Tag Archives: teens

Social Media: A Shooting Range of Opinions

Social Media provides everyday people with the power to share their thoughts and doings. Twitter, Facebook, tumblr, Instagram, and Snapchat all bear the stories of others, and it is these apps that make it easier than ever to create your story. Now, with the use of social media, information can travel from a small town to the other side of the world in a matter of minutes. However, false, or even private information can now surf the web at unimaginable speeds. Even though there are many good things about social media, like how it actually improves relationships, it can still easily be used for less kindly things.

Many social media apps provide users with usernames. These usernames (as well as avatars, profile pictures, and bios) can change a person’s behavior online, often giving them a false sense of security behind a screen name. This is part of the Proteus Effect. Of course it’s easier and often more acceptable to speak your mind online than it is in real life, yet this opens the door for someone to be personally targeted online. This is especially seen on Twitter where tweets are directed at others, without any name attached.

 

So, aiming a tweet at someone else brings up the question, can a targeted tweet be justified? To clarify, a targeted tweet isn’t the same thing as bullying, it is only to suggest something, instead of an outright attack. After all it is just speaking your mind, sharing your ideas, exactly what social media is used for. Most targeted tweets aren’t aggressive, and are usually very implicit and cryptic. Although they are left without context, leaving them to be open to interpretation. Frequently, these aimed responses are what everyone else is thinking, but afraid to say. Personally, I enjoy finding these kinds of tweets because it shows that kids are still willing to voice their true opinions, even if it isn’t the popular view. Today, everything has become so politically correct, it can be crude to flat out say what you think, so I believe in the importance in not being afraid to get your stance out there. That’s not to say just be rude about everything, but if you have an opinion about something you shouldn’t be afraid to support and fight for your side. While, in the end, you still are going to have to be careful about what you say. Just remember, you have to say what you mean and mean what you say.

~Tyler

 

Cell Phones: Helpful or Distracting ?

Cell phones are a must have device now days. I can tell you at least 99% of the people I know have cell phones. They are a great source when you miss the bus, forget some homework, need a ride home from somewhere, etc. Kids use them constantly and make teachers not want them in school. These kids are just ruining these privileges for everyone else. Do you think its fair when everyone elses privileges are taken away because of a few kids. No, of course not! Cell phones are for emergencies, and aren’t supposed to be distractions during school hours.

Personally, I think cell phones are pretty cool. Well of course I do! I’m almost a teenager and teenagers can’t live without them. However, for kids my age, I think an iPhone or Galaxy X3 is too much. I am a contender of this nonsense. I happen to have a smartphone myself but I don’t over use it unlike many of my classmates.  I think a good flip phone that can call and text would be fine for someone my age. It gives all the basic functions someone like me would need. Now I ask you fellow reader, does it seem right for a 4th grader to have a cell phone? I didn’t think so. My little cousin is in 4th grade and she has a cell phone! These days, cell phones are no longer for emergencies. They are now just something that almost everyone has.

~Caylee

Grand Theft Auto 5 Sales Going Through the Roof!

In just three days Grand theft Auto sales break a record making a billion dollar in gains from mostly teenagers. Grand Theft Auto made 1 billion in three days which took Call of Duty: Black Ops 15 days to make. Grand Theft Auto 5 takes place in Los Santos and San Andreas. There are 3 main characters Trevor Phillips, Michael, and Franklin. They are each criminals and are forced to work together in a series of missions.

This game is rated M for mature meaning 17+ yet a lot of their earnings come from the parents of 12 year olds and older.  Grand theft Auto 5  includes a torture scene and you can even run over and shoot innocent people. It also promotes drugs and alcohol. I have an older brother who is 13 and yet most of his friends own Grand Theft Auto. However it is the parents choice whether to get the Grand Theft Auto for their child or not. What about the kids who go over someones house and play it. I think its totally unacceptable for a 12 year old kid to play this kind of game. It might even influence their choices in life. The fact that makes it worse is that you are killing innocent people at least in war games you’re protecting your country and not just taking lives freely. I don’t think a game like this should be on the market and if you are enjoying killing people even if it is game then that’s a problem.

~Hailey

A Celebrities Insecurities

Being a teen in the spotlight, Demi Lovato was put under a lot of stress at a young age. She was first seen on television at age 10 on the show Barney and Friends. Later, she  got a lead role in a Disney movie called Camp Rock. After that, the world wanted to see more of this new star. So, Disney created a new comedy show with Demi as the main character. On screen she was a funny, bubbly person, but little did everyone know that on the inside, she was almost the opposite. On top off all that, she also started up her music career. Nobody knew that deep down, Demi was hurting. After almost every meal she would go to the bathroom and make herself purge. She then picked up the habit of self harm, more specifically, cutting her wrists. By the year 2010, she had cracked. She went into a depression and everything got worse. She finally realized that she had a problem and needed serious help. She left her show and was put into a rehab facility. There, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, bulimia, and anorexia. This was Demi’s wake up call.

