What’s Up With Teenagers Today?

* I agree with many of the issues brought up in the Orange County Voices March 19 article, “Stereotype of Teens Flourishes Despite Reality.”

Writer Daisy Yu states that “most of us transform into homebodies on weekends.” Like me, I’m sure many high school students stay at home over the weekends in order to finish our enormous workloads, given the ever-demanding advanced placement classes.

But the reality, at least at my high school, is that only a small percentage of the entire population stays home to “feverishly crank out admission essays.”

College applications also only occur once a year and only for the seniors of the school. Those who do choose to do homework don’t work the entire weekend. There is still time to enjoy the little things in life, like watching a movie or hanging out with friends.

Yu says, “We’re eager to improve and embrace the world with our energetic minds, but will they let us?” In all my experiences in helping out the community, adults have been kind in allowing me to “improve” the world.

It seems to me that Yu is looking for acceptance or recognition from all adults. The fact is that no matter what we do, people will have their own opinions.

Improving the world should be done solely for the purpose of truly making Earth a better place. Community service should be done with the goodness of one’s heart and not for the acceptance of others.

Besides, it is always good to have opposition to your side or point of view, so that there will always be something to constantly fight and strive for. If there wasn’t, there would be no purpose to life.

GARY FAN

Laguna Niguel

* I am 17 and a senior at Marina High School.

I agree with many of Daisy Yu’s points: Many teenagers do volunteer, have independent and intelligent thoughts, and do not think constantly about alcohol, parties and sex. However, I disagree with many of her other points.

Allow me to paint a picture for you: A 17-year-old student in high school goes out one Saturday morning to clean up the local beaches.

She is on student council, president of two school clubs, captain of the soccer team and student of the year at her school. Teachers and parents all regard her as the fine, upstanding citizen that their children and other students should look to as a role model.

This student spends her whole day working hard to help her community. She is the teen that everyone ignores when forming this assumption of the adolescent generation, right? Maybe not.

Cut to that same student at 8 that same night. Now she is at a raging party, going upstairs with the captain of the football team, with her fifth beer in her hand.

Does the fact that no adults know about her double life change the fact that she is, in reality, proving everything they complain about? No, and the truth is that there are tons of teens out there exactly like this “perfect” student.

True, teens do volunteer work, but how many of them do it purely out of the goodness of their heart as opposed to doing it just to check the “volunteer work” box on their college application?

I don’t mean to put a damper on the optimistic attitude of Daisy Yu’s article, just to shed some light on an important subject.

Unfortunately, for the most part, the stereotype of teens is a reality. Sex is an issue for every teenager, no matter how much experience they have or don’t have. Hormonal changes make it very difficult to not think about sex at least some of the day.

Alcohol too is an issue for everyone, whether it’s deciding not to drink or deciding when to drink. And parties happen all the time, so almost every high school student is bound to attend one sooner or later.

The media may at times seem out of touch with the realities of adolescent life, but at closer look, how off are they really? Shows like “Dawson’s Creek” and “Felicity” take real, everyday issues for teens and exaggerate them to make an entertaining show rather than a documentary.

Television is not supposed to be reality; it’s fiction. But it is based on people’s real troubles.

Although I can’t relate to the exact events, I can often relate to the emotions they cause in the characters, and that is more important to me.

KARI DOYLE

Los Alamitos

* I agree with Daisy Yu’s article that many teens today are being stereotyped as rebellious, lying, horrendous young adults.

I think that the media should put more effort into congratulating and praising the many teens who are making a difference in their communities instead of focusing on the few that really do misbehave.

Also, the teens who are working hard should keep doing what they’re doing and really try hard to get their voices heard.

I encourage all teens to keep aiming high no matter what the others say about us, because eventually they will see the outcome of all the hard work you all have to put in.

LESLIE SYDOW

Dana Point