A popular spot to hang out, the Columbia Mall, has recently placed limits on the teens who usually spend their weekends there. Catching up with friends, shopping or just hanging out, the mall is a hive for teenagers and adults alike to wind down and have some fun. However, starting March 31, 2023 anyone under the age of 18 is not allowed in the mall after 4 pm on Fridays and Saturdays unless an adult over the age of 21 is present for the duration of that time.
After disturbances from a group of teenagers without adult supervision, mall staff felt that to make the area more family-friendly and to ensure teens would be less likely to cause any further problems, these new rules needed to be implemented.
However, some students have felt unrest and anger over the new policy. In addition to the initial outrage, it has dawned on some that it will now be more difficult to find a fun place to hang out with peers during weekends.
During the week, teens are not only students but also athletes, workers and even babysitters for younger siblings, making it difficult to find free time. Although this continues to be true for some over the weekends, most Fridays and Saturdays provide students with time to go out and have fun with friends or relax and take a break.
“ [These rules are] unreasonable…and even 16-year-olds are responsible enough to be by themselves,” junior Isa Musters said.
Many teenagers can drive and even hold jobs which requires a certain level of maturity and responsibility that carries over into everyday life.
“[It’s not] fair to say ‘oh because the minority of students are causing problems all students can no longer go or have to have these restrictions,” junior Samantha Sirianni-Chaitram said.
And although many feel it is unfair that one person can ruin things for the whole group, some teens do not seem to feel as though the new rules pose much of a threat to their frequently enjoyed activities.
“Part of me doesn’t feel like it has that big of an impact on me because it’s like I don’t really go to the mall unless it’s with my friends, but also I haven’t gone since middle school,” junior Noelle Harris said.
The Mall in Columbia, although still popular for some students, appears to have become old fashioned for others. This idea, however, that malls have become less and less popular, is not all that rare. A trend throughout the nation has seen shopping malls lose the interest of customers as online shopping becomes increasingly popular for the convenience that people find in online markets.
However, students still enjoy the in-person shopping experience, but are not able to find time to go to the mall and spend the money that malls want to earn if the weekend is not available to them.
“It doesn’t make sense because, for the mall, students are [a] huge [part of] their finances. We’re the ones who consume a majority of their products,” Sirianni-Chaitram said.
In light of these recent changes, many students will miss their former favorite weekend hangout, and questions remain of how this policy will be implemented and if the restrictions will last.