The toughs of the "teenager"

[Squall7]

I think that squall wants to be able to define love ,
but fails to recognise that its a highly diverse and volatile emotion
and who says that love and hormones are completely seperate

Philosophers and poets have been trying for centuries to define and explore the spiritualistics of love. To be able to do that though, you have to believe in spiritualism, at least in some form.

I guess I'm just more cynical than most people...

There is clinical depression and situational depression. Self mutilation is DEFINITELY clinical, and everyone has different symptoms that fall under the umbrella of depression.

Depends on what kind of mutilation really. Most cutting are cries for help. When you're clinically depressed, you don't even feel like having help.

How can you say that love for teenagers is just a crush? You make the unfair assumption that the love is always unrequited.

True, I did make that assumption. I apologise, that was always my experience. However, from what I saw, the people that were going out seemed like they were further from "love" than I was. Perhaps it's a generational thing...

We're not talking about girls lusting over Johnny Depp posters here, (eww, btw), we're talking about having an emotionally intimate, powerful connection with someone. Like DRMARIO said, some of us are mature. Some of the things you said were pretty insulting.

I apologise for making you feel insulted. I didn't mean to imply that those feelings were pointless at the teenage age. Baring in mind however, that the first experience of these things always seem more passioate, romantic etc... simply because you've never experienced anything like it previously. Oh, and maturity really doesn't enter into love. It only enters in to who you are attracted to. And you can love someone you're not attracted to, look at all those people who find out that they're homosexual, despite being married with kids for the past 20 years.

Bringing up the fact that adults have bills, mortgages, etc, is irrelevant.

Don't forget that that's in addition to everything you have as a teenager as well. (oh and I was refering to general responsibilities). 1.0 is still smaller than 1.2.

I'm well aware being an adult brings more responsibility and subsequently more stress. ALL I'm talking about right now is people not taking us seriously, dismissing our feelings, and stereotyping us. It isn't fun. End of.

Fair enough. To be honest, not taking you seriously is a sign of bad parenting. However, people should also take into consideration that with age comes wisdom. Simply because we recognise that the world isn't falling apart, doesn't mean we're not taking you seriously. Believe me, I know. The world continues, and you continue. You experience and you understand.

Heh, I am 13 yet I hate the culture of my age and how we get looked down upon when not all of us are like the stereotype.

I know how you feel. Just remember that those people that judge all youngersters are in the wrong. Recognising individuals and even smaller groups in larger groups is a neccessity, or else, you'll be generalising and generally making a complete ignoramus of yourself. However, that doesn't mean that there won't be any characteristics you share. Age is obviously an important one. Usually a case of lack of family responsibilities (although that too is sometimes wrong to assume). General lack of experience is another (while I'm saying experience, that doesn't mean intelligence, maturity or knowledge - i.e. not in a deroagatory way).

Sorry if I offend you. I was in your exact position, always angry that I was marginalised, ignored etc... However, I think there are some things which do come with age (ignorance being one if you're not careful). You'll see what I mean when you experience it. Until then, enjoy your childhood - it's something that you can never experience again).

 

[Wii-Bhoy]

Im Only 14, Going On 15. I Agree With Probably Everything Most Of You Guys Have Said. Being A Teenagers Soooo Hard And Stressful! In The UK, Where I Live, If You Choose The Right Decision Not To Smoke And Drink, Etc. You Are Classified As A Geek Or Loser. I Have A Girlfriend Right Now. We Are Very, Very Close To Each Other. I Disagree With The Fact That People Have Said That You Cant Be In Love As A Teen. You Can...

 

[Foxy]

I know how you feel. Just remember that those people that judge all youngersters are in the wrong. Recognising individuals and even smaller groups in larger groups is a neccessity, or else, you'll be generalising and generally making a complete ignoramus of yourself. However, that doesn't mean that there won't be any characteristics you share. Age is obviously an important one. Usually a case of lack of family responsibilities (although that too is sometimes wrong to assume). General lack of experience is another (while I'm saying experience, that doesn't mean intelligence, maturity or knowledge - i.e. not in a deroagatory way).

Sorry if I offend you. I was in your exact position, always angry that I was marginalised, ignored etc... However, I think there are some things which do come with age (ignorance being one if you're not careful). You'll see what I mean when you experience it. Until then, enjoy your childhood - it's something that you can never experience again).

In no way am I offended by this, you are correct.

We cannot look for exceptions for such a large stereotype as it would be a task to contradict the original thought however, these years of being stereotyped and ignored is something which we must experience to age and mature.

The acts that a lot of teens do in today's times are wrong and we cannot just go along and just let it through agreeing with me, we do need to look down to some extent.

When I say we there, I mean you as in the adult population.

 

[Wii-Bhoy]

In America Does Popular Mean To Be A Jock Or Does It Mean To Smoke, Drink, Etc.? In The UK Popular Means To Smoke,Drink,Etc.

 

[Squall7]

In no way am I offended by this, you are correct.

We cannot look for exceptions for such a large stereotype as it would be a task to contradict the original thought however, these years of being stereotyped and ignored is something which we must experience to age and mature.

The acts that a lot of teens do in today's times are wrong and we cannot just go along and just let it through agreeing with me, we do need to look down to some extent.

When I say we there, I mean you as in the adult population.

Fair enough. I was also part of the "non-smoking therefore not cool" brigade.

The main solace is in years to come, where you make something of your life and they're still working in Burger King. Then, you'll either feel validated by their lack of progress or you simply pity them.

Trust me, being mature and intelligent has its rewards. It starts once you go to college (where there's only people that do want to be there) and then is better in university.

