"Teenage life"

[James Comey]

The stereotype of teenage life, ah. I love this.

There are far too many media stories of "typical" teenage life being about having sex and doing drugs, doing stupid stuff, getting laid and having to find a date, going to prom, etc, but I think that's bullshit. I don't care about any of that stuff. I'd rather read Wikipedia or write my own stories than do any typical "teenage rituals". I couldn't care less.

Problem is, so many teenagers fall for the stereotype. It's just another example of turning teenagers into sheep. Instead of worrying how your rights are increasingly being taken away, let's just worry about your first kiss or that big party, or the big football game! Ugh. Media re-inforces this stuff.

Like I say, I've always been an antisocial person, but the "teenage life" stereotype can truly go die in a hole. It's just another brainwash technique.

[brainiac3397]

(11-30-2013 02:55 PM)Hansgrohe Wrote:  There are far too many media stories of "typical" teenage life being about having sex and doing drugs, doing stupid stuff, getting laid and having to find a date, going to prom,

A couple of my classmates really followed this path, and some still do in college. Drugs, sex, party, dumb shit till they "grow".

Seriously, do you really think you have to wait till 22-23(or whenever you finish college) to be mature. The common psychology is "I'll spend my teenage-young adult years doing silly shit and fucking anything them moves while being too damn drunk to stand straight, then I'll clean up later when I'm either about to fail all my classes, get an STD, nearly die drunk or finish college and get a job".

There are more productive ways of enjoying your youth, and getting stupid isn't one of them.

[WhatEvenIsThis]

I salute you, you are not the only one who is far from this disgusting stereotype. So am I.

[xcriteria]

(11-30-2013 03:45 PM)brainiac3397 Wrote:  Seriously, do you really think you have to wait till 22-23(or whenever you finish college) to be mature.

There's nothing magical about that age range, or that piece of paper, either.

What you do get is commencement speeches, which can be good. But thanks to YouTube, you don't even need to go to college for those.

[xcriteria]

Re: the stereotypes, that's definitely something to change. One approach is to depict alternatives.

It's worth considering that there are a wide range of ways to "party" or otherwise socialize. They don't have to involve stupidity and superficiality. Likewise, there are many ways to be serious and work. The attitudes, mindsets, and personalities of the people you're interacting with, in either case, can make a big difference in what's possible.

There are a few ways to think about all this. One is how you're going to live your life. Another is how to change the stereotypes and "mental models" people have about teenagers and people in general. Yet another is getting to know who the people who fit the stereotypes really are, and maybe encouraging them to view their options for living life differently (a.k.a., "educate" them.)

Part of the issue there is the same one many adults wonder about... how to stop teens from engaging in stupid behavior. But some of the top approaches involve preaching and punishment, which tend not to work so well.

Lots to consider in all that, including how "education," broadly conceived, should work. Likewise, there's the question of how maturity comes about, and what that means. Unfortunately, many teens (and people in general) buy into the script of life where being young means some mix of chaos and conformity, and being an adult means being responsible in a stifling way.

But there are so many other ways to conceptualize life, at all kinds of ages.

One basic lesson here is that not everyone is the same. Even among people who seem to all act the same, they very often have different motivations and experiences. And most important, given some different kinds of inputs and examples, a lot of people might break out of reacting to trends and norms, and think more about what they want and how they're going about getting it, short term and long term.

[brainiac3397]

Me and a friend started something I call the Gentleman's Society. Basically we bringing back black tie, ballroom dancing, jazz/classical and generally the 20s and 30s back. Im the proud founder and he's the only member at this point.

Everybody starts some sort of interest group, so I said why not start a group of my own interests.
(Think aristocratic 1920 Americans. Though Im not aiming for classism or socioeconomic discrimination but rather adherence to a code of civility and behavior while also maintaining a conservative yet stylish form of fashion contrary to todays fashion.)

My friend still follows along with the unofficial guidelines I set. I doubt I can make it a college affiliated club(there will still be a level of somewhat inflexible rules to adhere to and the rules of a college will make it difficult to enforce). Itll probably be expanded through pamphlets and parties we'll try to host and hope to find some interested folk.

