Pearl Henry

I chose to show the stress and unrealistic expectations adults put on teenagers. Teenagers are usually viewed as lazy, immature and rebellious by adults, but a big factor in making teenagers actually act like this is adults putting too much on them, leading to things like drugs, not doing their work, acting out, etc. which continues the cycle. Being a teenager is already hard enough, trying to navigate how life works and deciding what and who you want to be. Prioritizing things like grades above everything else such as mental health makes teenagers grow unhealthy habits and have a warped perspective of what their expectations are. Adults expect teenagers to act like adults but then they treat them as less than and won’t let them have a say in anything which is not only an extremely easy way to lose trust but also is extremely hypocritical.

Jessica Melero

I chose to write about teenagers for my single story. Teenagers are often misunderstood and stereotyped for being lazy, delinquent, and rebellious. Although for some it may appear that these things are true, in reality they are dealing with something much greater. Teenagers have lots of struggles and go through their own personal battles everyday. Whether these challenges are big or small, we are still having to deal with them and the strain put on our mental health. Teens are expected to go to school and complete all work on time. Often times this leads to an increase in depression and anxiety. I can attest to this because I have a firsthand account with my mental health decreasing because of school. Teens who are seen as delinquents often don’t have a steady home life and loving family at home. They have no one showing them the right way so they give up and create their own by doing whatever they want even if if it is damaging. The battles faced inside are just as important as the battles faced outside. All of these things add up to create this challenging part of life that we all have to experience and shouldn’t be stereotyped for.