 

[Celeste]

Depends on what kind of mutilation really. Most cutting are cries for help. When you're clinically depressed, you don't even feel like having help.

How many cutters do you happen to know personally? I wholeheartedly disagree with everything you're saying regarding this...
Also, I disagree that adults have to struggle to be validated and/or taken seriously coupled with bills, mortgages, etc. The two stages of life are vastly different, adults aren't dealing with everything teenagers are dealing with PLUS more, they're dealing with different things.

 

[Squall7]

How many cutters do you happen to know personally?

Well, for a start, my brother was one. I've also had an ex-girlfriend that was one - boy did that relationship suck.

I wholeheartedly disagree with everything you're saying regarding this...

Fair enough.

Also, I disagree that adults have to struggle to be validated and/or taken seriously coupled with bills, mortgages, etc.

I neither remember saying that or implying it.

The two stages of life are vastly different, adults aren't dealing with everything teenagers are dealing with PLUS more, they're dealing with different things.

So, they don't ever feel insecure, unheard, marginalised, taken advantage of, manipulated, feel peer pressure, lust or love someone they either shouldn't or are/n't "allowed to"? Wow. I guess I'm still a teenager then. Just with all those extra "adult" responsibilities and age.

 

[Foxy]

Fair enough. I was also part of the "non-smoking therefore not cool" brigade.

The main solace is in years to come, where you make something of your life and they're still working in Burger King. Then, you'll either feel validated by their lack of progress or you simply pity them.

Trust me, being mature and intelligent has its rewards. It starts once you go to college (where there's only people that do want to be there) and then is better in university.

You are correct, to go through this is to lead onto better things.

 

[LevesqueIsKing]

Its one of the biggest misconceptions out there. Adults just like to make their [false] superiority known, thats all.

You'll get used to it, because when it comes down to it this world is run by stereotypes. I guarantee you I'm smarter than quite a few full-time workers, but the average teenager isn't and therefore I am not in the eyes of an employer. No one will give you a chance, thats why you have to learn to take them for yourself. Don't give them the oppurtunity to tell you no, because this is YOUR time.

Don't let the man put you down because you are superior to your peers.

 

[Chewy]

Don't worry about popularity or anything like that, it means nothing once high school is over.

I personally thought teenage life was easy. You don't have all the worries you do as an adult. I really never worried about anything as a teenager, it was just all about having fun.

 

[TacosTacos]

I know you can!
My post was talking about how older people view teenagers, how they dismiss our feelings. OF COURSE you can be in love. =)

Yes, of course you can be IN LOVE. Love knows no bounds. True love can not be expressed in words.....which I seem to be at a loss for.....??

 

[[DT]]

Its one of the biggest misconceptions out there. Adults just like to make their [false] superiority known, thats all.

Hahaha, nice way to denounce stereotypes then make a blanketed statement.

What some adults bring to the table is *perspective* - regardless of your intellectual capacity and what you think you know, until you can apply a little retrospective consideration, you're firing blanks.

The perspective I have now gives me incredible insight. I was bright and reasonably successful at a young age, but I could never - even with my beyond-my-years-self-awareness - understand things the way I do now.

On topic: This is coming from someone you wouldn't sandbox into your typical adult mold (my whole peer group is the same).

Of course it's tough as a teenager - kids have significantly more access to information, things are moving faster, maturing much quicker but the old problems I dealt with as a teenager are still present.

Some of us adults aren't looking down at the teen demographic but you have to stop trying to stratify yourself as some kind of unbreachable mystery. In some ways I blame technology - it's created a bit of a gulf between kids and their parents (not in my case, I "get it"), and created a sort of false bit of perpsective of the world.

Is it tougher as an adult? It's different set of hurdles. I think what would surprise people is the things you suffer through as a teen that are repackaged for adult consumption.

I know part of the teen experience is all the angst you're sure adults don't get but guess what? You know the asshole at school? He's still there at work. You know the stress of dating? How about the stress of staying with someone after 15 years? You don't get your allowance and get the new Mario? How about not gettting your paycheck and not being able to repair your car?

I'll add this too: life goes on. Most things you suffer through as a teen don't do permanent damage. I muddled through my teen years with the typical ups and downs and the "parents don't get me" and the angst, but pretty early I came into my own, had a business sold before I was 25, became a reasonably successful person - great life, wife, call my own shots, and *now* I get way more about the things I thought I understood when I was a teen.

 

[Celeste]

Yes, of course you can be IN LOVE. Love knows no bounds. True love can not be expressed in words.....which I seem to be at a loss for.....??

<3 =)

 

[LevesqueIsKing]

I don't like stereotypes any more than the next guy, but I realize that they must be used in day to day life.

Self-awareness, eh?

I still say that we could learn much more valuable information without school.

EDIT: Just read your whole post (as opposed to what was referred to me). Yeah, I understand where you're coming from. I think the biggest difference is that Adult's have more experience, simply put. While we're teenagers we're trying to learn, trying to fit in, trying to figure out where we belong. As adults, we won't fall into peer pressure and the like because we know what happens. As for now, kids will continue to break the law to try to 'fit in' (I'm ashamed to admit that I do this) because they don't know where they belong. However, I'm happy to say that I think I know where I belong for the time being and won't be making any huge mistakes that I'll regret later down the road.

 

[Frogger]

Stereotypes had to come from somewhere, didn't they? Actually, I don't approve of them, but obviously they're going to play a part when naming groups for ease, don't tell me you don't have work-based nicknames, DT.