Current Discussions

64 responses so far ↓

• 1    Christi Robinson // Apr 28, 2007 at 3:44 pm

  There are many myths surrounding the teenage experience. I have four kids of my own (1 girl, 24 and 3 boys, 22, 21 and 16) and I know that once they hit 12, they are really just little adults. They have their problems, believe me. But they’ve also had their successes, plenty of them. How is that so different than the adults I know? They are just younger, and so have less experience doing life. They are smart, creative, fun, sensitive, able, stubborn, loving, and challenging, all at once.

  Not unlike adults, teens have struggles, real life struggles. Parents fight, siblings get in trouble, money is tight, family members die, friends betray, household responsibilities leave little time for fun, jobs and school make many demands. Everyone expects something from teenagers. Teens must learn to balance all these life issues, just like adults do. But most teens also have many good things in their lives. Loving family & friends, supportive teachers, a good school environment, part-time jobs, opportunities for college, etc.

  The media often portrays teens as carefree, fun-seeking children who shun responsibility, or as troubled, violent, and angry. But this portrayal seems to follow the rule of the law of the excluded middle, leaving out those kids who, in reality, make up most of the crowd. There are many teens out there who are living balanced lives, juggling school, church, sports, music, clubs, home, and throwing a little fun in there to keep it real. The media often wants us to look only at the “extremes” whether it be in gender roles, or stereotyping of any kind. Teen girls cast in most roles are from what I call the Hollywood “beautiful people” crowd: airbrushed, polished, coifed, and clothed to the nines. This is not reality. At least not for most of the girls I know. Subtle implications for guys are that certain ways of dressing are not “masculine” and therefore unacceptable. All girls aren’t skinny and beautiful, and all guys aren’t buff and sports-oriented. Nor are these things all kids think about. The sad thing is that because the media puts these images out there constantly, what teen could keep from thinking about it more often than they should? Teens often have unrealistic expectations of themselves because repeated media bombardment plants these ideas in their heads.

  Our group will be focusing on gender stereotyping in the media, so we’d love any comments you have on your own experiences with this. Good luck.

• 2    kevinlomilis // Apr 30, 2007 at 9:32 pm

  The myths that adults have of teens are just because they want some one to blame so they use teens as an (escape goat) they don’t want to think that its also some thing that they do as well. And the media is were the myths come from. Adults watch the news and see that it’s a problem and teenagers are the only ones for them to blame and put it on. While they but the problem on teens they don’t comprehend about what they have done and were they have gone wrong.

• 3    Katie // May 1, 2007 at 8:56 pm

  My group was also talking about certain stereotypes and, more specifically, we were focusing on drugs. An issue that was raised in our group was about drug stereotyping and how teachers/adults assume that certain teens are using drugs based on the teen’s appearance. And it’s not even just the adults and teens anymore- other peers have started to stereotype or, judge rather, other peers by how they look. This guy wears a certain kind of clothing and so that makes him a druggie. This girl acts and dresses a certain way, so she must parties and drink heavily. I have had a few teens say that they have actually had a teacher come up to them and offer them help/drug counseling for their problem when… that teen has never come within 5 feet of any kind of drug in their entire life! There is a fine line between stereotyping and just judging a person, and I think that both of these problems stem from the media (TV and Movies) and their portrayal of the “stereotypical teens”- aka the cheerleaders and athletes drink and do drugs but the smarter students in the class or the band kids, etc. have never come near the stuff. The teens I spoke to said that these stereotypes really bother them because adults classify these teens into categories and stereotypes with nothing to base their conclusions on.

• 4    Evangelina Sanchez // May 1, 2007 at 11:56 pm

  I strongly believe that adults forget what it is to be a young adult. This seems to make it easier for the adults to play on these stereotypes, and further encourage them especially in the media. Movies about teens are all about drug and and alcohol abuse, and because these types of movies succeed, they make the stereotype a lot more acceptable. I believe this is an unfair fight. Adults are the ones controlling the media, and unfortunately teens are unable to voice their own opinion.

• 5    Mimi Lee // May 2, 2007 at 2:44 am

  I have worked with teens for a little more than half my life and found that most teens are not as irresponsible or unconcerned about life as adults think. In fact, I am quite surprised at how much concern one has for the future as well as the present. The former concerns deal with issues of college and career while the latter deal with finding an identity within peer society. In talking with various teens I have found that the mentality on issues discussed above are quite mature and rational. I have actually received some really good advice from teens instead of my own peers. Perhaps it is because teens are not as corrupted yet from, as adults would put it, “the harsh realities of life” (as if life wasn’t a reality as a teen).

  It might seem that teens are quick to act and make rash decisions because of age. However, age is just a number. People used to get married at the age of 15 or 16 a long time ago. What makes it unsafe or illogical that teens should think about sex at the same age now? Isn’t it biological? I think that teens realize that there is more to lose now than ever before. Through the medial are stories of sports figures (for the boys) of overcoming adversity and reaching fame. The same goes for girls when looking at shows like America’s Next Top Model.

  The uncertainty that teens are not as stabalized as adults in mind and body is ridiculous. We should just view teens as not experienced in certain areas but not label them as incompetent. They have room to grow and develop brighter and better than former generations.

• 6    Elizabeth Reyes // May 2, 2007 at 2:46 am

  Our group has focused on how everyone stereotypes teens or adults by the way they dress. If a teen female goes to school with a short skirt, tang top and high heel boots she is automatically classified as being a slut. Well, lets turn that around to an adult. If a mom goes to pick up her child at school in the same clothing as the teen, she too will be sterotyped by her peers as a slut. I can go on with many examples but it seems that we all (okay, some people not all) jump to conclusions. We tend to make a visual assumption of the persons qualities.
  The teens in our group reminded us of the rumor cycle at school. This affects a teen because the rumor cylce is very powerful. The rumor starts out one way and it viciously grows by the end of the day. Teens enjoy hurting those people they do not like or are envious of. It continues to be a cycle that can be worked on, but the results would last for a short time. I always tell my kids, “If you have nothing nice to say, then don’t say anything.” Well, this too last for a short time, but I continue to remind them.

• 7    Anthony Mize // May 2, 2007 at 5:40 pm

  The stereotyping of teens stems from two things, fear and power. A good percentage of our parents (for college aged students) lived through the sixties, one of the most tumultuous times in our nations history, particularly for teens of that generation. It seems like the backlash from that generation is still being felt by teens of America today. It appears that teens in the sixties were much more open to drugs and sex then teens are today. Our parents didn’t want us to go down that same path, and recreate the same mistakes they did, whether it be drug use, sex, having children at a young age, etc. It is fear from parents and adults that have created this stereotyping of teens. Adults/Parents don’t want the same mistakes made by their children as they did in their generation. By having this notion that all that all teens are trouble makers, and making bad decisions the media and adult world can control what mainstream America feels about teens. To expand on what was commented in class the other day, “sexiness” sells stories, publications, and newscasts. Nobody wants to hear that teens planted a garden or attended a church to give back to the community. If we wanted that we would read more Hallmark cards. Stories of teen drug use on the rise, and pregnancy amongst teens sell publications, and increase ratings.

• 8    Ana Rivas // May 3, 2007 at 12:25 am

  I believe that a reason that these stereotypes or myths arise about teens is because of what adults assume teens are doing. Sometimes its based on what they have experience through their adolescence but sometimes its just prejudice towards teens, as many adults view teens as a threat to society. Another major influence is what we see in the media- like TV shows ex: Save by the Bell- where students are either the pretty cheerleader, the smart but unpopular girl, or just the dorky guy that everyone seems the avoid.
  But in some cases, it may not have to be just made up tv shows but current events that lead people to begins such stereotypes ex: Colombine Shooting, 9/11 terrorist attacks, and most recent one – Virginia Tech massacre.
  Ive had the chance to talk to some middle school and high school students and they dont view things as the media or stereotypes portray them to be. Instead, many teens are school oriented, looking forward to getting higher education, which they know at the end will help them and their families. Many teenagers have a “mature” view of sex and drugs that many teenagers had a few years back. The reason for that is because they have seen close relatives face the consequences of those actions and the subject is no longer a “secret” conversation. The majority of people talk about it and although it may make some people uncomfortable at first, its better to know what your getting into than having to face something “blinded” by ignorance.

