Hey guys! So I wrote this piece for a creative writing assignment in school. Based off the topic of 'America Today', I decided to focus on the subtopic of teenagers and their influence and how they're influenced in the world today, not just in America, per say. Please let me know what you think!
Teenagers are, put simply, a group of hobbledehoys. No matter the time period, the gangly youth of the population are painfully awkward. In today’s America, there are prevalent forces all around, trying to shape this clumsy group into the socially acceptable people they are required to become. At an age of easy persuasion, these forces tend to corrupt the teen group, making them believe in other people’s ideas and not in themselves. This way of thinking is detrimental not only to the teens themselves but to the world as a whole. Although there are many ways that teenagers can be socially corrupted, the most common way to do so is through mass media.
As one of the most dominant, god-like forces, technology seems, to most people, all powerful. It influences everyone, an inescapable, “you can run but you can’t hide” sort of power. Some people might even go so far to call it a Pandora’s Box. Whether it is through social media on the internet, propaganda on the television, or a person’s attachment to their cell phone, technological advancements have made the world a place where everyone is in constant contact. Ideas and beliefs can always be spread and people can always be reached; there really is no escape from the vast field that technology has brought about. In a world where the norm was once writing letters and having face-to-face conversations, the abrupt change in communication has had an increasingly significant effect on every age group, particularly the gawky, stroppy, socially unkempt group that we refer to as teenagers.
Pressure, stress, and uncertainty. These three feelings are increasingly common in the average teenager’s mind. There are social pressures, academic stresses, and all-around uncertainties in everything one may do. In modern times, the use of technology only increases these feelings, making everyday life a little bit harder for the already anxious group. Social media websites give people the ability to post pictures, write messages, and perform songs, among other things. This results in a heightened feeling of competition, an increase in comparison, and worst of all, self-hatred. When a person sees a “model” image of what they should be, the pressure builds up inside them. Changing one’s ideas, looks, and even one’s own life is now a common occurrence. Educationally, grades are available to parents online. This causes children to stress, and puts it pressure on them to do well. “It’s for college” has become a household phrase, an ordinary response to why teenagers may be forcing themselves to work harder than ever. But at the same time, social media and technology can be the downfall of students as well. Procrastinating, posting inappropriate pictures, feeling like there is too much to do, viewing others who seem better than oneself - these are just a few of the countless ways that a teenager might be negatively affected by what technology has become. Although all ages are affected by technology, it seems as though teenagers are hit the hardest by the ever-growing industry.
In the eyes of a teenager, it is impossible not to wonder what the world would be like without technology filling every empty space. How would people interact with one another? How would they view themselves? Without technology consuming every spare minute, how would teenagers do in school? Would they lead socially active lives? How could they call their parents last minute? How could they send a quick text message to a friend? Although teens may never know what the world would be like today without technology taking over, the vast population of teenagers can only ask one question. What if?
