Ask The Teenager II !

In My Humble Opinion
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ENIMEN
I think this guy is great. Okay, not really but I think his style is smooth and the songs sound really good. Alot of the stuff he says is a little over the line, but all in all, he knows what he wants to say, so he does. And i’m all for that.

Dream Car
And old Saab, Volvo or a Jetta. Im simplisitic.

Political… well, kinda. I know where i stand on most issues, and i know what political party i most identify with. I don’t shout it from the roof tops. I do let everyone know my views on animal rights and our environment. Yeah, im one of those vegeterian hippies. What can i say?

Standing up for what you believe in. Being true to yourself and not allowing other people to take away your personal flame.

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No, we are influenced by what is cool. Advertising probably plays a large part in making something cool in the first place. Advertising shows an ideal that many insecure teenagers find appealing.

Sure. I voted Republican in the last election and took a lot of crap at school about that. I follow most the issues, but feel that people are way too partisan and don’t see their positions clearly. I also wish that the mainstream media gave conservatives a fair try.

I think Robert Heinlein nailed it. Children live in the present, adults live in the future. You know you’re getting old when you live in the past.

That’s vague. I’m optimistic about my future. I’m worried that things might not go exactly according to plan, but everyone can say that.

That depends where you live. Violence isn’t an issue. Teen pregnancy isn’t an issue. Where you go to college is. I think that going to the right college is emphasized to the point that learning and living take a backseat to receiving the right grade.

I think I was doing an internet search for something else. It was a long time ago and didn’t seem important then, so it’s all a little hazy.

I post at several BBs and mod a few too. This board covers a wide variety of topics and manages to get into depth on most of them. It’s probably my favorite.

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Not really, advertising won’t change my style or views, but if I see a pair of shoes I want on TV I’ll go get them.

I’m 19, so I’ve voted already in a major election.

I’m big on worrying, I worry about the present and future. I always think about the future and it scares the shit out of me.

I think the toughest thing about being a teenager today is the stereotypes that come along with it. We’re all bad drivers, we all cuss to much, we all do drugs, etc…

I followed Straight Dope in the AOL days, don’t even remember how.

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First of all, on Eminem - I’m in the middle. Basically everyone I know loves him, and I own his CDs, but I can’t help but feel he’s a little overrated. I love songs like Stan and I’m not offended by any of them… but he’s not that good, y’know?

Are you and your peers (significantly) influenced by advertizing?

Unbelievably, yes. If it’s not advertised it doesn’t exist, basically, and things that are advertised to death will inevitiably become cool.

Do you feel you’re political?

Not really, no.

Do you live for the present or think about your future?

Both, it depends… mostly for the present. And I know all of one person who is saving money or thinking about their future, so I’d say the majority of teens I know are live in the now types.

Does the unknown worry you?

Could you vague that up for me? :wink: I guess it does a little, but it doesn’t keep me up at night, no.

What’s toughest being a teenager today?

I’m not really sure about this one, actually. I’d say peer pressure does affect a lot of people negatively, though… there is quite a lot of pressure to have the right clothes, right CD’s, etc. But I’d also say parents are pretty tough. At least for me anyway.

What/Who brought you to the Straight Dope Message Board?

There was a link from another site I post at.

How would rate the Community?

About a 7 or an 8 out of 10. A lot more intelligent and interesting posts then I’d expect to find at most boards, but also your fair share of bitchiness, too. Still, I’ve enjoyed lurking.

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Do you consider yourself to be a representative member of your generation?

Do you see the world around you getting better or worse as you grow older?

In your personal code of ethics, what’s on top of the list?

If you had the chance to meet any public figure/personality, past or present, who would it be?

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Are you and your peers (significantly) influenced by advertizing? My peers, mostly. I tend to ignore them.

Do you feel you’re political? Yes, and almost all the people at my school is political.

