Sociaty Killed the Teenager

Society killed the teenager. This statement which has been all over social media sites such as tumblr and twitter pretty much expresses how the way society sees and treats teens can affect the way they look, dress, act, speak, think, and even the way they see things. Society has this definition of beauty. To be beautiful, you have to be skinny, tall, have flawless skin, nice hair, perfect white teeth, and the list goes on and on. It’s like teenagers are being dictated on how they should look like and act. Teenagers today have been hurt and judged just because they don’t fit in. They sometimes even feel self-conscious and sorry for themselves because they can’t live up to society’s expectations. Doesn’t society know that teenagers are greatly affected by their judgments? Many people look at teens as a stereotype. As Reid states in his article: Even the way we dress can cast immediate stereotypes from the people around us. Wear a hooded sweatshirt, and we 're a thug looking to rob someone. Dye our hair an unusual colour, and we 're weirdos with problems… We get stereotyped from our clothes, hairstyles, social class, the way we act, our ethnicity, even thekind of mobile phone or iPod we have. It can be difficult to find our personal identity - everything we do, say or buy seems to be associated with a certain social group. Sometimes we feel we should fit in with our friends, so we buy the same things and listen to the same music.

Reid’s statement is exactly what is happening today. Teenagers are being judged based on their appearances and actions alone. Media also plays a very big role in a teenager’s life especially since they spend most of their time watching television, surfing the internet, and browsing through magazines. An online article on Buzzle.com entitled Media 's Effects on Teenagers states that “Fashion magazines are also to blame for their glossy covers showcasing models with so-called "perfect" bodies that teens idolize and work

Cited: “Anorexic Teens.” TroubledTeen101. TroubledTeen. 2009. Web. 19 Sept. 2012. “Media’s Effects on Teenagers.” Buzzle. Buzzle. 2012. Web. 19 Sept. 2012. Reid, Poppy. “Teens views: How stereotyping teens is unfair.” Helium. Helium, Inc. 2012. Web. 19 Sept. 2012.