It Gets Better

"The turning point in the process of growing up is when you discover the core of strength within you that survives all hurt."

- Max Lerner (American journalist)

Hello everyone! I hope you all have had a great week. Today's post is based on the quote above.


To me, this quote means once you've discover what makes you endure all the pain that comes into your life, that's when you've grown up as a person. This is a good quote to know because so many teens feel like they can't go on because of the pain they're enduring. This quote gives them hope in knowing that pain is essential in growing up.


I believe with pain comes wisdom. If you don't know what pain is, how will you know your limits? Without pain, you won't learn valuable lesson in life that strengthen you emotionally and mentally. Teenagers need to know that there are as many sunny days as there are rainy, meaning all bad days have good ones up ahead.


The reason I picked this quote and touched on the topic of pain is because I want struggling teenagers to know it gets better. I want them to know that nothing can really hold you down, so long as you know that there is something inside you that perseveres against all obstacles. Nothing can stop you; you just have to believe in yourself and realize that the pain you're feeling now will only make you stronger.


I hope this post gets out to those in pain. Trust me, it does get better. You just have to recognize your “core of strength” that keeps you going no matter how many people try to stop you. Your “core of strength” can be anything from religion to your family and friends. Keep strong! Below is a friend of mine's blog. She gives advice for almost any problems you have. Check it out and see you next week.


Friend's blog: www.kitkat2015.blogspot.com


Source for quote: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/maxlerner138970.html#L6qYlWm3JaQCvPwm.99

Respect

Hello, everyone! I hope you all have had a decent week. Today's topic is respect.
It seems like people don't respect one another these days. I’m not talking just about teenagers' diminishing respect for their peers and elders, but also about the  decreasing respect shown between two adults.
This is a serious and escalating problem. Teenagers are bad-mouthing old men; politicians are cutting each other off; adults are disrespecting other adults in public places; the list goes on and on.
When I was a child, I remember my parents showing respect to me, their peers, and their elders. My mom would give up her seat for an elderly lady; my dad would hold the door or give way to an elderly man, and neither of them showed disrespect towards each other. In my elementary school, we were taught to stand up and say good morning or good afternoon to the principal when she walked in, a sign of respect. I was taught that the elderly were wise and can bestow wisdom. I was taught that my parents deserve respect because of the sacrifices they made to have me. I was taught that I should respect my peers because I would want respect from them. Where did these lessons go?
Nowadays, nobody would give their seat to an elderly man. No one would hold the door open for a lady carrying an armful of stuff. People are cutting off old men while driving, and people have absolutely no respect for their friends. THEIR FRIENDS!! In “Kill Bill,” Elle showed respect for The Bride even though she hated her.
What is the reason for this? Is it the music bashing the opposite sex? Is it the tv shows showing the main characters disrespecting their parents? Is it the feeling that young people have these days that old people are useless rather than useful?
Society needs to lock down on this issue. If we don't respect others then what differentiates us from animals? What would make us so special, because cutting off others is an animalistic thing to do. We should teach kids the value of respect, and start practicing what we preach. Who knows? This can be the cure of most of society's problems.
Do you agree that respect is diminishing or think its the social norm? Do you feel it is important enough to make changes in media, or would the whole thing pass over on its own? State your opinion in the comment box below and I will try my best to reply.

Teens in News

Hi everyone! I hope you've had a great week and will have a pleasant weekend. Today's topic is teens and the news.


It seems, as of late, teenagers are the subject of many news stories. They're either victims or offenders or just plain disturbing the peace.


On February 5, 2013, two teens were rescued from the pond in Central Park. How did they get there, you ask? They thought it was completely frozen. On February 2, 2013, there was footage of a large group of teens crowding a magazine stand. Were they buying magazines? No, they were  stealing the treats underneath the magazines. The poor owner stated that they "came out of nowhere and took everything!"

What is causing this reckless behavior? Is it the music we hear, or the dares our friends throw down? And even if it is the latter, what causes them to make such dares?I think it's society. No one really pays attention to us teens unless we're doing something reckless. It's like we're screaming for someone to hear us, but everyone pays no mind; so we push something over to draw attention and automatically become the bad guy.


Why can't there be more coverage of the teen volunteers who help clean out homes that got destroyed in Hurricane Sandy? Why is it that only one network gives out awards to teens who do great things? Why are school newspapers the only printed medium that covers a student's good work? Why is all the attention going to the handful of celebrities who actually help out others, but none to the unknown people where only a handful don't do anything?