Do you live for the present or think about your future? Does the unknown worry you? I think more about the future, because most of the time, I have no hope for the present. It depends what kind of unknown…

What’s toughest being a teenager today?

Being himself/herself

What/Who brought you to the Straight Dope Message Board?

A chat friend led me to see the Straight Dope, after a while I began reading the threadspotting, and then I saw a thread where I wanted (and could)say something valuable.

How would rate the Community? I don’t know. I have not been here long enough to rate it.

Do you consider yourself to be a representative member of your generation? NO

Do you see the world around you getting better or worse as you grow older? I hope it gets better, but some part of me says it would get worse.

In your personal code of ethics, what’s on top of the list?

Mostly being yourself, no hipocrisy(sp?), honesty. I like the Enlightment phrase of “Justice, Fraternity, and Liberty”(at least thats how I remembered the phrase, could be wrong, please correct me)

If you had the chance to meet any public figure/personality, past or present, who would it be? Martin Luther King, Jr.-international figure
Eugenio María de Hostos-of my country’s history, essayist, and called the Citizen of America(all the continent, not the US)

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What’s the deal with these punks and their skateboards?

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As I look back on my past 29 years (ohhh, lookout 30 here I come) I was thinking of the significant events of my lifetime. For me, being too young for JFK and still in diapers for Nixon, these events include:

  • The Challenger. I was home sick from school, watched it with my mom. I can still see it when I close my eyes.

  • The Gulf War. Live on prime time. Brought to you by AM General, the people who made it safe to say “hummer” on television.

  • The Berlin Wall. Pretty amazing moment. Introduced me to CNN.

  • Reagan Assasination Attempt. I was in sixth grade. They stopped class so we could go to the library to watch the news coverage.

  • Waco. My first “coming to grips with our government” issue. And then later, Oklahoma City.

As children of the 90’s (most of my events are mid to late eighties) what do you see as the major events of your generation?

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I dunno, what deal?? Better off skateboarding than doing drugs. And they have nice asses.

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I’m 19 and The Gulf War I totally remember!! I also kinda remember The Berlin Wall. I also remember Waco and Oklahoma City. I think some big events have been Columbine and all the school shootings in San Diego. I would also say the whole election mess will be something teenagers remember as they get older.

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I’ve noticed that a lot of youth culture is based on anger. That’s nothing new, of course. But I’ve been wondering what all the anger is directed at these days.

I remember my reasons for that state of mind, many years ago, but I’m curious as to what the targets are these days.

Also, it seems that depression is a problem a lot of teenagers are dealing with these days. Anyone care to speculate as to why?

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I believe I can answer every question posed to a teenage with one sentence, whether the question is “What’s the deal with these punks and their skateboards?” or “What’s the deal with those baggy pants?” :

Most kids are unoriginal followers.

Studi

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Teen Depression - good question, hard answer. A lot of people I know have a particularly bad home life, which is why they get so depressed… peer pressure would be in there somewhere too, definitely.

But some of the things I’ve seen people get depressed over are just plain stupid - guys, for one thing. I have a friend with a tumour atm, and she seemed more concerned about a guy she liked than going into hospital. I mean, WTF? And a lot of teens tend to exaggerate as well - either they want to be depressed, or they’re hiding what’s really depressing them, because the problems they complain about aren’t serious in the least.

And I just re-read that and saw how sympathetic I don’t sound, but I think you get my point. Although I do know a lot of teens are depressed over real things - parents not caring enough, parents caring too much, drugs, teen pregnancy, etc, from my experience, a lot aren’t too.

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Hey puddle-man, ease off.

And as for you Venus; You like my ass? You CAN touch it you know.

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What are some of the slang words popular nowadays?

I don’t know. I make up my own words which I think work, like stupimonger and dill-sweet.

Are you and your peers (significantly) influenced by advertizing?

**Yes and no, I think that we try to fit in and advertising can make you feel if you are not wearing the new hot thing of the moment, you are not fitting in. Which is influencing I guess. **

Do you feel you’re political?