After going through a full year of rehab, Demi wanted to get back into the music business  She eventually got two tattoos. One on her left wrist that has the word “stay” and one on her right that says “strong”. This reminds her to never cut and to stay strong for herself and her fans. Personally, I feel that this is an important issue that every girl (or even boy) might have trouble with in his or her life. I’m not saying that everyone takes to the extent that Demi did but everyone has their insecurities. A lot of people are fans of Demi Lovato because she proves that everyone has problems but in the end, they can overcome them.

~Hailey Monroe

“Teen Sports Injuries and Overuse: What is Causing it?”

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It seems as if there are many more sports injuries consisting of overusing of extremities in teens these days, and there are plenty of reasons why. We’ve all probably played sports in our childhood, and many of us still continue to do so today. What I want to know is why are they becoming more and more common. I figured, since I have an overuse injury, and this is pretty much the only “serious” one I’ve had, other teens must be getting them too.  Is it because our age group and younger has started the sport earlier? Is the game becoming more intense too soon? Or is it just because we’re still young and foolish as some might say. Those tending to be the adults, of course, but they are our coaches as well. Do they have anything to do with this?
I thought about this, and decided I’d dig a little deeper into the topic. Main injuries in our age group are in fact because of overuse and some that come up constantly are shin splints, Osgood-Schlatter disease (OSD), Sinding-Larsen-Johansson syndrome, Little League Elbow, Little League Shoulder, Jumper’s Knee, and Apophysitis of the hip just to name a few. For example, say you’re a baseball player. You play in the fall, train in the winter, play in the spring and throughout the summer as well. Correct me if I’m wrong, but that is a lot of baseball. I’m sure overuse is in the equation, as the sport can be played year round. However, there is controversy over what exactly is causing this overuse in teens and kids. One of the more recent headlines I have seen that really grabbed my attention was this. Two girls at the age of twelve and ten were running in many, many, endurance marathons. A little young, no? To me, yes, others? These two young athlete’s father was said to be pushy and hard on the girls. Yet, he does not force the girls to keep going, he gives them just the push they need. It surprises me that they haven’t gotten any injuries from what the article has said they run on a day to day basis. My point being, maybe some of these overuse injuries are not only caused by the repetition of the sport, but the parents as well. Whether you interpret the story of these girls as precisely as the article’s title “Too Fast, Too Soon?” like I do, is your choice. To me, these are the two main reasons that teens (or kids, in their case) are are getting injuries: the overuse and the parents/coaches who are behind the scenes.
~Lexie Gula

 

Think Before You Post

      Do you want your career to be ruined just because of some stupid picture you posted on Instagram when you were 15?  Do you want to get rejected from your dream college because of some stupid tweet that you tweeted 5 years ago?  Nearly 10% of relationships are ruined because of social networking sites.  These sites are taking over our lives!  People are tweeting about whatever whenever and they are not thinking before they hit that little blue button.

     Obviously, I am not into the whole Facebook, Twitter and Instagram stuff.  I am 13 years old and I have a Twitter and Instagram account that I occasionally look at.  When I do, I see teenagers posting pictures with a bottle of Vodka in the background.  They are not realizing that one picture can hold them back from pursuing their dreams.  When you think that you delete a picture and it is gone, it really isn’t.  I can guarantee to you that that picture is somewhere on the internet, or someone may of gotten a screenshot of it.  So, think before you post.  Would you want your parents to see it?

~Bailey Cunningham

INJURIES… AND LIFE

When you see someone on crutches, you usually say “oh what happened?” and “that sounds so horrible” or “I feel so bad for you!”. Have you ever considered the fact that if you are a  runner or involved in a sport with a lot of running,  you could be that person? Many teenage athletes are often getting hurt because their bodies are still growing. For a runner, knee and leg injuries are a big issue.  Runner’s knee and shin splints are just a couple. Achilles Tendinitis (Achilles tendon attaches the calf muscles Gastrocnemius and Soleus to the heel. This can become inflamed through overuse) and ankle sprains are a couple of the most common foot and ankle injuries. Injuries often happen because everything is so repetitive. All you’re doing is putting your foot down. With every step you take you could be injuring yourself more and more. That’s why it’s important to stretch correctly, do a warm up, have good running shoes, have good core strength, and eat well. Especially as a growing teenager.