[xcriteria]

(12-01-2013 04:58 PM)brainiac3397 Wrote:  Me and a friend started something I call the Gentleman's Society. Basically we bringing back black tie, ballroom dancing, jazz/classical and generally the 20s and 30s back. Im the proud founder and he's the only member at this point.

Are you familiar with the band World Inferno Friendship Society?

Hard to read your last reply without them coming to mind. NJ-based, too.

[Asder Miller The Second]

My parents dont get it, i try and say ya know, id rather play a online game with my best friends than go out and party, youd think they would be happy i dont party!

[James Comey]

Your parents actually want you to live that kind of lifestyle right now?

I hate it when parents try to force something like "being cool" down their kids' throats. There's just something about that that just makes me go nuts.

[Asder Miller The Second]

im loling at the waynes world gif by the way

[isolatedsystem]

this stereotype make me sick ..........you ppl are not the only one

[EntityCubed]

There's no such thing as our "pain". It's actually our wish to be free from society and to live normally as actual human beings.

[Ky]

Teenage life? The only life I'm aware of is the one where I am forced into slavery for forty hours a week and expected to assume this is perfectly normal. Next they'll probably tell me people my age spray-paint trains.

[craxyguy562]

The best thing to do if you hate a certain stereotype about you is to be the opposite of the stereotype.

like:
to
to
to
to
etc.

[brainiac3397]

Or be crazy eccentric out of wack borderline sane. It works for ne.

[Trar]

Sound to me like this stereotype was manufactured by popular media out of the things some teenagers do during the process of becoming their own person and experimentation. Makes me appreciate thoughtful people that much more.

[brainiac3397]

(12-03-2013 07:32 AM)DoA Wrote:  Teenage life? The only life I'm aware of is the one where I am forced into slavery for forty hours a week and expected to assume this is perfectly normal. Next they'll probably tell me people my age spray-paint trains.

Don't worry. Graffiti is now considered a form of art in NYC. Grab your can and get painting like Picasso.

[Ky]

(12-04-2013 08:05 AM)brainiac3397 Wrote:  

(12-03-2013 07:32 AM)DoA Wrote:  Teenage life? The only life I'm aware of is the one where I am forced into slavery for forty hours a week and expected to assume this is perfectly normal. Next they'll probably tell me people my age spray-paint trains.

Don't worry. Graffiti is now considered a form of art in NYC. Grab your can and get painting like Picasso.

I'm not in NYC, I don't have a spray can, and I'm not Picasso.

[brainiac3397]

Sucks then. You can buy a spray can at any hardware store. Picasso isn't Picasso.

[xcriteria]

(12-04-2013 07:41 AM)Trar Wrote:  Sound to me like this stereotype was manufactured by popular media out of the things some teenagers do during the process of becoming their own person and experimentation. Makes me appreciate thoughtful people that much more.

The whole concept of adolescence and "teenagers" is a topic to explore a bit. It's definitely partly media-constructed (and culturally-constructed), and partly a biological phase of life.

But, in many cultures throughout history, some form of adulthood began roughly at early adolescence, rather than late adolescence (or even later.)

So, one way to consider "teenage life" is to look across history and across cultures.

This is where a forum thread can start to blend into what might be a section in a textbook. In today's age, there really doesn't need to be a distinction between the two.

The media's take

Over the past few years, there have been a whole slew of articles based on studies on the teen brain.

Many of them reinforce negative stereotypes about teens, without taking into account how learning, decisions, personality, and character development can also affect how people develop and act.

It's true that there are brain differences between teens and those who are older, but there are also brain differences between people of a given age. And, learning and practices of various kinds can affect the brain and its connections as well.

Here's one example of these articles: Brilliant, Brazen, Teenage Brains.

These articles are worth reflecting on, because they're generally based on facts, and they highlight some key points, but they also miss important points. But that article, for example, shows that the idea of youth as "out of control" goes back to ancient times.

However, what about modern approaches to the mind, that look at personal awareness, consciousness, decision-making, foresight, reflection, and even responsibility, as things that can be learned and developed, at any age?

