One more voice wouldn’t hurt, would it? Also since I’m from England it might give you a different perspective on some of your questions.
My background is
[ul]
[li] 18 year old Sixth Form College Student corrently studying A-Levels in English Lit. History and Media Studies.[/li][li] I’ve had 1 serious relationship but it’s lasted for two years and counting.[/li][li] Hi Opal![/li][li] I live in a Seaside town on the coast of England.[/li][li] The Sixth form joins on to an ordinary High School. The Sixth form has about 120 students but the entire establishment together has about 750.[/ul][/li]What’s the deal with those big pants?..And whats with the hair?
I don’t have either but friends who do say they do it to become more individualistic but since everyone who wants to be ‘individualistic’ does it as well it’s kind of a passe statement IMO. But then that’s just me, I’m sure I’m just as passe in my own way.
Have you started saving for your retirement yet?
Not even close 
I’ve got about 100 pounds (about $85.00) in my bank account and that’s it. I’m still saving up for a car so retirement is a very distant prospect at the moment.
What’s with you kids and your drugs and your rock and roll music?
I personally like to pride myself on my wide musical taste. I like Metallica, Smashing Pumpkins, Cradle of Filth and The Sex Pistols but I also like hard house music, dance groups like LeftField, Prodigy, Underworld etc… I also like Simon & Garfunkel and am listening to ‘Bright Eyes’ as I type this. As for the drugs, I have a medical condition which, without going into the gory details, makes taking drugs particularly risky for me. As as result I don’t tend to do drugs and the strongestdrug I’ll ever (hypothetically:) ) take is weed which I can take without throwing a fit.
Do teenagers still start smoking "to be cool?"
I think so. It’s about 95% peer pressure.
Do you hate your parents?
No. We have quite a lot of fights but that is because they’re very overprotective and I’m very much my own person and resent the intrusion, no matter how well meaning. We always reconcile afterwards though.
Does anyone older than 21 understand what it is like?
Yeah.
What was the last “classic” that a mean old English teacher made you read?
We’re currently reading The Wife of Bath by Geoffrey Chaucer which is so bad it makes me see red and Hamlet which is probably the best thing I’ve ever read so It kinda balances out. Before that we read Lord of the Flies (brilliant as well)
** Would it kill you to turn the music down? I mean come on!**
Yes. 99% of music just cannot be listened to quietly.
Do you ever worry that your school might become the next Columbine?
At the risk of starting a 300+ post gun thread, one positive result of Englands draconian gun laws is that the chances of a shooting spree in my school are virtually nil. As such I don’t worry about it.
What could your parents do to help? With school, friends, personal issues, etc…?
The precise action you take depends on your teen and the situation so I can’t really advise on that/ The best thing I can say as a general rule is to try and figure out whether the situation needs your input. If you suspect your son/daughter is a drug addict then make the first move and talk to him but if you think your son/daughter has just been dumped and is feeling broken hearted just back off, give them some space and wait for them to come to you.
Do you think it’s better to lie about ever having tried drugs or tell her the truth including exactly why I don’t do drugs anymore?
Tell the truth.
**How certain are you of what you “know”? **
Well I don’t claim to know anything much and when I want to explore an area I try to make sure I read around the subject to get a better perspective. AS a result I’m very sure of what I know, even if it’s hardly anything
**How do you grade what your parents “know” about life issues (drugs, sex, education, money, relationships, etc.)? **
I grade them by their responses to the questions I asked them about it. My parents are pretty well clued up as far as I can tell.
**How do you grade what your friends “know” about life issues (drugs, sex, education, money, relationships, etc.)? **
It’s a waste of time trying that with my friends. I think I am the most level headed of my circle of friends and most of them have quite distorted worldviews as far as I can tell.
To what extent does your peer group influence your behavior?
To a very small extent. When I was younger I was obsessed by what I thought other people thought of me. It drove me nuts for about 3 years until I finally grew up enough to say 'fuck ‘em’. Since then I will only follow a trend or take an action if I think it’s a good idea.
**Eminem: Yay or Nay? **
I like him. He makes me laugh and as far as the offensive content of his lyrics goes there are far worse out there. His so called ‘corrupting influence’ doesn’t exist as far as I am concerned but that’s another thread.
**What kind car would you get if you had all the money you wanted? **
This one I’m a bit of a speed freak.
In general, what’s cool right now?
As a concept, Cool doesn’t really exist IMO. It’s just a manifestation of that desperate peer group mentality I talked about earlier. However, as far as non-existant groupthink philosophies go:
Music - Garage music is in at the moment despite the fact that it’s complete and utter wank. House music used to be cool but has been usurped by garage although it is still played in all the clubs which is a relief because if all they played was garage I wouldn’t go.
As far as rock music goes, the further underground you go, the ‘cooler’ the bands are.
Clothes - The following ensemble is becoming increasingly popular amongst people (mainly adolescent boys) who want to look hard. I suppose that makes it cool because noone’s got the bottle to say otherwise **Big puffy jackets, lots of fake gold coloured rings, Reeebok Classic trainers, track suit bottoms (adidas) **
That’s about it.