I never thought that I would ever be the one hurt. Now I’m out for the season and I know how horrible it feels. However, I didn’t hurt my leg or foot. I have what’s called the “Apophysitis of the Pelvis/Hip”. It would have never happened if I wasn’t growing and the bone/muscle plate wasn’t weak in the spot where the muscle attached. This just goes to show we all need to be careful. I think that this made a little bit of an impact on my life because now I’m seeing it from the other side. I guess you never know what it really feels like until it’s you.

~Abigail Del Vecchio

Coffee: Bittersweet on Two Levels

Coffee. It’s what keeps people on the go, going, the drug of choice for so many Americans. After all, haven’t you ever seen a Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts at seven in the morning on a weekday? In the case of my parents, their whole day is centered around that cup of coffee in the morning. If they don’t have it, migranes, crankiness, and exhaustion are expected during their long days at work. But, it gives us that boost of energy that life sometimes calls for, without warning. As you may or may not know, there are plenty of unexpected side effects that come with a cup of coffee. Well, let’s just say it does a lot more than just wake you up.

I always have people tell me the bad stuff first, so here it is. According to Sanjay P. Rathi, a neurologist specializing in movement disorders and dystonia, caffeine is an actual drug. Yeah, I know. It’s a kind of drug called a stimulant, and if you have enough of it, you could become addicted, and subsequently dependent on a legitimate drug. That sort of freaks me out. Also, Dr. Rathi says coffee has a few unpleasant side effects; these include fatigue, or tiredness, malaise, or general uneasiness, and bad headaches. The intensity of these symptoms largely depend on the person, and their baseline coffee consumption.

And now for the good things. Taking sips of your beloved coffee is proven to improve your mood, and increase alertness, while also giving that jolt of energy you need to jumpstart your day. Even more, recent studies show that it’s possible coffee positively impacts a person’s longevity, or their lifespan. Also, men who drink five or more cups of coffee a day are less likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. Okay I’m a girl, so the first four sound pretty nice.

I am fourteen years old and ashamed to say coffee keeps me going. When I tell adults this, they frankly seem irritated and don’t really believe I need it at my age. And maybe they’re right; maybe I should prioritize my list of tasks better and get myself more organized. But aiming for good grades, and participating in numerous clubs and sports take up a lot of my time , and staying up late to finish homework and study is becoming second nature to me. Because of this, I lose out on a few  hours of sleep and wake up more groggy than ever. That cup of miracle-drink does wonders on my attitude and prevents me from dozing off in math class. And though I admit coffee probably isn’t the best thing for me right now, everything is okay in moderation.

~Durga Rathi

My Parents did it Different

Over the 20 some odd years between your birth and your parents birth, there has been major changes in the lifestyles of kids today. Some parents will fight with their child over it, and it can be a problem in many households. Some parents believe that a 16 or 17 year old going to a party is going to be tempted with drugs or alcohol and won’t allow them to go. Sometimes, this may be the case, but drugs or alcohol always at a party is stereotyping. Often kids need time to just hang out or be crazy with friends after a long week at school.

Another change is cell phones. When parents were kids, cell phones were like unicorns. They always heard about them and yet never saw them. Today, most of my 9 year old brother’s friends have cell phones. Some parents are cautious about getting their kids phones. Some think they are way too young to have them because the parents got them in their twenties. Often a sit down talk with your parents about how times have changed can help them. They are just being cautious because they care about you.

~Andrew Mahan

Cyber bullying: The Bullying you Can’t Runaway from

Cyber bullying has been a big issue lately. Its not the usual face-to-face type of bullying or put downs. It is over social networking websites, and cell phones.  The definition of cyber bullying is, “A hurtful, offensive, or racist comment put online.” It is so much different  than in  person and can be so much more harmful this way. People will say everything online or over text that they don’t have the courage to say in person. Students come home to be safe and get away from all of the bullies out there. Unfortunately, as soon as they log into their Facebook or whatever social networking website they use, bullies are still there. It never stops and  as  long as people post harmful  things to others, it never will.

Cyber Bullying can cause teens, or anyone of any age to do drugs, alcohol, hurt themselves, or even change schools/move. This is why we need to put a stop to it. It  is as easy to stop it as it is to do it. All people have to do is make sure whatever they are putting online won’t be offensive to anyone. People can post mean things but  they can always delete them. So, if there is an offensive post or quote just delete it. So many less kids will have hurt feelings and the bullying will finally stop at home.  Some people feel like they just can’t run away from all of the bullying and hate; there is no need to feel that. If we all work together, we can stop all online and over text bullying! All we have to do is think. Think about what you are putting out there before you actually do it. It is as easy as that. Together, we can stop cyber bullying!

~Kari Eisenberg