10 reasons why I dislike teenagers

Let’s face it: teenagers are obnoxious beings. We are the next generation, but we do have a few flaws.

Pareen Mhatre, Photo Editor, Online Managing Editor|December 19, 2016

  1. We’re addicted to our phones: As phones are becoming smarter, people are becoming dumber. This particularly applies to people in my generation. Every time we have to do a simple mathematical calculation, we whip out our handy dandy cell phones to compute it. Every time we don’t know what to do with our hands, we check our phone for new notifications. The more we do this, the more stupid and more distracted we’re becoming. Half of our minds are paying attention to our phones, while the other half is in the real world. Our distractions are already affecting us in high school by preventing us from doing homework efficiently. They are decreasing the amount of work we are supposed to get done, so what will happen when we have nine-to-five jobs?
  2. We use “like” way too much, like, after like every other word. My generation has been diagnosed with the disease, like-itis. It’s when one says the word “like”, after, like, every other, like, word. Gets pretty irritating, huh? That’s all, like, I have to say, like, about this.
  3. We take education for granted: I get it. We’re in high school. Sometimes it sucks the life out of us. Sometimes we are drowning in finals. Sometimes your math teacher gives you two hours of homework and you think, is this actually helping me? But at the end of the day, very few students recognize that we are lucky to receive education in the first place. We go to one of the best public high schools in the state, but there are children our age across the world who have never received an opportunity to attend a school. My generation lacks curiosity, and must therefore lack an initiative for learning. The point of life is to learn, not to have your eyeballs glued to a phone screen.
  4. We complain about sleep deprivation: We’re teenagers. Either we lack sleep because we have been staying up late doing homework or we have been on Instagram for hours. I don’t want to hear you complaining about how you got four hours of sleep, because a) either you have a really busy schedule and that’s your problem, or b) you were on social media for two hours. Either way, you chose how to spend your time, and trust me, you’re not alone in this fight.
  5. We do not behave like young adults: We are almost adults now and many of us will become fully independent in the next few college years . Sometimes we forget that. Sometimes, people of my generation have the tendency to act like five year olds, which annoys me to the highest extent. Allow me to provide an example: Hallways are for walking. More specifically, hallways are for the students and faculty so they can have access to each room. Hallways are not for chasing your friends around. You’re not five, so quit acting like you are and get to class.
  6. Some of us are obnoxious, attention-thirsty adolescents: The countless number of times I have encountered such loathsome students in the hallways really makes me think, is this what my generation has become? Screaming at someone across the hallway during passing time will get you the attention you crave, but not necessarily in an admirable manner. I only want to get my class and would prefer a smooth transition from class A to class B.
  7. We use “the tone”. You know what I’m talking about. THE TONE. When adults mimic the young’uns of our generation, you might feel annoyed. But, my friend, I hate to break it to you: that’s probably what you sound like. It’s almost as if you’re reciting a poem with a sassy attitude.
  8. We crowd absentmindedly in the hallway: A reason for this is probably because they are  a) probably scrolling through Instagram, or b) texting. That’s how distracted my generation is and I am absolutely troubled by it. If my generation is distracted 24/7, how can I trust them to teach the future generations? How can I trust them to perform surgery on my loved ones in 25 years? We lack focus, and this needs to change.
  9. We cannot keep up with all these acronyms: The rate at which acronyms are created in my generation is exponential. I can understand “lol”, but remember when “lolz” was a thing? What did that “z” even stand for? I just found out what “fml” stood for, not to mention “smh”. I always thought “smh” was pronounced “smhhhh”, not “shaking my head”.
  10. We over think: Many of us are terrified by the thought of college, while others simply don’t care. For those of us who are doing everything we can to prepare ourselves: Yes, it’s important to succeed in the future, but if you don’t like your extra-curricular activities, I don’t want to hear the excuse, “oh, it’s for college”. Don’t volunteer if you don’t genuinely enjoy helping the community and if you solely want the “Silver Cord” achievement on your college application. Don’t join science club if you don’t like taking science classes. Please enjoy your extra-curriculars and quit complaining.