**I think I am, at least more than most people I know, like I actually cared about the election, even though I can’t vote, and I keep up with the issues. I like a good debate, so I always am looking for one, and politics is a good place to start. **

Do you live for the present or think about your future?

**I live for the future. I hope it’s not like the present. **

Does the unknown worry you?

**A bit, more like how I don’t know how my life is going to really pan out. **

What’s toughest being a teenager today?

**Peer pressure. Homework. I don’t mind homework, but 4-5 hours a hight is a bit much for my liking. **

What/Who brought you to the Straight Dope Message Board?

**I saw it on another message board. **

What’s the deal with these punks and their skateboards?

Skateboards are fun, and a great way to save gas money!

What do you see as the major events of your generation?

**Columbine, unfortunately. The Genome project. The election. The Clinton scandal. The XFL. (kidding!) :smiley: **

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Is that a threat??

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Advertising does play a little bit of a part, but just because I see a sign for Old Navy, doesn’t mean I’m going to rush out the the mall.
A little bit, I stand up for what I believe in, but I really think that most politicians are full of crap.
Well, usually I’m thinking ahead about tomarrow, today has already been planned. But as for the far away future, the only thing I’m really concerned about is getting into the best college possible and having a family.
I think the toughest thing about being a teen is having to convince everyone around you that your not some crack-head, you don’t lie about everything, and you are just like them, just a younger age.
I was at the web site bored.com one day and thought this was something different. I joined once I found enough interesting posts that I wanted to reply to.Do you consider yourself to be a representative member of your generation?

I think its getting worse, its more violent and less trustworthy.
Being myself mostly. If your not yourself, then who are you going to be and whats the point?
I don’t really know of anyone I’d really like to meet.

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Nope. My folks (and my friends’ folks) are by and large friendly, caring, supportive people.

There are plenty of understanding adults. Sometimes they’re hard to find. My favorite is probably my coach, at age 27, who is a really fun guy.

Les Miserables. Decent story, but 520 pages is a bit of a read for my (easily bored) teenage mind.

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What are some of the slang words popular nowadays? Well, commonly used slang by people I know…
*stale: something that’s overused or not worth listening to; something said that was incredibly stupid.
*hot mess: something you thought was cool but actually was a disaster, like an actual “hot mess.”
Do you live for the present or think about your future? I do a bit of both actually. I tend to make decisions based on their consequences for my future and I’m really not afraid to make mistakes as much anymore. Right now I’m trying to make decisions that will determine the course of the rest of my life, ie. college, so things are getting a big harder to maneuver through.
What/Who brought you to the Straight Dope Message Board? I had AOL back when it was on there and AOL was just starting to get popular [back in the days of 2.5]and I randomly stumbled upon the column, which I looked for a few years later when I started using an ISP.
What’s the deal with these punks and their skateboards? I’m not entirely sure. The punk culture has a lot going on in it, and it’s different for every punk. Some people do what they do for fun, some see being a punk as a philosophy, and some are a bit of each. I actually enjoy being around punks, which is reflected in half of the friends I keep at school: they’re either punks or people who listen to most types of music.
What was the last “classic” that a mean old English teacher made you read? I’m in AP english and we’re supposed to be reading MEDEA right now, but I haven’t started it because I know we’re not going to get to it for another week and we’ve been interviewing people who are applying for vice principal at my school. [Yes, they actually want input from the students, but apparently only 11th grade AP english students. ::snickers::]
Any more questions?

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Do today’s youth/you generally believe in some supreme being or entity and, if so, how significantly does this belief condition their/your actions?

Friends vs Significant Other: who has priority here?

Are you fiercely monogamous or do you like to play the field? Do you expect the same from your SO?

Money: Necessary evil or key to a good life? Accessorily, how much importance do you attach to material possessions?

Final exams: Nervous as hell or smooth sailing?

Got a job lined up for the summer?