• 9    Angela Walker // May 3, 2007 at 9:29 am

  The expression “don’t judge a book by its cover” seems to apply in stereotyping teens. It’s not what’s on the outside that is important but who’s on the inside. Getting to know someone is better than catecoriizing them into stereotypes.
  In looking at teen stereotyping it shows the American culture as blaming teens as “scapegoats” without looking at the bigger picture. Statistics, in the books we’ve looked at in class show that adults are in a higher percentage with drug, alcohol, and cigarette problems than teens. Maybe the adults don’t want to look closely at themselfs. If there’s a problem it’s in the bigger picture and not just with teens.
  Teens have buying power. This is one reason why teens are targeted by corporations wanting to make a profit in cosmetics, fashion, music, film and so on. The teen stereotype is what the public wants to believe.
  I think our study about teen stereotyping and presentations will help us all to be more discerning when we see or hear about teens in the media. We’ll see more clearly how teens are portrayed and targeted, and be able to discern if it’s truth or not.

• 10    Evelyn Gomez // May 3, 2007 at 3:43 pm

  Our group will be focusing on teen racial stereotypes. I have found that racial stereotyping has become so common that people dont even notice that they are doing it. People think that all teens from certain ethnicities act a certain way. Teens are affected by this because their teachers and society in general have preconseived notions about them. This creates a self-fulfilling prophecy because the teens are expected to act a certain way and eventually they do.
  I think that the media takes a part in supporting this myth. Ethnic stereotypes can be seen in movies, books, and tv shows. Our goal is to try to dispel this myth and show that teens of all ethnicities are not clumped up in a certain group.

• 11    Danielle Baker // May 3, 2007 at 3:57 pm

  Even I am aware that I have been at fault for seeing teens as being still ‘kids.’ When I stopped to think about it, I remembered how I felt at that age, how much I disliked being downplayed. Although it was true that I had a lot more to learn, and still do, that doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t recognize teens for what they are: young adults.

• 12    Daniel Nungaray // May 3, 2007 at 4:21 pm

  I have found websites that are directed on teen stereostypes which pretty much means we are looked down on which is pretty harsh . I shall continue my researsh on tenn violence

• 13    cjwegner // May 3, 2007 at 4:37 pm

  Mrs. Milis thinks that more NAHS students should post to the blog. Hey, where are your voices. This project is about YOU! I want to hear how you are doing on this project.

• 14    Jonathan Frankson // May 3, 2007 at 4:48 pm

  On the topic of teen violence the question is how it compares to that of full grown adults within the media perspective? The media often portrays teen violence as being on the rise and a constant problem to the society we live in. They even have come up with Optional Defiant Disorder to discribe teens that are defiant in reguards to; arguing with adults, being angry with others , blaming others for thier mistakes and exhibiting constant trouble with schooling athorities. That sounds like something anybody of any age can do. So are teens more prone to violence than adults or is this just a misconception. If true teens are often considered the scapegoat of our society and its problems.
  The Virginia Tech massacre is an example of an adult comitting violence and often is confused with a teenage violence. Although adults presumbly assume through thier rational it was a teen crime it was in fact not. 23-year-old Cho Seung-Hui of Centreville was compared to the violence columbine a teen crime. The question than remains is teen violence as big as a problem as people believe. Our group wishes to tackle this misconception.

• 15    Carolynn Cleveland // May 3, 2007 at 9:12 pm

  When our group started our research to dispel the myth that teens are overly involved in drug and alcohol use I thought we were going to have a bit of difficulty proving that it was in fact a myth. I know personally that not all teens are involved in heavy drug and alcohol use; my own brother (who is now 18) was never involved in any drug or alcohol use, and he still isn’t. His friends are in the same mindset, and they too have never used drugs or alcohol. However, I knew that many people saw this problem in a different light, espeically adults and parents. I knew of many anti-drug and alcohol campaigns that existed. Many were started by parents of junior high and high school children. These groups have online websites and discuss ways to solve the “problems of underage drinking and drug use.” What surprised me was that there were also a lot of anti-drug and alcohol campaigns and websites out there that were created exclusively for teens. On these sites they tried to prove that the common perception that teens were out of control with drugs and alcohol was just not true. They offered statistics that showed drug use was declining among teenagers and gave numerous other statistics proving that “most” teens were not engaging in excessive drug and alcohol use. These sites had links to studies that had been conducted especially to dispel the this myth. They also included stories from teens across the country about why they choose not to use drugs and alcohol. It was enlightening and I am glad that our group chose to do this topic. I feel it has already shown me that teens indeed do want to squash unfair myths that have been perpetuated over the years. Hopefully it will help fellow teens and adults see them in a new light.

• 16    Jill N. // May 4, 2007 at 2:34 am

  Wow, this sure is an interesting project. I am learning a lot about working in a group and about how people relate to eachother. Not just teens and adults, but adults and adults! Today in our meeting at the library we talked a bit about the issue of being Emo. Does anyone have any insight into this topic? Any opinions about this group you want to share? Does the exsistence of such a group say anything about gender stereotypes or myths about boys in our culture?
  NAHS students, please respond!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  Thanks! Looking forward to working with some of you and seeing everybody’s presentations!

• 17    Anne Wilde // May 4, 2007 at 6:14 pm

  As the parent of two boys, ages 8 and 10, it’s been interesting watching their generation for many reasons, but one in particular is the current trend of bucking the gender sterotype roles through clothing. It seems, at least at the upper elementary school and middle school levels, that there are less “girly-girls” in pink frills & lace and more of them that are comfortable in boys jeans & skateboard/brand shirts. On the flip side, the trend right now seems to be boys in tighter, more feminine jeans. Longer hair on boys is almost the majority now. One of my 10-year old’s friends’ teenage brother (a senior in high school who plays varsity football and baseball) showed up to their baseball game the other day in a pink polo-type shirt. He got (jokingly) teased a lot by some of the dads at the field, but none of the 10 & 11 year olds said anything – it didn’t seem to bother the kids or the kid wearing the shirt! Another one of my son’s friends confided in him recently that his dad was really upset that he had put a pink Nintendo DS Lite on his Christmas list this past year… the boy got the DS Lite, but it was black. It seems like my generation (I am 37) and older almost perpetuate the gender sterotyping to some degree, while the current youth is more comfortable stepping outside those strereotypes. I’d really love to hear back from NAHS students about their own thoughts about this. If a boy in high school is seen with a pink iPOD, or a girl dresses in boys jeans/clothing, how is this received & perceived by his/her classmates? Is this something that is more accepted today?

• 18    Narine Avetisyan // May 4, 2007 at 7:16 pm

  In America today, there are many myths about teens and their lifestyles. Myths that include the thought that teens are abusing drugs and alcohol, how they don’t care about the environment and how they don’t care about their future. Personally, I think that it is just a made up phenomenon that was blown way out of proportion by adults. Yeah, its true that they are under a lot of pressure from adults to grow up and mature, but who isn’t under any kind of pressure. Adults, like teenagers, face the same kinds of problems; issues such as social acceptance and doing well in scool and in some cases their jobs. The teenage years are a mini replica of the adult world, and since the adulthood doesn’t have an exact and definite age range, it is easier to just jump on the bandwagon and blame all of societies problmes on teenagers. Doing this project has reassured my view on teenagers, that they are not what the media portrays them to be. They, like every other human being, have problems that they need to deal with, and some of them are lost just like many adults.

• 19    Cindy Guardado // May 4, 2007 at 7:45 pm

  I believe that teens are just used as an excuse for adults to avoid their faults. Teens have been smoking, drinking, having sex, for a very long period of time. It hasnt only been this generation, but it has been all of the ones before this one. Adults dont see this isssue, and dont really put themselves in that position, not mentioning that they could have done bad things before. The problems that society blames on teens, are the same issues that they should be blaming on adults. Adults smoke, drink, do drugs, why not blame them?
  Teens are just easy to blame because they have no legal rights. They are the escape goats for those individuals who believe that they are too good to be blamed for something. On the other hand, adults and society should encourage teens to become good people by rewarding their good behavior. That way many “problems” would vanish.

