Dear Diary,
Growing up, I always thought that teenagers were loud, rambunctious, and just plain stupid. I told myself I would never be the stereotypical and naive teenager that society seemed to depict so often. I’m here now, right in the middle of my teenage years. Am I the dumb kid now that I said I never would be? That, I’m not sure about. But if there is one thing that I do know, it’s this: the teenage years are hard. They are the years when opinions are made, relationships are developed, and kids begin to set out on the arduous process of finding out their own identity. This is paired with responsibilities like school, jobs, and extra activities outside of these. Frankly, it becomes a little overwhelming. It’s as if teenagers are at a constant pressure to be doing the right thing while still trying to find time to think for themselves about who they really are.
When a teenager makes one mistake, a crack from stress, they’re branded as “crazy, immature, and hormonal.” But if we continue to treat teenagers as children while expecting them to act like adults, what good can come of it? There is a lot of stress put on kids these days, kids of all ages. Maybe it’s time to let them do what they should have been doing all along; let them be kids. Let them get in trouble and figure themselves out. Don’t brand them as stupid when they’re simply trying to figure out the puzzle of life for what it is. Let kids be kids, let teenagers be teenagers, and let people be understanding of one another.
Growing up, I always thought that teenagers were loud, rambunctious, and just plain stupid. I told myself I would never be the stereotypical and naive teenager that society seemed to depict so often. I’m here now, right in the middle of my teenage years. Am I the dumb kid now that I said I never would be? That, I’m not sure about. But if there is one thing that I do know, it’s this: the teenage years are hard. They are the years when opinions are made, relationships are developed, and kids begin to set out on the arduous process of finding out their own identity. This is paired with responsibilities like school, jobs, and extra activities outside of these. Frankly, it becomes a little overwhelming. It’s as if teenagers are at a constant pressure to be doing the right thing while still trying to find time to think for themselves about who they really are.
When a teenager makes one mistake, a crack from stress, they’re branded as “crazy, immature, and hormonal.” But if we continue to treat teenagers as children while expecting them to act like adults, what good can come of it? There is a lot of stress put on kids these days, kids of all ages. Maybe it’s time to let them do what they should have been doing all along; let them be kids. Let them get in trouble and figure themselves out. Don’t brand them as stupid when they’re simply trying to figure out the puzzle of life for what it is. Let kids be kids, let teenagers be teenagers, and let people be understanding of one another.