CFNN Reporter Alexis Fowler

I really hate the way people view teenagers. They blame us for things that we didn’t do and claim we are ruining society. Their misconceptions blind them from the truth. Here are all the things I’ve heard people say about teens and why they are wrong. 

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  1. Teens are lazy and they only ever want to sleep. This idea really bothers me because it insinuates that most students do nothing at school. People don’t understand what it’s like to be a teenager right now. Grown ups like to use the phrase “when I was your age” to shame students for being what they consider lazy. Personally, I don’t find that statement fair because I’m taking college classes and working hard in them, so I have little time for other things.
  1. Teenagers are disrespectful and never on time. Teens have become mean based on the behavior of their peers. We have learned to defend ourselves. Sometimes it might seem rude, but with issues like cyber bullying,(a constant in our lives) we are simply trying to protect ourselves. Also, teens aren’t being disrespectful by being late. Most of the time, teens are late because they overslept because they spent the entire night before studying and doing homework.
  1. We don’t know everything but we act like we do. Teens don’t act like they know everything; they just maintain a confidence that generations before them lacked. It’s simply evolution. As the world around us changes, we change too. This confidence also comes from knowing our classes are harder than our parents’ classes were. 
  1. Kids these days are the reason I’m scared for the future. I think out of all of the things people say about teens, this one is my least favorite. For some reason adults feel as if blaming all of their issues on us will solve everything and keep the blame off of them. In reality, by blaming us, they are really blaming themselves. It’s so incredibly ironic to blame our generation when they are the ones who created it. Maybe if they have such a problem with us, we should be questioning their parenting skills. 
  1. Kids don’t really have mental health issues they need to toughen up. Most adults can’t seem to accept the fact that things are much different for us as teens than it was for them. They didn’t have to live through a pandemic. The pressure of online classes and not being able to see people led teens to depression and anxiety. 

So, all I’m asking is next time you see a teen, have a little compassion. You never know exactly what they are going through. That should be a rule you should follow with everyone, not only teens. Try to respect teens so they have the ability to respect you.