Teenagers

toshiko sato:

watch the profanity, please.

I think the typical "it's hard being a teen" thing is overrated. Sure, it's hard, you're starting to have your own opinions and you conflict with people.

But why would anyone think that changes as you hit the age at which you are considered to be adult? It doesn't change anything. All your life there will be people who disagree with you. I personally think it'll get harder as you become an adult because you can't just storm off or have a fit of rage, you have to grit your teeth and deal with it. You can't cry into your pillow over every little thing.

So yes, I think being a teenager is easier than it's cracked up to be.

i agree that all the hard stuff doesnt stop once you get to a certain age, but i still think its harder to deal with when your a teenager. between the ages of 13-18, your mind is still developing and most situations are new to you and you dont really know how to handle them the right way but once your older and this stuff happens, it does get easier because you know how to handle it because your mature and you've learnt from the mistakes you made when you were younger. if that makes any sense.

not necessarily.

It's not true that you'd know how to handle it, loads of adults feel just as lost as any teen when it comes to problems. Maturity doesn't mean they know how to solve problems, they could be just as, if not more, troubled by those problems.

I personally think high school is the most stupid idea in the world.

What idiot thought of putting hundreds of highly emotional, developing teenagers together in the same building five days a week?!

erm? Maybe the genius who decided education should be readily available and free to all. Think yourself lucky, many children in developing countries would die to have the educational opportunities western youngsters have.
I just think a lot of posters on this thread will feel very differently about things when they grow up and realise that life doesn't get any easier, in fact for many it gets harder.

MilitaryFairy:

I personally think high school is the most stupid idea in the world.

What idiot thought of putting hundreds of highly emotional, developing teenagers together in the same building five days a week?!

the very generous person who thought they'd give free education to help build a better, cleverer world.

MilitaryFairy:

I personally think high school is the most stupid idea in the world.

What idiot thought of putting hundreds of highly emotional, developing teenagers together in the same building five days a week?!

the very generous person who thought they'd give free education to help build a better, cleverer world.

MilitaryFairy:

I personally think high school is the most stupid idea in the world.

What idiot thought of putting hundreds of highly emotional, developing teenagers together in the same building five days a week?!

And I personally think that setting a bunch of highly emotional, developing teenagers out into the real world without any education or preparation for it is the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard.

Where would you go if not for school? Where would we find the next generation of doctors, lawyers, social workers, etc? A good education is the best thing you can do for yourself. Without it you wouldn't be able to do anything you want to do.

tabitha:

MilitaryFairy:

I personally think high school is the most stupid idea in the world.

What idiot thought of putting hundreds of highly emotional, developing teenagers together in the same building five days a week?!

And I personally think that setting a bunch of highly emotional, developing teenagers out into the real world without any education or preparation for it is the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard.

Where would you go if not for school? Where would we find the next generation of doctors, lawyers, social workers, etc? A good education is the best thing you can do for yourself. Without it you wouldn't be able to do anything you want to do.

Highschool really is tough. But yeah...it's not the hardest thing to go through in your teen life. It prepares you for what's ahead in your future. Although I wouldn't mind ditching for a few days so I don't have to be ridiculed DAILY!
But overall highshool does help. Socially yes, but emotionally no.

I believe life just gets harder and harder, because you start to know more and more. When you're young... life doesn't seem that hard, everything's quite simple, but when you grow up you start realising things you didn't when you were younger so then thats a sign that you mind keeps on expanding.

Maybe being a teen does seem hard cuz you're going through a biological and emotional change which would not happen in any other age group.

Kaede:

Maybe being a teen does seem hard cuz you're going through a biological and emotional change which would not happen in any other age group.

You still have emotional changes as you grow up. Thankfully i'm not old enough to go through it yet, but for women the menopause is as tough or maybe even tougher than anything you experience as a teen. Hormones don't suddenly disappear once you get past your teens.

Tallulah; Schechter:

erm? Maybe the genius who decided education should be readily available and free to all. Think yourself lucky, many children in developing countries would die to have the educational opportunities western youngsters have.
I just think a lot of posters on this thread will feel very differently about things when they grow up and realise that life doesn't get any easier, in fact for many it gets harder.

Ireland, it was considered the crap hole of Europe, then some new leader came in (sorry I don't remember the name, my dad told me this awhile ago) and inforced education, and it made this amazing turn for the best.

I know so many kids that sit there and complain about going to school. I live in a really crappy part of town and the high school I was suppose to go to is considered this awful school, alot of drugs, gangs and just bad stuff. SO I transferred to a nicer high school so I could be in an art school. I work my arse off in school, and in all honesty, I consider mself really lucky.

What disturbs me is how many people are dropping out of high school. Its considered a new epidemic. It might seem ok when your a teenager, but what are they gonna do when they are older?

I know so many people who complain about being a teenager, but in all honesty, most of the "drama" and awfullness is just made up little conflicts, its actually not that hard if you don't let it be, a very good friend taught me that.

Now life does happen so bad things occur, but that happens regardless your age

We are comparing the two, therefore it is completely relevant.

Not to mention, those of us who are adults are trying to point out that while being a teenager is difficult, there isn't some magic day where you pass into adulthood and all your problems go away.