• 20    Norma Aceves // May 4, 2007 at 9:11 pm

  It is interesting to see that everyone seems to be having their own conversation with themselves. Through a combination of watching the videos, research, personal experience, and reading these blogs, I have developed a lot of ideas about this topic of the misperception of teens. Like, some have said before, the media is going to produce what sells and two drastically different images of teens are out in the world of television. These are the image of the “really great teens.” The precocious teens who are either raising billions of dollars for a charity or are so smart they are in college much earlier than they are supposed to. The other image out there is the drastically “ill behavioured teens.” These are the teens who are out there dying, killing, or creating some sort of havok in their worlds.

  I found it particularely interesting to look at teen violence, which since no one from my group has directly mentioned this, I took it upon myself to address our topic. My group is examining the scope of the stereotype that says teens are violent. The issue I found most interesting to help dispell this theory that teens are prone to violence. It started with going to the museum of Psychiatry. Looking at the industry of mental health. It is interesting that billions of dollars are going to this area of market to cure the new mental diseases that are coming into light. Medications such as Prozac are being widely distributed to help cure some of these mental disorders, and interestingly enough the peopel who take these medications are more prone to suicide and violence.

  Someone mentioned earlier about the incident at Virginia Tech. This is a great example of what I am talking about. It so happens that he was under the influence of the famous anti-depressant. It is also interesting that a lot of teens who have been attached to a violent act were perscribed with medications such as prozac. It is interesting that people are so quick to judge teens by even looking at them after having these heavy images of violence on television. It is unfortunate however that most of these accusations are not true for the majority of the teen population. This whole research has made me look at teens in a different way. If there was a way to prove the media wrong and start a mass campaign, maybe some of these stereotypes could one day cease and teens could be appreciated for the mature, determined, and passionate individuals they are.

• 21    Jose Morales // May 4, 2007 at 9:50 pm

  The truth is, the media resorts to sensationalism in order to boost their ratings. Adults want to tune in and see an exposé that perpetuates their negative preconceived notions. Therefore, teens are constantly shown in a bad light, magnifying the extreme worst cases as the norm. It is important to keep in mind that the media presents carefully chosen representations and not a complete picture.

  Teens are just people: they are not drug-fueled, out-of-control criminals; and they are not naive, cherubic Norman Rockwell angels either. Teens are people who are on their way to learning what it means to be an adult. It doesn not help that television demonizes middle and high school students (shoving consumer products down their throats during commerical breaks), but being able to recognize stereotypes as distorted portrayls helps to combat those imposed misperceptions.

• 22    Norma Aceves // May 4, 2007 at 11:31 pm

  This misconception of teens reminds me of something. It puts my life into perspective. My parents are highly influenced by the media. All my life I have been put into a “box” of over protection and anytime I would ask any reasons, their only answer is they trust me, but they do not trust my peers. Ever since highschool, they have had this picture in mind that teens are wild and crazy. Also, that they are dangerous. Or else why would they have overprotected me so much. It took a lot to get them to trust my life as a college students. Again, the idea that young adults drink, party, and do drugs. Every week end, I go home and I get suspiscious looks all because of this image that the media built up.

• 23    Natacha M. Bangura // May 4, 2007 at 11:45 pm

  When I look back on my adolescents and even now, I have always thought that the reason that I was not doing all the drinking, sexing, and partying that I saw portrayed in the media was because my mommy wouldn’t let me. Over and over again I saw in the media images of teens partying it up, getting into car crashes while racing, doing drugs, getting pregnant, but as I looked around at myself and the teens that I knew, I just didn’t see that image being reflected. It never occurred to me until now, that maybe it wasn’t just that “everyone was doing it but me”, but that in reality no one was really doing all of that. Me and my friends never drank, never smoked cigarettes, never did drugs, never snuck out, never even had sex. So were we just the biggest nerds ever? Or is the truth that the media, by perpetuating these myths about wild teens, was only fueling the idea in the minds of teens that that’s the way they were supposed to be behaving?
  I know that there are those teens that go out and do all the wild horrible terrible things that we hear about in the media. But I think that those instances are few and far between. The biggest negative event that happened in my teen life was a boy I had a crush on committing suicide because he was gay and felt that no one would understand. I think that that event only goes to further prove how teen gender roles are forced on us, and if we don’t fit the mold, we feel that we can’t live here.
  Sadly now it has been almost ten years since I graduated from high school and things are still the same, if not worse. The media is still saying that teens are nothing but trouble, and teens are still trying to fight that stereotype. What’s worse is, that as I’ve gotten older I’ve only began to buy into those stereotypes about teens. Something that from this day forward, I will work to change.

• 24    Ani Mkrtchyan // May 5, 2007 at 12:14 am

  Our group decided to argue against the myth of teen drug and alcohol abuse being out of control. We discussed how media portrays these teens falsely and fails to address many issues such as environmental factors or how the teens were raised. This is apparently a very controversial topic but the main concern is how adults fail to understand that they too were teenagers once and in many cases were probably peered pressured or found themselves in situations or places where underage alcohol and drug use took place. What can make a positive change in this phenomenon that teen drug and alcohol use is out of control are campaigns in which during our research we found were prevalent in our society. Campaigns such as the anti-drug program called D.A.R.E and the many commercials prove to be effective for our younger generation.
  Not only did our group decided that teen drug and alcohol use being out of control as indeed being a myth but i decided to ask my younger sister who is currently a senior in high school how she feels about this topic (whom I’m very close to) and I came to the conclusion that not only does she not use drugs and alcohol but neither do her friends and more than most of her peers and classmates. This further evidence proves that this is only a myth and a misconception made by adults who will probably continue to debate this topic until they come to their realizations that stereo-typing our younger generation is not what will make a difference but instead going out there and actually giving a helping hand to these teenagers will.

• 25    Daniel Monteleone // May 5, 2007 at 1:59 am

  My group decided to do our research on Teen Sex. Since the assignment is about dispelling myths, it seems like we are required to only use information that dispels the myth that “All teens talk about is sex.” According to the research, we discovered that for the most part teen sex is down. For all age groups 15 and over, the amount of sex that is occuring is going down. The major issue that I (and I’m sure other adults) have problems with is that many of the numbers are UP for children under 15. When I was 14, I was busy attempting to go from Kissing to French Kissing. The idea that teens that age are increasing their sex at that age is rather frightening to adults. However, I suppose we can take refuge in the fact that those numbers are still relatively small, and that OVERALL, teen sex IS down.

• 26    Daniel Monteleone // May 5, 2007 at 2:06 am

  I’m interested to see if anyone is addressing the issue of “ethnic stereotyping.” While all races are equal, the levels of education, crime, family structure, and various other statistics are different for each race. Though some of these are beyond the control of the youths (family structure), others such as crime are not. I’m wondering if a) any group is even going to address such a touchy subject and b) which part of the topic that group would address.
  As a double-major, I did a Political Science research topic on ethnic stereotypes for all ages, but I never did anything that singled out the teenagers. I was wondering if anyone will be working on that. Thank you

• 27    Clay Roberson // May 5, 2007 at 2:55 am

  The hard part about this project is the fact that the myths about kids using drugs is so embedded in our culture, that it’s very difficult to find people who have said things to the contrary. For many, including the experts, It can be so much easier to believe that a kid is doing drugs because movies and the media are constantly reinforcing this idea to the public. An interesting fact that my group has found is that so few teen deaths are caused by drugs, while the number of adult drug-related deaths is astounding. I agree with so many of these comments because it is so much easier to blame kids (or anybody else for that matter) for problems in our society, rather than look at the society as a whole to place blame. Adults can blame this group on a general basis, because they can’t really fight back. They can’t vote, and if they complain, adults once again may just attribute it to the fact that they are teenagers. I also agree on some of these comments that I’ve read, that so many adults have forgotten about what it is like to be a teenager, to get excited/frustrated/pissed off at the tiniest little things. Once you become an adult, you get a better handle on your emotions and priorities, so you just become grateful that you don’t have to deal with the fact that you aren’t a teenager anymore.

