What is a Teen? from the source (a teen)

What Is a Teen?

By: Joye A. Walton

There is a question that all adults and kids want answered and teenagers don’t know how to answer, what is a teen? We know that teenagers are different, but why? We know that there are activities that we associate with teens, but is it true? All are teens rebellious? Do teens think about only sex? Are teens emotional time bombs? It seems like the world has teenagers figured out, I beg to differ.

Let’s analyze the first stereotype, all are teens rebellious? This is a little bit tricky. Most teens would fit into this category. Teens are in this weird stage in life, they aren’t kids but they aren’t adults, so where do they belong? This longing to belong does make us apt to be rebellious. The textbook parent just wants what is best for their child, however not every parent is the textbook parent, and not every teen is the textbook teen. Even though most teenagers are rebellious not all teens are.

Now for the next stereotype, do teens only think about sex? This stereotype really makes me mad. I believe that adults think about sex just as much if not more as teenagers. The only reason that people seem to believe that teens think about sex so much more is because we are going through puberty. I’m sorry that teenagers are forced to go through a biological cycle, we have no choice. It is true we do think about sex, but who doesn’t. I believe that teenagers don’t think about sex obsessively, unless they have a problem. So, please give us teenagers a break, everyone thinks about sex.

The final stereotype, are teens emotional time bombs? Here we go. This stereotype is mainly aimed at girls. Being a teenage girl I do take some offense to it, however it holds some truth, but not a lot. I myself tend to be over emotional but the mainstream of girls I tend to believe are not. Girls are apt to be dramatic so they just go overboard. Usually what gets them all amped up was something stupid that is totally valid to be mad about. For a second let’s talk about boys. They usually don’t get much hassle and yes for the most part they handle themselves very well, but there are some boys that are just as emotional as girls.

In conclusion don’t put teenagers in a box and label them. Every teen is different. Some teens fit the stereotype but some don’t. Yes, teens are apt to be rebellious, but it doesn’t mean that teens don’t have any sense. Teens think about more things then sex. Teens might be emotional but it doesn’t mean they can’t think. Then next time you go to put teens in a box I challenge you to think about your own teen years. Maybe you were the stereotype, but maybe you weren’t. I can guarantee something though; you were different than everyone else.