Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Teenagers of today are vociferous!
Opinion: My epiphany.
The last decade has spawned a new generation of teenagers, perhaps even a new species. As radical as this statement may sound, the ‘teenyboppers’ of today are vociferous, courageous and edgy. They take no prisoners and make their voices heard, regardless of their elder’s opinions. Perhaps this is a quality to be admired. After all, who are we as adults to rain on their parade? Youth is that sought after elixir that many people attempt to cling onto.
How many expensive age defying beauty products are on the market? Isn’t Botox what every celebrity swears by? They may be left with a completely inanimate face, but at least the lines have been starved off........until the next round.
There are those who describe their schooldays as the best days of their lives. However there are others who hated every single minute because of bullying, dictating teachers and authoritarian rules. I could go on and on, but we all know from experience how damaging youth can be. Taking into consideration the thousands spent on therapy to deal with the demons from one’s youth, the figures speak for themselves. Family problems, mixing with the ‘wrong’ crowd, dabbling in drugs, petty crime… there are abundant ways for a teenager to lose his or her way and wind up in an abyss, not knowing what path to take or what the future has in store.
This is far from a new phenomenon; adolescents have suffered peer pressure since time began, albeit to a lesser degree. In recent years, the scale of venom and hatred unleashed on teenagers by other kids of the same age has escalated beyond control though. Skins, the hit Channel 4 TV show, is a glaring example of what an average teen faces on a daily basis. Frankie is the new girl who has had some pretty grim experiences at her previous school. Her sexuality has been questioned, her clothes sneered at and her family (consisting of two dads) were scoffed at. One horrible blonde colt like bimbo had the audacity to claim that she looked like a crowd of clowns had gang raped her. This is only one of the many insults Frankie endured.
Many teenagers are fighting a private personal battle every day. It might be in the canteen or during gym class, the smoking area at the local bar or even in your own front room. Each scenario is different, just as every kid is unique. Only one thing is for certain, every single teen young adult will have a day of reckoning.
We can ‘man up’ (to borrow an expression from the gangsta culture of today) and stand up for what we know is right. Or we can cower behind our fears and live half a life, allowing the bullies to win. Even though we don’t realise it at the time, this is a major character forming moment. It is the basis for all the other life affirming decisions we make later in life. If you have the courage to stand up for what you believe in at a young age, your confidence and self-assurance can only grow.
Typically modern teenagers are a cutting, vindictive and ignorant bunch and if you can win them over then it is the equivalent of a bloody physical 1800s battle. Put even the hardiest adult in a room full of teens and they will be tested to the limit.
Teenagers seem to have a way of getting to one’s core, figuring out what is sacred to you and targeting this. They may use it as a form of blackmail for their own end or simply as a means to taunt and mock their vulnerable target. Whichever method is chosen, you can be certain that you will need your wits about you to tackle a wily teenager and emerge from battle the winning party. It is not a game for the faint hearted!
By: Cathy Donohue