• 28    Daniel Monteleone // May 5, 2007 at 3:04 am

  Commenting on Clay’s, there is the whole idea that adults see an action once and assume it is universal. I was at Taco Bell (by Northridge) and witnessed two teenage boys (14 or 15) walk up to a kids car (16 or 17) and bought a bag of marijuana from him. May have been the first drug deal to take place outside a Taco Bell by teenagers, but it made me think there was more drug usage in Northridge than I’d thought previously

• 29    Elizabeth Reyes // May 5, 2007 at 12:15 pm

  Dan’s comment on the drug sale he watched, made me think what impact is the DARE program having on these kids. The curriculum is focused on drugs and alcohol and its outcomes. The students are shown videos and have a live reenactment of drunk driving. They graduate from this program learning what? If they feel so at easy to purchase drugs and consume alcohol with no second thoughts what do they think of other issues like sex or violent acts. Do they have the same casual cool attitude about it? I would be intrested to hear from the NAHS students their views and any one else in Dr. Baxter’s class that might have gone through the DARE progam in high school.

• 30    Jill N. // May 5, 2007 at 4:26 pm

  When I was in high school in the 1980s (anyone remember the 80s?), most teenagers were experimenting with drugs, alcohol and sex. Not all, but most. I remember when I went to the senior prom when I was a sophmore and some of my friends were doing cocaine! I couldn’t believe it. I went to two more senior proms and I saw it at every one! Guys were getting plastered and diving off water towers and driving into stone walls. But, there were a lot of kids who didn’t do those things and were home safe in their beds by 11 pm. I was going to the local bars when I was sixteen. I went because that’s where the older, “cool” boys were. My mom let me have boys in my room with the door closed! I was a good kid. I was not a rebel, my parents didn’t give me anything to rebel against. I never got into any trouble, I never got addicted to any drugs, I never got pregnant. I did start smoking cigarettes when I was 13, mostly because of peer pressure and wanting to look cool and it took me 20 some odd years to quit. I struggle with it every day. Adolesence is a time to explore new things, exert your independance, challenge authority and just plain old have fun. That’s just the way it is. Not everyone does it, but a lot do. That doesn’t mean teenagers are bad or crazy or evil. We all know people do drugs no matter what age. More adults than kids. It is just an aspect of our society. I believe that 90% of it is how you are raised and what you see your parents doing. Do your parents perpetuate these myths? What makes this project so incredibly challenging is that there are these myths out there, these stereotypes, and as with all stereotypes, they all come from somewhere, there is always some shred of truth in them. Of course all teens don’t smoke and do drugs, and drink themselves into oblivion, but some do! Of course not all kids are having sex or committing violent acts. And yes, the media perpetuates them all the time. One teen in my group said he wanted to do the topic of drugs and sex because “that’s what we do.” I tried to explain that we had to dispel a myth, not prove it right! I am finding that difficult to do! The research says one thing, but what about what the teens in our groups say? They are all so different and have such diverse opinions on the same topic it is hard to nail anything down.
  Where are you NAHS students?? We need your input! Let’s try to dispel some of these myths, not prove them right!!!
  Thanks!

• 31    Naomi Renbarger // May 6, 2007 at 6:26 pm

  Jill, unlike you, our group is excited to dispel the myth that teens are sex crazed because they say that they are not. They are also upset when girls wear certain clothing and are automatically labeled as sluts or whores. Has anyone seen the stores lately where teen girls shop? We did some research online to look at the advertising aspect of stores like Abercrombie and Hollister and saw that the overt sexuality was praised. If girls and even boys see these images as normal, then what are adults going to think when veiwing these same images? The adults are going to presume that since the ads are exuding sex then the kids wearing the clothes must also be having sex. Not all girls who wear short skirts or low cut tops have sex, they may simply be wearing what is “in style” and here is part of our culture’s problem. Either we see teens wearing these types of clothing as normal or we don’t have these clothes anymore.

• 32    Katie // May 7, 2007 at 11:14 am

  In regards to the DARE program… we asked our group about it and they barely even knew what it was. They couldn’t remember if they had ever had DARE education… perhaps years ago in elementary school. So, so much for the DARE program. What the teens now-a-days have in drug prevention, I guess, is the anti-drug compaign. We have all seen them- the commercials for “whats your anti-drug”. Except, I remember seeing these commercial A LOT more a few years ago. Perhaps that, like the DARE program, is starting to dwindle too.

• 33    Jill N. // May 7, 2007 at 11:11 pm

  Naomi,
  I am glad you are in a group where the kids are excited about dispeling the myth! That’s great! My point was that they are all different and it has been hard to pin down. Are there a lot of girls in your group? Our group is all boys. It is unfair that girls are labled sluts and whores based on their clothing, but there are lots of different styles out there and you don’t have to dress provocatively if you don’t want to. Even if it is in style. I think the important thing is to be true to yourself and that’s what we should be teaching our teens!

• 34    vilma // May 8, 2007 at 2:19 am

  I find myself agreeing with a lot of the things that most people have already written. This project has not been an easy one and watching the deadline approach is pretty scary. Group involvement with the high school students isnt optimal but it’ll have to do. Our groups focus on teen ethnic stereotypes has shed some light into why we believe certain things of some teens. According to what the high school students were saying some have been affected by such a stereotype. One of our group members commented on how since he is hispanic and dresses like a “skater” teachers assume that he is going to be uninterested in the curriculum and ultimately fail. It is assumed by not only teachers but also adults that the majority of women that drop out of high school due to pregnancy are of Hipanic and African American descent. Caucasians on the other hand are deemed to be the more intellegent group. The myths perpetuated by media, adults, and other teens themselves are as follows: Hispanics/Latino teens most likely will not graduate highschool because they will get pregnant, get someone pregnant, they will have to stay home and take care of siblings, because they became “cholos” or because their parents are uninterested in their school work. African American teens are seen not likely to graduate high school or go to college for some of the above mentioned reasons and also because they may have dreams of becoming rappers, they may get involved in drugs or gang violence, or just be too lazy to seek a better future. Asian teens are thought of the smart magnet students. The doctors, scientists and mathematicians of tomorrow. We expect them to score as near to perfect on their SAT’s as possible. Teens of Middle Eastern descent fall nearly under the same umbrella as Asians except that if they dont succeed then most assume that they will run either a 7-eleven or a subway restaurant. There are so many myths perpetuated by the media of what teens of a specific ethnicity do, how they act, and what they will amount to as adults. The pressure is on to prove them wrong. I hope that no one takes offence to what is said as these are simply the myths poeple assume to be true of teens.

• 35    Mike Lim // May 8, 2007 at 10:46 am

  I agree with Cindy that teens are the scapegoat for society’s problems. My group is attempting to dispel the myth that teens are not worthy of responsibilities: voting, sexually reproducing, watching R rated movies in theatres… Instead they are labeled as ‘little kids’ who start trouble, waste time, and cause a raucous. What people don’t know, is that teens are extremely observant of adults and absorb information like sponges. They are learning from their parents, teachers and other authority figures. They copy and imitate their attitudes and lifestyles. Sure the media boosts sales in the market by selling teenage scandelous clothing, action packed movies, and violent music, but if these teens had the right role models they wouldn’t buy into such wastes of time.

• 36    Timothy Holland // May 8, 2007 at 7:26 pm

  I’ve never pursued the “path of sex”. I truly despise pornography and sexual content, every form of it from music videos, to animations, to movies, etc.. It’s just a complete waste of time and I know I’m not experienced enough to carry out the duties that were meant after sex. I decide to use up my time instead laughing with my friends and fulfilling my responsibilities. I’m not a sex addict, but I am like some sort of love seeker. Everyone wants to be loved and by someone special to them. Everything I do , listen to, and watch is associated about, “What is love?” and I think that arrogant people(adults and teens alike) believe that is sex. From everything I’ve gatate dreams and artistic thoughts just for that. The pleasure of love, not sex.