I think covering teens doing good things in media can be beneficial. For one, it can cut down the amount of good kids committing suicide. Also, it can cut down the crime rate (9% of homicides are performed by teens). The results are hazy for now, but how would we know the benefits or downfalls of something if we don't try that something?


Agree? Disagree? Put your thoughts below and I will reply.

Posting Your Life on the Internet

Hello everyone! I hope you all have had a great week. Today's topic is on people and the Internet.
Is it me or is everyone putting their lives on the Internet? Every time someone gets a coke— “boom”—they tweet it with the hashtag #thirsty. If someone is having relationship problems, all of their friends on Facebook know by now. If someone thinks their outfit is cute and want opinions, hello Instagram!
I doubt that these websites were created for personal reasons-- well except Instagram-- and should be used as such. Facebook was created so people can connect with others they haven't talked to in a while. It's not for you to complain about how much you hate single life. It's not for the world to know how upset you are so don't mention it-- which makes me wonder why post it to the Internet in the first place. It's for you to say, "Hey! That's Ricky from kindergarten. I wonder how he's doing?" That is what Facebook is all about; it even states that in the signup screen. Twitter is made for you to know what's going on with big companies and celebrities-- people will actually care and publish what goes on in their life-- not for you to "inform" us on your recent beverage purchase.
The reason I'm ranting about this is because nothing is private anymore. You tick someone off, it's on Facebook the next hour. Your relationship status changes, you must update it for the world to see. Doing this is creating a lot of problems— relationships are being broken, friendships are falling apart, and people are getting more reasons to distrust the people around them.
Why are we compelled to let the world know what we're thinking—when we're thinking it— almost every second of the day? Why can't we just keep our thoughts to ourselves and write them in a diary like the good ol days? What changed in society that made it okay, to publicized everything?
Do you know the answer or maybe have different concerns over this that I have not mentioned? Note it in the comment box below.

Everyone Hates the Main Character

Hello everyone! I hope you all have had a nice week.
Is it me, or is everyone against the main characters these days? Everyone seems to be rooting for the supporting characters rather than the center character.
Back when shows like “Lizzie McGuire” and “Kim Possible” were on, I used to love the main character solely because they were the main character. You knew their background story, their interests, and what makes them tick, and that made me feel like they were the most important. The other characters were not as developed and, to me, we're made to be less important. The main character was really the center of the show and was usually the likable, sunny character (excluding shows like" Dexter's Laboratory" and "Invader Zim"). About 99% of the supporting characters would like them (usually there are like 3 or less girls who hate them, just to create unnecessary conflict) making you like them too. Don't get me wrong–they deserved to be liked in those shows. In "Lizzie McGuire", Lizzie always stood up for her friends and herself and taught us right from wrong. In "Kim Possible", Kim saved the world on a daily basis, while juggling schoolwork and a social life and taught us that we can do anything. Raven from "That's So Raven" taught me that I can make things better– no matter how bad it looks. With these values and how they were portrayed, it was impossible not to love them.
Nowadays, the main character is either really snobby or amped up. Also it seems as though producers are giving the supporting characters more backstory and depth than in the earlier days. Like in "Victorious", I believe most of us can agree that Tori isn't the best voice in the fictional Hollywood Arts. Some might say Jade's voice is the best or Cat's, maybe even Andrè’s, but we can all agree that it is not Tori. I don't really understand why Tori is portrayed as sensational in the first place. She's the "girl next door" stereotype that most of us are tired of seeing. The other characters are really interesting and aren't the conventional characters as you may think. A prime example is Jade West; if anyone would see her, they would automatically think she is some bad girl who constantly wants to put a nice girl, like Tori, down. That is true but there's more depth to that; it seems like she messes with everyone–not just Tori–and her father might have a cause for that. She is very talented, contrasting from the conventional mean-girl persona.  She is not mean to Tori all of the time, and she knows right from wrong (example being when she gave Tori her spot in the Platinum Music Awards after she stole it). Now Jade doesn't seem like the cookie-cutter mean girl, right?
Another character that doesn't seem to be "omg I'll love you forever" is Kacey Simon from "How to Rock". From the episodes I've seen so far, all Kacey is teaching me is do whatever you can to be the best and just apologize to those you've hurt afterwards. Episode after episode, all she seems to care about is beating this girl, Molly, and most of the time, she ends up hurting her friends only to apologize later. What is the point of teaching kids something like that? Is it so they can be backstabbing, overachievers? Kids should learn to appreciate their friends and treat them right, not stomp on them so they can reach the top and just apologize afterwards.
Maybe that's why everyone is loving the other characters nowadays. The other characters are less diabolical and more loving than the main character. Agree? Disagree? Both and just want to add an opinion? Click that comment box below and voice your opinion. Until next week fellow readers!

