Teen Problems Today? Hah!
While researching for this essay I have become extremely frustrated. Every website, link, or articles that I came across were written by someone far over the age of nineteen, to add to that fact many of the authors were pediatricians and psychiatrists and some were written even by angry PTO moms. Now I know that this is what every parent will say after reading my first paragraph in this essay, “Now hold it Missy, you don’t know everything and I was a teenager too.” Was as in past tense, the assignment was about teenage problems today not problems of yester-year. The teenage problems that are really bothering me (me a teenager) are; bullying, perfectionism, and stupidity. Yes, stupidity.

The National Health Institute says that sixteen percent of American students today say that they are being bullied by other students. Teens are bullied for these main reasons; sexuality, looks, and religion. Yes, I’m sure there are others but these are the ones that affect my school in particular.
The term ‘L.G.B.T. Teen’ comes up often in cases of bullying
(L.G.B.T. stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) ; there is not a true reason for these- as many of the teen psychiatrists put it, “unfortunate events”. These unfortunate events often lead to drop-outs, suicide, and drug use. More often than not the bully is in fact L.G.B.T. in some way and they are not comfortable enough with themselves to admit it.
This is often the case with bullying case based on looks, or race as well. If this could be solved with such a simple punishment as in-school suspension, or maybe an eighth hour then bullying would not be the problem that it is today. Now bullying based on religion goes even deeper than bullying based on looks can mean a lot more to the bullied person. Because religion is such a strong part of what make a America, America it can be taken very offensively. Because not only are you insulting the student and his/her beliefs you are insulting that person’s family. Since 9/11 there has been a cold war between Christians and Muslims no one really talks about it but it is there causing tension between the two religions. This goes on more with the adults in the families but sadly is beginning to poison the youth. I am not saying that I have the answer to end bullying but there do need to be more severe consequences for those who are caught.


WebMD- “…researchers linked anorexia with an obsession with perfectionism.” Perfectionism- is concern over mistakes, high personal standards, and criticism. Perfection is something that people spend years trying to find and thousands of dollars trying to get that “perfect body”. Teens are under so much pressure to do everything the right way because they feel that if they don’t that they will be rejected for not doing well enough on something that they believe is expected. So they resort to things like self-abuse, anorexia, and bulimia anything that makes them feel like they have control.

My last problem that I have decided to voice today is stupidity. As sad as it is to say this stupidity is taking over my generation. The scariest part about this is that stupidity is highly contagious. Stupidity is also in league with the media, you always find stupid people doing stupid things on the news, in magazines. But of recent it has become somewhat of an epidemic in the Owosso-Corunna area.

The influx of illegal drugs being passed around by teenagers in our town has become almost impossible to avoid. Making that saying “Just Say No” even harder to live up to. Drugs are a stupid thing to do because they make you stupid. Drugs kill brain cells, they push your mind into a fog that is hard to get out of. Stupid. Just plain stupid.

ChaCha says that “In 2000 there were 84 pregnancies per 1,000 people”. Wow. Then you see T.V. shows like “Teen Mom”, “Teen Mom 2”, and “Pregnant at 16” all of these television shows tell you it’s okay to be a teen mom! (Thank you MTV) Which I guess there is no law against it but we are already growing up so fast why can’t you take a step back, a deep breath and enjoy being young!
We are lucky to have teachers and professors that will fight for our right to a kid a teenager! If our parents won’t. This is also a form of stupidity that teens face today.

We take our education for granted. Education is a right we have because we live in the United States of America. There are millions of people who are being shot and killed for merely wanting an education. And here we are complaining about school, faking illnesses, and “ditching” school, for what? A chance to get high? Another “Teen Mom 2” marathon? It doesn’t make any sense to me. If you want to go some place, be someone, then go to school and find the path that takes you to that place! I’m in the seventh grade and I know that I’m not going to be doing a whole lot later other then asking for annoying costumer’s orders at Mickey D’s if I don’t.

The stupidity that is being sent on to the next generation is unacceptable, perfectionism is putting lies in our heads, and bullying is damaging today’s students. These are teen problems that need solving. Who’s going to help us?