Yes, She's 19: Why Is Millie Bobby Brown Getting Engaged At Young Age A Concern To Everyone?

Stranger Things actor Millie Bobby Brown announced her engagement to longtime boyfriend Jake Boniovi on April 11. The 19-year-old actor shared a picture on Instagram while flaunting her diamond engagement ring. Jake Boniovi is the son of legendary singer Jon Bon Jovi. For the unversed Millie Brown portrayed Eleven in Stranger Things.

Now many netizens are trending the #sheis19 hashtag on Twitter. Yet again, we have the woman in the picture because she’s a woman, and the man is just let off the hook. If the problem is really their age, which, by the way, is not illegal, shouldn’t people be trending both #Sheis19 and #Heis20? Why are people obsessed over Millie Brown getting engaged at 19, but seem to have forgotten that her fiancé is also just 20? Biased much?

Millie Bobby Brown engagement

Millie Brown has literally grown up in the eyes of the public like many other actors, such as Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, etc. The issue is that when a celebrity comes into the limelight at a very young age, the audience takes the liberty to comment on their personal lives. Not that grown-up celebrities are exempted from public scrutiny and commentary. But celebrities who have literally grown up in the public eye are subjected to relatively more flak from the public.

It's like people commenting on everything that a neighbourhood kid does just because they have seen that kid grow up right in front of their eyes. But does that mean everyone is entitled to comment on the celebrity’s personal life? Millie Brown is 19 years old, but she is an adult. Isn’t what she does with her life a personal choice? How is the public entitled to question her agency over her life? What about personal boundaries?

The notion that people mature with age isn’t entirely true. In typical middle-class families, the first-born child or someone who lost their parent at an early age is relatively more mature because they are put in a position to take responsibility for the family. So, obviously, they tend to mature earlier than others of their age.

In the case of celebrities who started their careers in childhood, they tend to mature relatively sooner than other people of their age, for obvious reasons. A regular 11-year-old might not always be in the limelight every time she steps out, and she can just be herself. However, when an 11-year-old child is a celebrity, she is taught to handle herself in certain ways because she is constantly under the public radar.

So, Millie Brown might be 19 years old, but given that she’s been a star since childhood, she would be mature enough to know what she’s doing. Even if she doesn’t, it is really none of anyone’s business to comment on her decision to get engaged at 19.

The #sheis19 jokes make it clear that people are more focused on conveying their dissatisfaction with life. "#sheis19 and engaged, and I’m 21 and crying because my assignment was due on Monday," tweets one user. "sheis19 and engaged, and I’m 24 and asking my mom’s permission to go out," wrote another.

When are we going to realise that everyone’s journey is different and we all grow and evolve at our own pace? We can’t compare the first chapter of our book to the 19^th chapter of someone else's book! Just because we are not where we wish to be right now doesn’t mean we are never going to get there! Like Judge Judy said, "If you didn’t make it in your 20s, you can make it in your 30s; if you didn’t make it in your 30s, you can make it in your 40s; and if you didn’t make it in your 40s, you can make it in your 50s."

People need to grow above their insecurities and let other people live their lives. Being envious or insecure isn’t going to take us anywhere. If anything, it is only going to hinder our progress. So, can we all accept that Millie Brown is doing well professionally, is financially independent, and is an adult capable of taking life decisions on her own? Instead of using our creativity to come up with our own version of "#sheis19 and I am...," can we use that creativity to make headway in our lives?

Suggested Reading: Is Millie Bobby Brown Engaged? Stranger Things Star Shows Off Diamond Ring