We don't need another thread about how hard it is to be an adult; we have our own sub-forum where we reach out to one another and support each other through the tough times, just as you guys do in the INO chamber and the various threads that we stay out of because they are yours and we respect that.

Nothing in life is easy, and I think that's what we are trying to impart to you guys here. Yes, being a teenager is hard, and yes it sucks to have to go to high school and deal with all of the shit there, you have your own relationship problems, financial problems, family problems, and so on. But that's LIFE. That's everywhere you go, whether you are 16 or 60. The fact of the matter is that it is how you choose to respond to your problems that is the true life test.

We are simply trying to help you understand that in the grand scheme of things, some of what you consider to be life or death matters can be solved with a little guidance, and that it's okay to be scared, overwhelmed, or unsure about things, because that is what prepares you for real life.

I could start a thread about how hard it is to be an adult, or I can come in here and try to be a sounding board, set examples, or just listen and empathize, because I care about the people here and I want to see them succeed and grow -- and part of that is to give real-life examples and try to guide others into making the best possible choices.

Comparing teenage years to adult ones is, as Jenny points out, completely relevant because we do it out of a desire to guide and help.

I know most people don't have it as good as me but at my school there aren't really the cliques. people do have their small groups of friends but I can talk to whoever I want and feel totally comfortable. but then again I do go to a small private school with less than 60 people in my grade hence the fact everyone doesnt have it like me. but its still hard for me. I mean the pressures and caddiness of the girls at my school [all girls] is horrible. there might not be the groups but everyone still steroetypes everyone. there can only be 1 athlete only 1 musician etc. but thaTs because of the small environent they grew up in. I just switched a few years ago so I know more than just our small school but you still aren't adjusted to outside our walls.
stereotypes live everywhere. even when you're an adult. how many of your parents have told you don't go there or talk to them because of how they just see someone. I think the deal with teenagers being like its so horrible is because adults are older and more mature and can handle it better. they have built the lifestyle they are in that makes your stereotype but growing up you are thrown into and more being chosen where to be than chosing where to be.

just an opinion and am just throwing it out there.

Would you prefer that we lie to you and tell you it's all sunshine and rainbows?

agreed. Seeing as i'm one of the people doing that i should respond. This is a discussion forum, not personal questions, if people want to get help or support for their teenage problems they can go there. I guess us older ones are simply trying to show another side of the discussion and trying to put things into perspective.
I don't see anything wrong with the thread. No one bats an eyelid when there are other points of views expressed in the other threads.

[*jumps in randomly to kill a thread once again.*]
I agree that being a teenager IS hard, and while I'm sure adulthood will be just as hard or harder, in today's world a lot of teenagers are faced with adult problems. For some teenagers, the biggest problem in the world is a little microscopic zit on their forehead while for others, the biggest problem is that their parents are alchoholics and they have to take care of their sibilings and go to school and manage a job to try to go to college and help pay for rent, the bills and groceries. [Yes, this is an *extreme* situation, but my friend's sister showed me an article from a 'Chicken Soup for the _____ Soul' book that was a completely 100% true story where a 17 y.o. had those exact problems.] So, I don't think it's fair for *grownups* to say "Well it all gets worse from here, you should enjoy your childhood, because it's all dowhill, and your life is going to get harder" because many teenagers today have horrible living situations, [Freedom Writers, for example?] and have to make adult decisions and choices. I do agree, however, that those teenagers that live in the fantasy world of "I need this CD ohemgee i have a zit what if billy doesn't ask me to the school dance i'll just die" syndrome need to be brought back down to earth sooner rather than later.

In the dark ages of 1989 there was a 13 year old girl who was cutting herself daily. She hated going to school because she was tormented to the point that she wanted to stay home, but staying home was just as bad because she was being molested by her abusive, pill-popping step-grandfather. She had attempted suicide at 9 because of abuse at the hands of her mother's boyfriend, she would try it again 3 years later because of the physical and sexual abuse at home and verbal and mental torment at school.

Her mother left home at 16 to get away from being saddled with her half-brother, because her mother (the girl's grandmother) was working 3 jobs to make ends meet while her father (the girl's grandfather) was out dating women who were only 3 years older than her, and drinking away his paycheck.

Her grandmother left home at 16 as well after the death of her youngest sister, because she found herself pregnant and was kicked out of the house. She tried to raise her family but ended up alone after 4 children because her husband cheated on her multiple times and gave her an STD at 18 while pregnant with her second child. She would later be strapped with raising her granddaughter because her youngest daughter followed in her footsteps.

The granddaughter would listen to stories told by her great-grandmother who, during the Depression, when she was 15 and should have been enjoying her teen years she was raising her 14 brothers and sisters because her mother had died and their father drank what little money they had. She would tell about wearing potato sack dresses to school and eating lard sandwiches because that was the only food they had.

Guys, you're not the only ones who have these problems. Don't think that you're the first ones to have troubles. If you haven't figured out by now I just told you, from top to bottom, about myself, my mother, my grandmother, and my great-grandmother.

Life. Is. Hard. All the way around. We're just trying to help you with some of it because we have been there.