Much of factory-model schooling, and a lot of parenting, doesn't really help youth to develop cognitive and personal independence. By nature, it's tough. If you look around at your peers, you can probably see some of the stereotypes in action. But, stereotypes aren't destiny, or at least they don't have to be.

Anyway, what do you all think about the article I linked?

Where is it right, and where does it go wrong?

[154bmag]

^Last year, my English teacher, spent the whole period mainly telling us not to smoke marijuana, because of some "brain studies." Saying how teenagers are just lazy and selfish because they're not fully developed yet, and all those cliche's we've heard a billion times before. The odd thing was this was out of nowhere, she literaly just read some study and HAD to tell us about it...for 55 minutes.

[Ky]

A lack of development is not an excuse to embrace the obstacle, and adults shouldn't consider it that way. Many teenagers, I'd like to think myself included, go above and beyond despite the alleged impediment.

We're not the generation of sloth and greed. We were the direct result of the previous generation's mistakes and successes, and now take it on ourselves to carve a new, better identity.

The allegations that teenagers are selfish hoodlums are not helping matters.

[James Comey]

^^^^^YESSSS!!!!!!

I hate it when people say "this generation will not be able to manage this world" or whatever because that's a generalization! We're not all idiots who all we do all day is post stupid pictures on Facebook! We actually have, I don't know, brains! Some of us go above and beyond to learn and understand the world in ways school fails to do for us.

Sorry, I had to get that out of the way. And yes, stereotypes aren't helping.

[Trar]

(12-07-2013 01:31 PM)154bmag Wrote:  ^Last year, my English teacher, spent the whole period mainly telling us not to smoke marijuana, because of some "brain studies." Saying how teenagers are just lazy and selfish because they're not fully developed yet, and all those cliche's we've heard a billion times before. The odd thing was this was out of nowhere, she literaly just read some study and HAD to tell us about it...for 55 minutes.

Holy shit. I don't think I could sit through that. Not without disrupting the class with raucous laughter or scoffing every 5 minutes.

It reminds me of an abusive relationship. 'This is the reason you suck!' Surely, public education is shaping the minds of the future for a lifetime of suckcess.

@DoA & xcriteria: It's saddening how many supposedly smart observers miss the point like this. I can only hope 'teenagerhood' doesn't become even more encompassing than it already has.

[brainiac3397]

(12-08-2013 05:58 AM)Hansgrohe Wrote:  ^^^^^YESSSS!!!!!!

I hate it when people say "this generation will not be able to manage this world" or whatever because that's a generalization! We're not all idiots who all we do all day is post stupid pictures on Facebook! We actually have, I don't know, brains! Some of us go above and beyond to learn and understand the world in ways school fails to do for us.

Sorry, I had to get that out of the way. And yes, stereotypes aren't helping.

Wait till I become Emperor of Mankind and put those pessimist teachers to work as slaves, to build my great golden statue. Then we'll see how able I am of managing this world.

[Ky]

(12-08-2013 04:19 PM)brainiac3397 Wrote:  Wait till I become Emperor of Mankind and put those pessimist teachers to work as slaves, to build my great golden statue. Then we'll see how able I am of managing this world.

[brainiac3397]

Im not taking it hard...Evil is just fun for a few days.

Im more the benevolent type, later on.
"HAHA BURN CRUSH DESTROY ANNIHILATE"-day 1
"Well that was fun. Back to business!"-day 3

[(´・ω・`)]

(12-07-2013 01:31 PM)154bmag Wrote:  ^Last year, my English teacher, spent the whole period mainly telling us not to smoke marijuana, because of some "brain studies." Saying how teenagers are just lazy and selfish because they're not fully developed yet, and all those cliche's we've heard a billion times before. The odd thing was this was out of nowhere, she literaly just read some study and HAD to tell us about it...for 55 minutes.

She was right about one thing, though. Don't smoke the stuff, make it into a solution with olive oil and cinnamon, and not only will you smell good, you'll be stoned out of your gourds for days. And if you don't believe me, I'm saying this from personal experience.