  I believe that every teenager has at least experimented a few times with drugs and alcohol, in my opinion they aren’t worth it. Alcohol tastes bland and sometimes like piss, and drugs just never worked for me. I never experimented again because I know that physically I am more intelligent than anyone who ever abuses drugs and alcohol, and that I will succeed above them in later life.

  I just go with the whatever in terms of fashion. I like to wear tight pants as a guy. I wasn’t even that interested in the right kind of music (I’m a J-rock /J-pop lover) when I started this in middle school in the 8th grade and I was the only dude to wear girl pants till that entire emo fad got on. I still haven’t ditched tight pants because I just like wearing them. Huge pockets are annoying. I just like to where whatever, but now I’m thinking moving onto better colors like white. Black is ugly and bland after awhile.

  I’m not violent at all, I have impressive self control over myself. I know everyone needs their personal space and I go out of the way to guarantee that they get the space they deserve. Even though I’ve been attacked sometimes for “fun,” I’ve never hit back. Though I’m quite capable and my bony knuckles can really hurt a lot cause I drink lots of milk ^-^ .

  As for the environment, I really can’t do anything for it. I respect the school and dispose of my gum and food correctly, but it terms of real environmental damage such as deforestation and the ozone layer, I can’t do anything for that. I’m just one kid trying to get through school and enter college and have a successful life. Politics are really just lies and votes are paid for and managed by the rich companies to keep them in the dominance over the rest of the United States.

  Racial stereotyping is rude, but it seems that people have fun with it. We see it in movies all the time. Asian men are often ninjas or own Chinese restaurants. Asian women often are “Dragon ladies” or completely helpless. Both asian men and women will speak in Engrish. Blacks, Hispanics, and some whites are gangsters with pimped out rides. White guys own basically every company, is the president, are in the mafia, or are dorky and have cruddy jobs such as salesmen or pizza delivery guy. White women are always in some sort of trouble. Japanese guys are Yakuza members. It goes on a lot longer than this, but movies just endlessly ram those thoughts into our heads.

  Most guys are taught to be masculine and I know that I’m not very masculine. Macho-headed dudes just annoy me because they think with their wing-wong and muscles rather than their brains and heart. I’m an extremely random by following the funny thoughts in my head and I have real fun doing that. Screw being masculine if I have to be a dick.

• 37    kevinlomilis // May 9, 2007 at 10:49 pm

  I think the reason the media per traits teens as sex addicts is because of the thing that teens do like when they play grab ass and then it gets farther than that and it looks wrong to adults when its just a “game”. So they see it as them being sexually unstable when it’s just playing around or their way of showing love for each other.

• 38    Evelyn Gomez // May 10, 2007 at 2:47 am

  I am so glad that Timothy touched on different teen myths. It comes to show that teens are intellegent and know that all the myths out there can be proven wrong. His explanation for the need of love and not sex proves the fact that teens are not only looking for sexual pleasure. I liked the fact that he also commented on teen violence. Some teen myths say that young teenage boys tend to be very violent and cant control themselves. Timothy said that he actually has good control over himself and that he doesnt act drastically to an attack or insult.
  I am also very glad that he commented on racial stereotypes. Our group is working on this and I was happy to see that teens are very much aware that such stereotypes exist. They are no longer invisible and being played off…the stereotypes are now being recognized and pointed out.
  I really appreciate the HS student involvement in this blog. Even though so far I only see two posts, I am thankful that atleast we got that much.
  Remember HS students…this project is just as much your as it is ours. We need your input! We appreciate all the help we can get.

• 39    Ana Rivas // May 10, 2007 at 4:52 pm

  As our final project comes to an end we can see that there different ways in which we can be taught without lecture but still understand the things that are trying to be passed on. Sometimes working with high school students can be a drag because we view academic responsibility at different levels, but having their imput, like the Timothy’s post, proves that teens are intellectual and although they may be young, they deal with many issues that adults face as well.This project shows how giving teens a voice to speak their mind about different issues is effective and therefore they should be integrated in solving social issues that affect both young and old.

• 40    Mimi Lee // May 12, 2007 at 12:36 am

  I think Timothy touches on an important topic. He is absolutely correct about everyone wanting to be loved. That is where the issue lies with most teenagers. It is not that they are not loved, it is the acceptance from peers as well as adults that is considered love. As I see it, teenagers are going to naturally gravitate towards getting a reaction out of anyone and everyone simply because they do not know exactly who they are. I know it sounds cliche but it is the truth. They are not the only ones because some adults are still looking to find who they are also. Because adults have already been through this influencial and most importantly, confusing and fast-paced portion of their lives, the fears as well as uncertainty that stem from their past unresolved issues are reflected on the stereotype of teens.

  In terms of sex, I think that everyone has a certain degree of sexual desire that is biologically programmed. Some people are just more active than others and to say that sexual activity is a problem among teens is ludicrous. I think that adults are just as sexually active as teens. If anything, I would think that adults actually wanted teens to have sex because they are the ones regulating what goes on tv, radio, movies,etc. Where did the term “Sex Sells” come from I wonder?????

  Everyone has done at least one type of drug in his or her life. It almost is a part of “growing up”. Some people can go without experimenting and still end up as messed up as a drug addict. I agree with Timothy that when one can control his urges and not abuse a drug, he is probably a lot clearer and more motivated to succeed in life. However, there are people who can do drugs and are successful. I am not saying that everyone can do it but there are some cases like this. I think that drugs therefore is not just abused by teens but by adults as well.

  As far as stereotypes go, we all do it. Every ethnicity makes fun of themselves. I think that it is fun to laugh at oneself simply because life is too short to go around sulking and b****ing about the small things in life. If you want to make an impact on the world, go out and break the stereotype or laugh along. Stereotyping stems from insecurities and guilt that are like baggage from former generations burdened onto following generations. Hey, if it weren”t for stereotypes, we wouldn”t have as much “culture” as we do now. People are different. No two people are the same. We generalize because we need to identify and make things easier for one another. If we were to cater to everyone”s specific needs, we might as well live alone on an island. Young adult life is the same. No two teens are alike and generalizing that “age” is simply for convenience; although I find it odd that as a society, we can”t label the specific age range for teens…

  Restrictions are put on teens because of their age. Age is just a number isn”t it? What”s important is what comes out of the experience of life. Movie ratings, sexual consent age, driving age…it is all arbitrary. Maybe if we give “teens” more responsibility at a younger age, they”ll mature faster and the world could develop into a more productive society…..am I being too unrealistic?

• 41    Christi Robinson // May 13, 2007 at 9:04 pm

  Wow! Lots to digest in one sitting. I love to experience teens being thoughtful, serious contributors to these discussions. Katie and Elilzabeth both touched on the ideas of kids being judged either by what they wear, who they hang with, or whether they are an athlete, “nerd” or whatever. It’s sad that people think that they can tell by what’s on the inside by looking at the outside of a person. I watched Law & Order: SVU last night and it was about teen alcoholics. The one kid in the show who was depicted as a “brainy” girl, no friends, etc…..very straight, conservatively dressed, hair back in a bun, etc. you get the picture. Well, the crazy kids who were popular were all hard core drinkers. At the end of the show the bomb drops. The “nerdy” girl had been drinking since age 12, hiding it in her water bottle. The point is that I felt that this show was helping to dispel a myth of stereotyping and judging by the outside (like Angela was saying) but also helping to perpetuating the myth that all kids are partiers.