Politics These Days

Happy holidays to everyone! I hope that you all have had a joyous and restful break during the season. This week I would like to talk about teens’ involvement in politics as of late.
In my circle, my friends and I were never interested in politics. We were "going through the motions" when it came to Election Day and the presidential campaign. We didn't care,and when we found out who won, our reaction was "Oh really? Cool." Then repeat for the next four years.
When I saw Obama running for his first term back in 2008, I, all of a sudden, became enamored of politics. I really wanted Obama to win because he seemed to be for the middle class. Also it was exciting to see history being made since he would be the first African-American president.
This change in teens’ political involvement was pointed out to me by a friend. She agrees that teens and young children are more interested in politics these days. One of my colleagues, at the age of 16, has a blog based on politics. Nickelodeon has a school-wide poll, letting kids vote for who they want as president. First Lady Michelle Obama has reached out to kids by starring in children's shows like “iCarly” and programs like Nickelodeon's “Worldwide Day of Play”.
I believe children are getting more interested in politics because of the outreach from politicians, and I think politicians are reaching out because they feel like children should get more involved; it's only a matter of time before they're voting themselves.
I think this is a good change compared to earlier years. Now children will have an idea of what to expect when they turn 18 and start to vote. It also makes children feel better about themselves knowing in some way their voices are being heard and they're making a change for their country.
I will post the link of my colleague’s blog below. Also feel free to comment and I will reply.
http://campaigningforteens.blogspot.com

Off Topic

I am going off-topic again this week. I just want to bring up something that most of you might agree on.

Mostly everything we believe in is based on our perception. The perfect example of this is the “villain” in a movie or a show.

The reason “villain” is in quotations because how do we really know that this person is evil? How do we know that he or she is doing these despicable actions to save their families? It’s because the movie/show makes you perceive this person as evil. Certain movies/shows don’t go in depth into this “villain’s” life and show why or how they became like that. They allow no sympathy for them.

One example is a show from my childhood, Kim Possible. Kim Possible is about a teen heroine who saves the world daily. Her main foes are Dr. Drakken and Shego. Dr. Drakken is pretty much harmless because without his muscle, Shego, he is just a madman. In one of the movies that spun off the show, So the Drama, Kim Possible ends up kicking Shego into the electrical tower. Shego is electrocuted, but since she has superpowers, she is fine and is arrested with really frizzy hair. Had Shego been a normal person, she would have died. Kim Possible wouldn't have been blamed because it would be viewed as "justice" even though a life is lost. What if Shego killed Kim Possible to protect herself? Would it be still viewed as justice?

Another example is in the show The Powerpuff Girls. The Powerpuff Girls is about three young girls, five- or six-year-olds who are artificially created by Professor Utonium, using sugar, spice, and everything nice. He accidentally spills Chemical X into the concoction,  and pow! the Powerpuff girls pop out. They, too, save the day on a daily basis. They practically beat villains to unconsciousness, and I remember cheering and smiling when that happened. When the villains were winning I was upset because I thought "how could anyone treat three young girls like that?" Now that I'm older I understand how biased these plots were. How do I know that the villains aren't just teaching them a lesson, and that they were really protecting the girls from a more sadistic villain. It was because the show wasn't set up like that; it was set up for children to cheer on the girls because they were shown as "good" and to berate the villains because they were "bad".

Have these kinds of movies and shows really taught us  black-and-white thinking? We were taught to quickly judge people because we perceived their actions as bad without knowing the reason behind it.  But as time goes on, we realize that there are no clear, distinct ways to distinguish good from bad. We know it's wrong to kill people, but what if it was to save a loved one? We know it's wrong to steal, but what if a loved one wished for something on their deathbed and you didn't have any money to buy it?

Is it because people believe children are too young to learn about the gray areas of life? I believe by not teaching children about this gray area, children learn to judge people too quickly because other people don't share the same views. Disagree or agree? Write your opinions below and feel free to discuss.