Teenagers who love to shop at The Streets at Southpoint Mall won’t be able to roam around like they once could.
Southpoint officials have created a new rule called the Parental Guidance Required (PGR) Program. The new program makes it so that anyone under 18 cannot be in the mall without an adult, who has to be at least 21, on Fridays and Saturdays after 3:00 p.m. One adult is allowed to supervise up to four minors.
The PGR Program went into effect on February 26. Officials said the rule was created because unsupervised children were causing multiple disturbances on the weekends.
“The PGR Program will be an added safety measure that the entire community will appreciate,” General Manager of the Streets of Southpoint Patrick Anderson said. “Providing a safe, peaceful environment for guests and tenants is our highest priority, and the PGR program will help us achieve this.”
Many teenagers, though, are upset about the new regulations.
“I feel like [the age] should be lowered to at least 13 not 18,” junior Kaili Monrose said. “Most people under 18 are responsible. I know that a lot of people would rather hang out with their friends without an adult and would still be responsible and safe.”
Junior Reese Vore said she wouldn’t be willing to walk around the mall with a chaperone and believes that responsible teenagers are being unfairly punished.
“You usually go to the mall to be with your friends and do things with your friends, and an adult would kind of take away from that,” Vore said.
Not all teenagers, though, mind the idea of hanging out with their parents.
“I would be fine going to the mall with my parents because I know my parents and my friends’ parents would give us space, but I understand that this may not be the case for others,” sophomore Olivia Roberts said.
Isaiah King, a security guard at the Streets of Southpoint, said the new program has not hurt business at the mall.
“I don’t think it has even bothered business for two reasons: one, most of the underage kids do not have money to spend because most parents believe [teenagers] are there to go to the movies with their friends,” King said. “Also, I believe [PGR] actually encourages more people and kids to come throughout the week with their friends or family and have an engaging, better and more interactive shopping experience, which benefits business.”
Although businesses may benefit from PGR, quite a few teenagers dislike the idea of having to be supervised on weekends.
“The mall doesn’t sound as fun as it used to because now you have to find an adult to go with you,” Vore said.