  My father-in-law actually stopped talking to my husband the first year we were married because John’s hair got too long for his liking. I came from a family that is very accepting so I didn’t understand his rigidly old-school mentatlity. That was almost thirty years ago, but he still hasn’t changed. My husband cut his hair (because he grew up) but he is still the same person. They have a great relationship now. How sad is it then, to know that he is doing the same thing with our children (who love him) — when my daughter got her eyebrow pierced, he started treating her differently. When she refused to take her numerous piercings out at our request (we were just trying to make peace) when we went to visit the grandparents, I had to respect her determination to be an individual. Grandpa saw it as disrespect. “Bad girl” Now she is 25 and chooses to have no relationship with her grandfather who judges everything by the outside. How sad.

  My youngest son is now 16 and has really long hair. Last year we went to see grandpa and he told him he looked like a girl. The last few times we’ve gone to see him Grandpa won’t even talk to him. How pathetic. You know, he’s the one missing out. Anne suggested that the adults are actually the ones keeping the stereotypes of “macho” and “girly” alive. I must agree. The kids aren’t nearly as worried about wearing the right things and being “macho” as the adults they live with are. I really appreciate Tim’s discussion about how he just does his own thing, wears tight pants, etc., and would rather be who he really is inside than be a jerk. Good for you! Kids deserve to be empowered to be their authentic selves. Otherwise, we live in a plastic world.

• 42    Jonathan Frankson // May 14, 2007 at 2:04 pm

  I have been waiting to read posts about the issues of teen violence portrayed in the media from the NAHS students. All I see really here is fellow class mates posting after my original post on the topic they wish to discuss. Thank you Norma for bringing up some interesting facts about the Virginia tech shooting that we all need to consider. The increasing popularity of anti depressants amongst the teen and adult society. Thank you, Timothy for touching on different teen myths. This should show that teens are intelligent and know that all the myths out there can be proven wrong if they wish to take action. It seems we are having a conversation for the most part around fellow college piers. The research we have all done has brought up some good points about teens and their misconceptions in society.

• 43    Anthony Mize // May 14, 2007 at 4:22 pm

  In a Critical Theories class I am taking the subject of ethnic stereotyping came up. Although the class as a whole was against stereotyping, we could not deny that it was commonplace in our society. The discussion was started after reading an article by bell hooks, which says that, the traditional African-American stereotype is absurd, and does not nearly encompass every African-American as a single individual. The discussion moved to common stereotypes that African-Americans had rhythm, were good dancers, played basketball well, etc. Our Professor made a good point, he said, “That’s ridiculous to think that African-Americans have had a basketball gene in them for thousands of years and that just within the last 60 years or so ago the gene decided to kick in.” I think it was interesting because we discussed how stereotyping was prevalent even within someone’s own race. People view the Cosby show, and say, “it’s not black enough” or the lightness/darkness of someone’s skin pigmentation makes them to black or not black enough. I found it interesting how there were stereotypes within the same race. There are a tremendous amount of issues that arise socially from this, you have a great deal of African-American youth thinking that thier only way to succeed is by playing basketball, or working in the music industry as a result of these stereotypes. People’s ethnic stereotypes, and stereotyping within ones particular ethnicity plays an interesting, and large role in our society.

• 44    Erin // May 15, 2007 at 3:57 am

  While it’s become increasingly clear that teen stereotypes are inherently flawed, there still remains the question of how they arise. According to “The Citizens Commission on Human Rights”:
  - “In 1940, the major disciplinary problems in the U.S. schools were talking out of turn, chewing gum, running in hallways, ignoring dress codes, and littering.
  By 1990, it was drug abuse, promiscuity, attempted suicide, rape, and sexual assault, robbery, theft, and physical assault.”

  The correlation between parenting standards, levels of fear and paranoia relating to the comfort parents have in allowing their children to play outside, what is available to stimulate the mind of the child or teen in question, and many other factors, has been glossed over on many fronts. Although, the people who usually cite the above factor(s) usually only blame one or two. Many also assume that their choice of responsible factor(s) is the only correct choice.
  The biggest problem with this is the (“coincidental”?) factor of the teens that don’t end up falling into the stereotypes. Find a sixteen year old boy and many people would assume that he has a car that he drives recklessly, and that he obsesses endlessly about sexual intercourse. For the average sixteen year old girl, many would assume that she’s physically vain for the sake of popularity, and sexually attentive – if not sexually active.
  These misconceptions can be damaging to teens and to the people who hold them. Trust and camaraderie are hard enough to inspire without such stereotypes dangling overhead.

• 45    Anne Wilde // May 15, 2007 at 3:31 pm

  First off, I want to thank Tim for his awesome posting! Wow. I cannot tell you how refreshing your philosophy is in the various areas that you addressed. More specifically, primarily because gender stereotyping is the focus of my group’s myth project, you made my day with your comment “screw being masculine if I have to be a dick.” Amen! I can’t help thinking that if every adolescent male was comfortable saying (and living!) this, our society would be on the fast-track to tolerance and acceptance.
  Second, I’d like to comment on something Mimi mentioned about adults carrying their gender sterotype baggage… which was reinforced by Christi’s blog about her father-in-law. The reality is, boys are more comfortable now wearing tighter jeans, experimenting with nailpolish and wearing longer hair. Conversely, girls aren’t stuck in the kitchen, home writing romance novels, and wearing only dresses – they are a strong presence in athletics, climbing mountains and preparing for med school. Upon reflecting on work done for our portfolios, I’ve come to realize that these gender stereotypes, though still apparant in some generations and “pockets” of society, are old-school and outdated. The reality is, us parents need to pick our battles with our kids. For me, long hair on my sons just isn’t something that I feel the need to fight. I’m going to save my energy for more serious issues. Bottom line – society should judge a little less in this area… if we just “be” and let our teens just “be,” maybe the sterotypes and the judgements can fade into the sunset. I know it sounds a bit Rodney King, but I do believe it. In Christi’s situation, it would certainly make progress in the direction of mending fences and rebuilding relationships between the generations.

• 46    Narine Avetisyan // May 16, 2007 at 12:24 am

  Doing this whole project has made me realize that the old and outdated views about teenagers are slowly being outgrow. I think that the media is slowly changing the way that teens are percieved with the articles in teen magazines that read “25 Teens That Will Change The World.” Like all great revolutions, this one will take a while before we see any real changes, but this class is a good way to start. Since most of us are planning on teaching middle school and high school kids, we can be a contributing factor to this change. I’m beginnign to see that the media doesn’t blame the problems that teenagers have solely on the fact that they are teenagers and thats what they do. Instead, we find other vaild reasons to why they do the things that they do.

• 47    vilma // May 16, 2007 at 1:49 am

  This project has certainly served as a learning experience. There’s a lot to be said about the lack of involvement of the students in our particular group but I guess you have to roll with the punches. Before I started this project I though that ethnic stereotypes were a thing of the past. I remember being steretyped myself but I thought all that had dissapeared for the younger generations. With the reaserch our group conducted I found that its still a hot topic issue. However, its hard to understand under waht context. Our research showed that some of the stereotypes people have are wrongly founded. Its hard to believe that people now think that they are so much smarter than previous generations yet they hold the same idiotic ethnic beliefs. People’s ignorance fuels false beliefs on ethnicities. If we can educate the ypinger generations to break that mold, then things might change.

• 48    Evangelina Sanchez // May 16, 2007 at 2:09 am

  As doing the research for this project, I have come to realize that I have also been perpetuating these stereotypes. It’s almost as if I forgot what it is like to be a teenager. When I was in high school, all my friends weren’t going crazy on drugs. In fact, there was only a very small group. And I believe that is still true today.

• 49    Carolynn Cleveland // May 16, 2007 at 8:06 pm

  I think it will be very interesting to see how these presentations go. I look forward to seeing the different topics people chose. It seems a lot of people were interested in the topic concerneing teen drug use and teen sex. I hope that the high school students enjoyed the project, although it was a bit difficult considering our meetings were short and limited and communication wasn’t all the easy. Hopefully the teens themselves realize how many negative stereotypes of young people there age currently exist in our culture. How teens got this bad rap is also an intresting question to consider. What is it about our culture that makes teens the scapegoat? Just another thought as we go into our presentations. Maybe some of what we see presented on Thursday will help answer this question.

