From the time we’re really young, especially when we start becoming aware of our surroundings, we’ve been shackled by the restrictions of age.
“You can’t do this because you’re too young” “You’re not old enough to do that yet.”
So, we begin to count the days until we’re “old enough” to do whatever we want and that stage begins when we hit our teenage years. We look forward to more freedom, understanding and opportunity, but really, we’re only welcomed with the constraints and limits we’ve been used to. Most people believe that teenagers are all cranky, whiny and hormonal beings, yet they often overlook the fragility and insecurity that comes with adolescence.
The movies and TV shows that we’ve grown up watching have given us a false image of what to expect when we reach adolescence (typically the beginning of high school). Although some of us anticipate the arrival of certain body parts and are ready to delve into the notion of self-expression, we were just not ready to confront our deepest insecurities and engage in an ongoing battle with our fragile personalities.
The reason for that is, as teenagers, we are naturally pulled into the pit of peer pressure and change. We try to so hard to fit in that we often lose ourselves in the midst of searching for our true selves. Yet, at the end, we always still manage to make it through.
Nonetheless, teenagers are constantly looked down upon. Now by that, I don’t necessarily mean that we are considered to be inferior to adults, yet people do seem to generalize all teenagers and act according to their beliefs that all teenagers are immature, irresponsible and indecisive. These generalizations can completely burn bridges between adolescents and adults they’re supposed to look up to, which in turn destroys the entire relationship. In fact, these characteristics should not be attached to an entire age group, but to certain individuals whose personalities include those traits.
So, here I am to tell you to stop belittling us because our creative integrity depends on the support that we receive during the time that we begin to experiment with different ways to express and develop ourselves. Stop belittling us because learning from our mistakes should not be something we learn when we hit early adulthood, it should act as a skill that we could use when we see ourselves in difficult situations. Most importantly, stop belittling us because no matter what, we are the future. Our actions will have consequences and our choices will matter. That’s why it is so crucial to equip us with the necessary tools that will allow us to thrive to our fullest of potentials when our generation is put to the test and has the opportunity to develop the world.
