On Summer Sadness and Female Teenage Self Absorption | Teen Ink

On Summer Sadness and Female Teenage Self Absorption

June 18, 2014
By NaomiBaker BRONZE, Petaluma, California
NaomiBaker BRONZE, Petaluma, California
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

So I have decided to write a post of epic proportions. Nothing much happening in my life today, in fact I have just magically wasted around three hours surfing the internet. I have absolutely no idea how that happened, but now, instead of feeling accomplished at how my loner-status, which is so highly regarded around my circle of friends as the best way of adolescent living, has significantly raised, now I just feel sad to add my name to the growing list of internet-addicted teens that waste their time frittering about Facebook and not doing anything useful in their lives. I was to have a grand summer filled with knowledge- strengthening reading and productive running, and sure, I could joke about how I was so naive but to be honest I am genuinely disappointed in myself and my so called "abilities." I was going to go out into the community and find ways to volunteer, I was going to go to author events in San Francisco, I was going to write 500 words a day. I am an excellent example of education wasted on yet another low achieving teen. The kids of my generation are given almost every possibility available to better themselves and the world around them, but instead they opt to spend hours wasting away in front of their computer screens, or shopping at the mall. They upload photos of every event they attend; even a trip to the public restroom is grounds to take a selfie. I believe that this constant media check is a way for the teen to feel a kind of instant connection to those around them; a "like" on a bathroom picture is the reassurance that the teen is loved and viewed as "pretty". The teen feels as though she needs to be constantly approved by her peers, and the technology that we are blessed with today is just a means to an end to achieve that kind of support. But of course this kind of "beauty and complement check" is counterproductive, as the teen begins to become so entirely self-centered that soon her body image is all she can think about. She is constantly worried of being seen as “ugly” or “unappealing” that she will put herself down. And because of all of the marketing ads directed towards her, the for beauty products and all of the sexy women she sees in the movies and television , because of all of this, she begins to view herself as “second rate.” This girl is now convinced that she is not perfect, and that that is not okay. So she will seek complements and reassurance that she is, in fact, accepted and treasured by at least a few people. And because of the convenience of instant messaging and internet social sites, this girl now has infinite resources for her reassurance.

That was my long rant on one of the reasons why teens today are not involved in things that can continue to benefit themselves and society.


The author's comments:
I was intending to write this as a Facebook post, when I realized that it was so poorly written and also possible offensive. So, lo and behold, I hath come unto the website for all accepted articles. Not my best work, granted, but I hope it provides a general overview of why female teens are like they are.

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