• 50    Ani Mkrtchyan // May 16, 2007 at 11:11 pm

  As doing the research for this project I’ve learned a lot about teens and how they too are capable of being intellectual and responsible individuals. During my research what I enjoyed the most is witnessing how these teens spoke out about their experiences with topics such as drugs and alcohol and how they are trying to reach a wider range of audience by speaking of the downfalls of the abuse of certain substances. By communicating their experiences other teens will notice that it’s not worth the risk or outcome of even experimenting with these substances. Although peer pressure can be tempting most teens have simply learned to just simply say ‘no’ and stand up for themselves.

  The most interesting posting I read was of a young girl whose mother was an alcoholic and told her and her sister that it is okay to drink. She said she loved her mother very much and just simply did not want to see her ruin her life and that the only way to make her realize that what she is doing is wrong is to show her that she is basically telling her own daughter to drink. She also says that her mother used to be her hero and now becoming her is her worst nightmare. This comes to show that not all teens support drug and alcohol use and by simply getting there word out and speaking to other teens they can make a bigger difference then they imagine.

  I especially like the way Timothy Holland touched on all the topics on teen myths. It’s always nice to see how our younger generation feels about the many instances of stereo-typing that is going around. Moreover, concentrating on his section of drug and alcohol abuse, I would have to agree that not every teen likes the taste of alcohol and has to resort to drugs as a sense of comfortability and escape. On the other hand I also agree that most teens have experimented with drugs and alcohol but not to the extent of abuse and addiction. I also like the way Timothy said he will not abuse drugs and alcohol because he is more intelligent then those who do and wants to succeed later on in life. According to my research it was a known fact that teens that do drugs and alcohol are less academically successful then those who not and it is nice to see that teenagers such as Timothy are aware of this fact.

  This project has been very useful and educational especially in the sense that we had the chance to interact with the teenagers themselves. It is always nice to see the opinions from the teenagers rather than drawing false conclusions and presumptions. I am eager to see how the presentations go and hope the high school students as well as our class as a whole have learned something from this project.

• 51    Shayna Arhanian // May 17, 2007 at 1:41 am

  Well, my post is a little late, but it looks like many others have come back to add more comments. I think that Timothy had some great things to say. The thing to keep in mind is that most of us CSUN students are open-minded adults, while high schoolers are still trying to figure out who they are and every step they take in that journey is judged.

  I remember when I was a teenager, my parents always told me that if I ever wanted to try drugs or drink, I should go to them and we would do it together. (My parents didn’t do drugs, but we lived in a big apartment building that my parents managed, so they knew many types of people). Anyways, in high school I never went to any extremes like several of my friends, because there was nothing to rebel from. My parents removed the taboo of everything because they hadn’t made it a big deal. When I was even smaller, I remember being at family dinners (El Torito comes to mind) and my grandma would let me try a spoonful of her strawberry Margarita. When I got older, “getting wasted” wasn’t that exciting to me because I had seen that it wasn’t something forbidden. Maybe this is sounding strange, but here is the opposite scenario.

  My cousin is turning 18 next week. But ever since I can remember, her mother has governed her with an iron fist. Her mom wouldn’t let her see any rated R movies, and had to know everything at all times. She started doing drugs and was even taking oxycontin (sp?) at 15 and 16! Well, at 15, my cousin got a “serious” boyfriend, and her parents would let him spend the night. In her room. In her bed. With the door closed. My cousin even told me that she would be having sex with him while her parents were watching TV in the living room. Talk about mixed messages!

  My point is…do you control everything…and have teens rebel? Or do you not make anything forbidden, so there is nothing to be rebellious about? This comes down to parents against the media. With a three year old daughter, and knowing where I am headed in the next 10 years, I am terrified!!

• 52    Clay Roberson // May 17, 2007 at 1:58 am

  Wow! I am amazed at the amount of stories that I have read from the blog. People have really opened up about how they feel about these subjects, and I personally find it impressive. So, I decided to share one of my own. The comments about DARE really have jolted my memory. I took the class when I was twelve years old. This may sound crazy, but hardly anybody in my class had ever heard anything about these drugs. Anyway, my friend received the special medal for trying to learn the most from the class. Unfortunately, she started doing drugs that summer, and I remember asking her why she was doing it. She said that she was curious after learning so much about the subject.
  In terms of this project, I have to admit I was catching myself stereotyping teens based on their appearance…this one is a lame skater, this one is emo, etc. But after learning what I have about some of these stereotypes, especially in terms of what the media constantly portrays, I’ve been looking at the teens that I work and socialize with differently. I keep remembering how I wish I could have been taken seriously when I was their age.
  Anyway, once again I have to say how much I have enjoyed this blog, and I hope that people will continue to post once the project is over.

• 53    Angela Walker // May 17, 2007 at 7:15 pm

  I’ve enjoyed reading everybody’s blog. Teenagers must have a historical record for stereotypes. I wonder where did it all begin. My sisters and I all knew that we would be called “stupid teenagers” the day we turned 13. I haven’t forgotten that. I wanted to treat my teens differently. I have a daughter who just turned 16, and a son almost 20. I know teens begin to speak their minds more. I know that’s when I got in trouble as a teen. I wasn’t suppose to have a voice, afterall I was a “stupid teenager.” From the old school of children are not suppose to be seen or listened to.
  I think teens are beginning to separate from their parents., and may have stronger opinions than when they were younger, often they are right, or their opinion is interesting. I’ll ask my daughter often about what she thinks. I have especially for this project.
  I had some of the stereotypes about teens. I’m glad to now have a more balanced perspective, especially compared to adults with the same problems. The media is explosive in perpetuating the myths. This type of entertainment sales.
  I like what Evangelina said, that adults are the ones controlling the media. The main goal of the media is to make profits. Although more women are involved it’s primarily men. I came across a sight where there was going to be a big convention in learning how to target teens as consumers. Teen buying power has influence.
  There was a poster show, in the CSUN art gallery. The posters had been campaigns against wrong business practices, or for helping others in need. One was for The Gap. There was a campaign I believe it was the 1970’s to not buy clothes from the store because they used sweat shops. The campaign was successful because The Gap lost money and businesses. But The Gap came back a generation later where the teens knew nothing about their past sweat shop record.They built back their business and then some. The Gap is huge now. I don’t know what their present business dealings are, if they’ve cleaned up their act or not. I had a need to respond to Timothy Holland, about what he said about not being able to do anything for the environment. It does seem hopeless at times but I think even the small things help. You are by disposing of your food containers in the right place, etc. As you continue to spend your money think about what your buying, and its impact on the environment.
  It’s been fun learning and sharing with everyone. Have a great summer.

• 54    Naomi Renbarger // May 17, 2007 at 8:12 pm

  I have been waiting to post my last response until at least one high school student said something…unfortunately it looks like we will not get that pleasure. Writing this after seeing all the presentations today has definitely put a new light on the whole teen myth subject. I enjoyed all the presentations and especially am thankful for the high school students who we worked with on this project. The high schoolers were able to let us in to what goes on in their lives by doing the surveys and interviews. I am not sure how accurate our information would have been if we would have done them ourselves…so thanks. It was nice to see hard evidence that dispelled the myths we looked at.

• 55    Christi Robinson // May 18, 2007 at 1:51 am

  Well, I must agree with those who have said they’d like to see a few comments from the high school group. Maybe you’re just too busy, or maybe you don’t have a computer? Anyway, we really enjoyed the experience of working with you all. Nina and Sean, you two are awesome, thanks for going the extra mile for our project. I think we got the message across. Gender stereotyping IS bogus! It’s important for kids to learn young, especially these days, about how the media tries to manipulate them into believing certain things. I read a quote in one of my sources from this project. It blew my mind,
  Ted Turner of CNN was speaking to a group of broadcasters from around the world and this is what he said:
  “Your delegates to the United Nations are not as important as the people in this room (broadcasters). We are the ones that determine what the people’s attitudes are. It’s in our hands. (AFA Journal October, 1989).

  Don’t ever let them (the media) tell you what to believe, or who you should be. They don’t even know you! Take a stand! Be Who you Wanna Be!

