What is a teenager?

1. “To Teach Me Is To Know Me”
ALONE SEX MUSIC SUICIDE PREGNANCY
HEALTH BLACK POPULAR SPORTS BOYS
FOOD GOTHIC JEWISH FASHION EMO
MAGS STRESS GIRLS ADDICTIONS BFF’S
JUDGED MONEY LOVE PARENTS THE TEEN

3. Teens often find themselves feeling
alone or abandoned. They can feel
stupid, “lame”, or even hopeless.

5. Teens often find themselves feeling
that they are too fat. Eating disorders,
like anorexia or “Annie's” is way too
common.

7. Teens are more passionate about food
than school, hard work, love, and even
friends… Okay, not really, but they
sure can eat!

9. It turns out that teen women are more
likely to read magazines like 17, Teen
People, and Teen Vogue. The boys?
They have not learned to read yet…
(Okay, kidding again, how about some
Low Rider, Source, and Sports
Illustrated?!

11. Judging one another is second nature to
all ages, but for teens, it is the
measuring stick that nearly all other
peers use. The more a teen is judged
negatively the more his or her peers
will see that person in a negative light.
And vise versa for the positive
judgments.

13. Sex. Enough said? Okay, fine… Teen
sex is so common. Teen boys who have
not had sex, are “not cool” and teen
girls who have had sex are “whores”. It
is a dangerous spot to be in. But more
and more teen girls are encouraging
their friends to have sex. If not
intercourse, then at least “oral” which
after all is not sex at all, right? I think
not…

15. Being of African descent is one of the
most difficult trials for a teenage boy or
girl to deal with. There are so many
racists, and stereotype’rs that being of
any ethnic decent can be a huge layer
of stress for teens.

17. Being a “goth” or “gothic” does not
mean that a teen is a devil worshiper…
Who knew?  The bottom line here is
that most of the teens who choose to
dress in an extreme way are often
expressing what it is to be a teen;
confusing, frustrating, need to fit in
with anyone, sucky!

19. Stress and pressure can come from any
angle for a teenager. Parents want teens
to get straight A’s. Peers are trying
drugs, having sex, and making bad
choices. As school work and choices
mount, teens can often feel extreme
levels of stress.

21. Money is a barrier between social
classes in teen groups. There is usually
the extremely wealthy, the extremely
poor, and then the rest of us! Moving
from one social class to another is
almost impossible.

23. Music has always been a part of life. It
is a great stress releiver. It is also a
huge distraction! Students often
“cocoon” themselves in their iPods and
nod in and out of reality while listening
to music. It can be a problem at home,
school, and in all aspects of life.

25. Popularity: you got it, or you DON’T!
Well, a new car could fix that. Being
popular seems like the life line to
reality for many teens. The need to not
feel alone is so powerful that it is often
associated with popularity; i.e. the
more popular you are, the more you are
expected, and therefore not alone.

27. Jewish students do not usually get
ostracized too much. Mostly because
the Jewish religion is not highly
outspoken. Often times Jewish teens
will have many friends and
acquaintances who do not even know
that the teen is Jewish.

29. Aw yes, the teen girl. This is a tough
life indeed. Teen girls are expected to
be modest by their parents, and fit in
with the current fashion by peers. They
are expected to have sex by their
boyfriends, and to stay chase by
everyone else. They are to stay thin,
but not have an eating disorder. Oh,
and don’t forget to get good grades to
that they can get into a great college.
I’ll pass on being a teenage girl!

31. There is no love next to teen love.
Teenagers love like it is life or death.
And sadly sometimes even go crazy
enough over love to take life, stalk one
another, and go into psychological fits.
It has to be the hormones!

33. There is nothing good to say about teen
suicide. It happens way too much, and
for the worst possible reasons. All one
can hope for is a child who is level
headed enough to ask for help. Rest in
peace beloved little ones.

35. Let’s be honest, high school sports are
where it is at! Cheerleaders,
quarterbacks, basketball captains, and
thousands of peers to watch! This is a
great venue to rack up some popularity
points indeed!

37. Fashion changes so often that many
teens find themselves coming back to
outfits that were cool freshman year,
out sophomore and junior, and are now
miraculously back in style again!
Never the less, fashion is always a
point of discussion, and contention
amongst teens.

39. Teens deal with many types of
addiction. In most cases the addictions
that teens deal with are identical to the
addictions that adults deal with (even
their parents sometimes!) Drugs and
alcohol, pornography, texting, video
games, and many others.

41. I hear that it is a parental requirement
to have a teenage child yell at you and
tell you that they hate you and that you
are the worst (mom/dad) ever! My 7
year old has already made it… Oh boy
is 13 going to suck!

43. The more common teen sex becomes,
the more often teens are getting
pregnant. This is not good. Often the
teens are not capable of taking proper
care of the child. Abortions are on the
rise, and so is teen drop out rates.
There are hundreds of teens having
babies everyday.

45. Teen boys? Run for the hills! They
want food, sex, and something to do
(because they are SOOOOO
BOOOORED). Teen boys are
aggressive, foolish, and passionate
about everything they do.

47. The expression Emo is often thought of
as a bad thing. Some Emo teens have
been known to be very depressed. They
have been labeled “cutters” and misfits.
But the reality is, they are very similar
to the gothic's; most of the teens who
choose to dress in an extreme way are
often expressing what it is to be a teen;
confusion, frustration, and a need to fit
in.

49. BFF’s? Best Friends Forever of
course! They are also being
referred to as “besties” now as
well. Having or being a BFF is a
special type of friendship that
means two people are more than
just friends and nothing will break
them apart… Except for a boy or
girl, parents, classes, another BFF,
food, sex, drugs, money, etc.

51. After finishing this assignment, I was actually
depressed! Being a teenager is really tough. I felt that
there was more pain and suicide than there was
happiness and hope for a better life. It really sent me
down memory lane. As an educator, I will always
remember this assignment. It has changed my
perspective, and I guess that is what it was meant to
do. I also do not look forward to having my 7 year old
daughter reach the teenage years. Wish me luck!