesitant to allow you to go to a concert simply because there would be no way to reach you. But nowadays teens can take their cell phones in order to update you with text messages, call for rides, and even access emergency services if necessary. This should help to provide for greater safety and put your mind at ease.
- Go as a group. This is one of the most important stipulations you can make when allowing your teen to attend a rock concert. Since most teens probably don’t want their parents to tag along as chaperones, making it a mandatory group function is likely to be a preferable alternative. In addition to the old adage that there’s safety in numbers, this can help you to get in touch with your teen. While he or she can ignore your calls, friends might not be quite as willing to send you to voicemail when you call for an update, especially if you have numbers for their parents.
- Avoid the pit. Not every concert has a dance pit, but many have open areas in front of the stage without seating, which amounts to the same thing. Since all kinds of mayhem can break out in this area, it’s wise to ensure that your teen’s tickets are in the seated area. They’re much less likely to get trampled, assaulted, molested, or covered in beer this way.
- Bring earplugs. Okay, so your teen is not very likely to use earplugs, even if you provide them. Very few teens are worried about the possibility of hearing loss since they think they’re invincible. It’s more likely that they’ll come home yelling and asking you to repeat yourself at greater volume because they’ve been blasted with 115 decibels (just a few less than the onset of actual pain). But give them the earplugs anyway. They might end up wanting them partway through the concert, or maybe they’ll behave more responsibly than expected and put them in when they arrive.
- Stay sober. It’s a fairly well-known secret that drug use is rampant at concerts, from the Staples center in Los Angeles to the United center in Chicago to Madison Square Garden in New York City. And while you certainly don’t want to believe that your kids are mixed up in this kind of activity, it’s important that you talk to them about the dangers of taking anything from strangers, including open drinks, homemade baked goods, and of course, drugs. It’s not only illegal, potentially resulting in jail time if they’re caught, but it could also be extremely harmful to their health if they have a bad reaction or worse, get some bad product. And they might ingest drugs without their knowledge if they accept food or drinks. So you should definitely caution them before they leave for the concert.
Recent Comments