Retail Price: $24.95 LS Price: $16.95 You Save: $8.00 (32%) Availability: Usually ships within 24 hours Format: Hardcover, 272pp. ISBN: 9781118258064 Publisher: Jossey-Bass Pub. Date: June 19, 2012 Average Customer Review:

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Today's Generation iY (teens brought up with the Internet) and Homelanders (children born after 9/11) are overexposed to information at an earlier age than ever and, paradoxically, are underexposed to meaningful relationships and real-life experiences. This overexposure/underexposure produces artificial maturity. For many of our young people, the speed at which data reaches them has slowed down their actual maturity.

Artificial Maturity gives parents, teachers, and others who work with youth a manual for understanding and practicing the leadership that kids so desperately need to mature in a healthy fashion, including practical steps adults can take to furnish the experiences kids need to balance their consumption of information with true development. These steps are centered on four keys for transforming artificial maturity into authentic maturity:

• Provide autonomy and responsibility simultaneously
• Provide information and accountability simultaneously
• Provide experiences to accompany teens' technology-savvy lifestyles
• Provide community-service opportu-nities to balance self-service time

Also featured are helpful ideas, projects, and traditions gleaned from parents, teachers, and others who affect children's lives, which enable the kids under their care to mature and become healthy adults.

"Artificial Maturity is a 'must-read' for leaders in business, government, education, and community service. The insights from Dr. Elmore are vital for family life as well. This book has challenged me to change how I lead, teach, and parent the iY Generation . . . and to make those changes immediately!"

—Tim Tassopoulos, senior vice president of operations, Chick-Fil-A

"Without question, this is the right book, tackling the right subject, written by the right person, and delivered at the right time. Tim has proven through his previous writing, speaking, and teaching that he understands today's generation of young people and has high hopes for their future. As a university student affairs administrator, I had whiplash as I read this book—from nodding my head in painful recognition and passionate agreement. Anyone who cares about the future of this generation and the generation following them should read this book."

—Mary Gerardy, dean, Wake Forest University

"Artificial Maturity is a perfect example of putting meaningful thoughts into action. Dr. Tim Elmore sets out to explain the bumpy road that faces today's youth and then provides us with authentic solutions on how to assist them in maneuvering down the road of life. It is a powerful exploration of the mind of today's youth and the outside forces that influence their daily decision making and maturity."

—Kevin Roberts, executive director, Lanier Law Firm

"The need to provide strong leadership for our children has never been greater. This groundbreaking book lays out a diagnosis and a prescription for what caring adults can do to help our children grow into healthy, happy adults. I highly recommend it to parents, teachers, coaches, and youth workers everywhere."

—Jo Kirchner, president and CEO, Primrose Schools

Dr. Tim Elmore is the founder and president of Growing Leaders. Through Growing Leaders, Elmore and his team teach middle school, high school, and college students the skills they need to become authentic leaders. He has shared his insights in more than thirty countries and has written more than twenty-five books, including Habitudes: Images That Form Leadership Habits and Attitudes and Generation iY: Our Last Chance to Save Their Future. Discover more at GrowingLeaders.com

	Before You Read Anything Else . . .	v
1	What Is Artificial Maturity?	1
2	We Didn’t See It Coming	15
3	Who Is Generation iY?	33
4	A Balancing Act	49
5	The Problem of Atrophy	65
6	The Problem with Talent	83
7	The Pull to Be a Karaoke Parent or Teacher	97
8	Turning Artificial Maturity into Authentic Maturity	116
9	The Future of Parenting and Education	132
10	What Will Kids Look Like in the Future?	152
11	Correcting and Connecting	166
12	Becoming a Soul Provider	186
13	The Big Picture	205
14	Passing the Baton	219
	Notes	233
	Acknowledgments	243
	About the Author	245
	About Growing Leaders	247
	Index	249

Generation iY: Our Last Chance to Save Their Future