• 56    Jessica // May 18, 2007 at 2:13 am

  I am also disappointed that there is no information up here from any high school[er’s] (as this is their blog site!).

  So I am about to post my last blog and realize that my first blog never got posted. So here is an incredibly long post because to post one after another would make no sense to me what so ever.’

  This group experience has been very enlightening; our initial thought about our myth (Teenagers are unworthy of responsibility) was that it was completely false that teenagers were really ‘responsible’ (Meaning how adults define responsible: dependable, career orientated, good grades, focused, etc) but simply not given the chance to prove it. This is where our group forgot how we were as teenagers; they really are irresponsible, at least in the adult’s eyes. So we took a step back and revaluated the myth, what did teenagers spend there time on? What are their important issues, what are they willing to work at? We then made some phone calls to our younger brothers, sisters, cousins, their friends, clients, costumers, etc, and asked them what they spent their time doing (what their responsibilities were, what they worked to uphold). We got some very different opinions of what was worth working for in high school then what a parents assumes to be important, for example a teenager is more willing to work on upholding there image then work on upholding their grade point average.

  These types of worries are what the adolescent generation is responsible for, they take their jobs more seriously then classes, and they are willing to work after school on their latest fashion by ripping up jeans then doing their homework. Adolescents take these activities as seriously as we take our careers and graduation date. I, personally, forgot how important fitting in was to me in high school (although I was bohemian, in my heart of hearts what girl doesn’t want to be miss popular cheerleader?), homework and the defined adult ‘responsibility’ took a back burner to the students desires and what they think will help them float by in high school. So our final discovery of the myth is that there is such a miscommunication between adults and adolescents that they are not even talking to same language, responsibility simply means “the opportunity or ability to act independently” and teenagers do this just as well as adults! They just choose to “act independently” about different things.

• 57    TinaLance // May 18, 2007 at 3:18 am

  I feel like teens are not given a chance in our society to achieve or even set goals that they would like to accomplish. They are forced into a curriculum (high school) that may or may not be geared towards their personal learning style and career goals. They are judged by how they perform in an environment that they did not create and have no control over. Instead of being given a chance to choose an area of skill that they would like to develop, they are force-fed material that the government decides is important for them to learn, and those who do not show interest are often labeled as having “attitude problems”. Unfortunately, the real problem lies in adults’ perceptions of teens, not in the teens themselves.

  The problem with this labeling of teens is that it is harmful to their development. Those who are smart but lack interest in the standardized curriculum are subject to the wrath of the administration. I remember from my personal experience in high school being ridiculed by teachers in front of the class for daring to question their dogma, or to suggest that there might be more than a simple explanation for the things we studied. This is related to the whole idea of “attitude problems”, I know that I had a reputation for having one, and so adults would immediately write me off instead of listening to my ideas with the same respect that they expected me to show them when they were presenting their ideas.

• 58    TinaLance // May 18, 2007 at 4:18 pm

  I feel kind of silly posting two blogs in a row like this, but the truth is that I waited until the last minute to complete the assignment. I know I won’t receive full credit as a result, but…better late than never.

  One of the things that I realized as a result of this assignment is that while I am no longer a “teen” I am not an adult either. I am trapped here in limbo, spreading myself between the responsibilities that my group listed as being important to adults: rent, bills, a full-time job, as well as the responsibilities we listed for teens: school, friends, family, etc.

  I think this is why I was able to empathize with teens as far as being misunderstood with respect to responsibilities. If I were to try to create an assignment for teachers so that they might be better able to empathize with us, I would assign them to work a forty hour a week job in addition to their responsibilities as a teacher. I hope I don’t sound bitter, because I’m not. Just overextended.

• 59    Mike Lim // May 18, 2007 at 4:34 pm

  One of the things I realized from this assignment is that there is a major difference between reading about teens and working with them. The books were so much easier. You can read the same passage over and over until you get the point across. However, with a real live teen, you first have to get their attention, keep them interested, and then get them to do some work. Too much trouble for so little results. If I had to do this project again, I would find the biggest nerds out there and finish this project early.

• 60    Cindy Guardado // May 18, 2007 at 5:22 pm

  As the end of the semester comes, we find ourselves caugh up with ten thousand other things to do. The project wasnt easy, especially when it comes to working with the high school students. I belive that the main problem was making the students communicate with us. Also, i learned that dispelling a myth is not easy, and mainly because people dont really care about taking about. I agree with Mike Lim when he says that it is easier to read about teens, than actually dealing with them. It was hard to get them started, and even harder to know if they had finished. It was a great experince though, because that way we know what type of students we will be dealing with in the future.

• 61    Natacha Bangura // May 19, 2007 at 6:50 am

  Like a lot of you I also felt a sense of helplessnes in working with the teens. The kids were great, smart, intuitive, bright and creative. However, I always felt like I (we) were nagging them to do every little thing. Feeling like your nagging someone all the time is not a good feeling. I don’t know exactly what the problem was. Here these teens had the oppurtunity to debunk the myths that the media is constantly perpetuating about them and they were’nt very pumped about it. I am a first generation Hatian-American women, and if I had the oppurtunity to do a project that would debunk the myths about black women in America or about people from Haiti, I would be super jazzed about it! I would be so excited to show how and why the media was wrong about black women. The teens in our group did not seem so enthused, and not only does that make me sad, it makes me wonder what lies ahead in the future for all of us.

• 62    Erin // May 19, 2007 at 6:59 pm

  I know it’s days after the fact, and possibly no one will read this, but I have to agree with Tina’s statement “One of the things that I realized as a result of this assignment is that while I am no longer a “teen” I am not an adult either. I am trapped here in limbo[...]”

  Being an adult that might as well still be a teenager seems to be an experience that is spreading rather than diminishing. These days being coddled and unable to accomplish the responsibilities that make us “grown-ups” without hyperbolous amounts of foot dragging and whining seems to be the norm rather than the exception. So while it’s apparent that teens aren’t nearly as backward, or violent, or irresponsible, or sex, drug, and alcohol crazed as they’re portrayed it looks like many young adults are.

• 63    Shayna Arhanian // May 20, 2007 at 7:14 pm

  Well, our project is pretty much over, and it was quite stressful. I think the core of the project was interesting, it’s a topic that I always use with my students. Gender stereotyping is such an important issue, and those of us with kids worry about how our children will fit in. I just felt that the teens we worked with didn’t really care about the project. Because of this, getting the presentation together was difficult. I think we did alright, but I know that if more of a collaborative effort was made, we could have done better and that is frustrating.

  The subject of teen myths is important. But in my every day experiences with my students, I see alot that proves the myth right! For example, the myth about teens not being indifferent about politics and current events…I have tried to get my students involved in discussions about politics, elections, examining the differences between conservatives and liberals, and they have no clue!!! And these are community college students! It’s really sad. I think we have to start talking about these issues with kids when are younger, perhaps even in the upper grades of elementary school.

• 64    Milis // May 20, 2007 at 10:24 pm

  In case anyone is still reading this, I am very sorry some of my students weren’t as into it as I would have liked them to be. During this project one student dropped out of high school, one student got kicked out of his house, and another student broke his probation and had to go back to court. I can tell you this. Even though my students did not participate much in the actual creation of the Power Point or in the gathering of research data, they benefited greatly from working with all of you. They noticed and commented that college students are not that much different. They were able to see a vision of themselves in the future. They were able to hear academic language and vocabulary. All the time I tell them they will need certain skills for college. Working with all of you showed them this reality. This class has never been enthusiastic about work, but they were excited and proud to have worked with you. For them, even a little effort, was a huge accomplishment. With “at-risk” teens (every student in this class), small accomplishments add up and pretty soon they actually begin to believe in themselves. If any of you are planning on becoming a teacher, you must know that many of these students represent the today’s teen. If you didn’t like what you saw, teaching might not be the right avenue for you. It is a frustrating, rewarding job and the frustrations often outweigh the rewards. It takes a special person to be a good teacher.

  Sincerely,
  Mrs. Milis

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