Dantheman asked :“Do you like MTV as it is now, or would you rather like to see music videos make more of a comeback?”
Some of MTV now is great, I admit. I even watch it occasionally. However, some of the stuff on there is a COMPLETE waste of time. Examples of this are Real World and Road Rules.
Wearia asked: “Why do teenaged girls wear so much makeup? I mean, a little is ok, but after a while its just ridiculous.”
Make-up can be a lot of fun! But I do agree that less is more where it is concerned. Every time I see someone with too much makeup, I can’t help but wince. I think that part of it is that most of us want to look older, and don’t seem to realize that that much makeup just makes them look like a child playing dress-up. I generally try to be a little bit subtle, unless I’m dressing up for something or in a play.
Chickenscratch asked: "Why do some teenage girls shriek & squeal when they see each other? Is their joy at seeing their friends that irrepressible, or is it an attention-seeking gesture? Is it a contest, where the loudest squealer wins the new N*SYNC CD? "
I really can’t explain this one. I admit that I squeal, too, but it’s kind of an involuntary thing. I’m not conciously thinking “Oh, I’d better squeal!”
Cmosdes asked: “How do you keep teenagers off drugs?”
I’ve never even considered doing hard-core drugs. I’ve always thought of them as a bad thing. My parents pretty much raised me as a good kid. If you flat-out tell a teenager “don’t do drugs” then they may go out and do them just to be defiant. Try making sure that they hear news about overdoses. Also, I heard about some parents that got their kids drunk when they turned sixteen, so that they could experience the terrible effects in a sheltered environment and never attempt it again. I myself have never been drunk.
“How prevalent are drugs in schools these days? I know they are everywhere, but that doesn’t mean a majority of teens are doing them.”
Most of my friends don’t do drugs, or smoke, or drink, or any of that. A guy I was involved with for a short time did, but that’s another story. Smoking tobacco is pretty common. Also, I’ve frequently heard stories of people smoking pot in the bathrooms. The majority of teens have tried it, but only a few actually continue with this behavior. As for other drugs, I don’t hear all that much about them, but that may be because I am with a good crowd. Alcohol, however, is VERY much in use. At least half of teens do some drinking.
“How do you foster that open communication without turning into nagging?”
My parents have pretty much always been there for me, and let me know it. If I want to be left alone, and they persist in bothering me, that can be nagging. Just make sure to ALWAYS be there when your kid wants to talk when they are little, and you will form a bond. If your teen doesn’t want to talk, don’t be too distressed. If she/he has something to tell you, she/he will get to it in his/her own time.
“How do you keep teens from having sex?”
Whoa, tough one. I feel that my parents have probably done the best job possible raising me, and I’m a pretty good kid, but to be perfectly honest, I have considered having sex. I have also decided that I should wait a little longer. If my parents had demanded “Don’t have sex” there’s a pretty good chance that I wouldn’t still be a virgin today. There’s something in teens that makes us defiant. However, my mom is pretty cool. She sat down with me one day and told me that she has nothing against premarital sex, so long as it is protected. By not attempting to influence me one way or the other, she gave me the clear-mindedness that I needed, as well as reminding me that if I did choose to have sex, I should use some form of protection. Basically, you can’t tell a teen not to have sex. They have to make their own decision. What you can do is make sure that they know about protection. Keep a box of condoms somewhere where you know that they will find them, so that if they ever do decide to have sex, at least they won’t have to worry about medical consequences.
“How do you encourage hard work on school?” Lots and lots of praise when they are little for good grades. My parents did that, and to this day I work really really really hard for my grades.
Handy asked: “Yeah, I want to know why girls go around with their bare belly’s showing all the time? Like three inches of bare flesh right around the middle. Hmm?”
Well, I have to say that I do this. For one, it’s the style. Low rider pants and short shirts. I actually think I look rather cute in them. It’s also considered kind of sexy.
Jenner asked: “Do you feel ready to be an adult? Are you anxious to graduate high school/go to college/get on with your life?”
No, I think that I need to stay in highschool for the three years I have left. I’m still developing as a person, and I would like to keep that going. Also, I don’t feel like an adult yet.
“Are you nostalgic for childhood or are you glad it’s over?”
There are times when I look at something and it brings back a memory from childhood, and yeah, I miss some of that. However, I think we all tend to not think about the bad parts of the past, and focus on the good. Now, I’m having the time of my life. Friends, guys…it’s great.
“How’s your self-image? Do you like yourself? Are you happy with your physical appearance?”
My self-image is pretty good, although I tend to be critical of myself, always seeing my flaws and always wanting things to be better. I got a B on that last math test? So what if everyone else got a D. I should have gotten an A. Physically, however, I’m relatively confident. My skin is finally starting to clear up, my hips are a little wide for my taste, but not bad, my stomach is flat, my butt is firm, my chest is average, and many guys find me attractive and tell me that I’m sexy and gorgeous.
“Do you think about where you’ll be 10, 20 or 30 years from now?”
Yes, I think about that alot. 30 years from now is almost frightening, because I will be as old as my parents! 10 years from now I will probably be in law school, in 20 a lawyer. As for my love life, I’m not sure. I’ll probably get married somewhere along the way, and then adopt some kids (so many abandoned children out there, why bring more kids into the world when so many all ready need homes?).
“What’s your number-one goal in life right now?”
Success. My parents are driving into me the fact that I need to get good grades, and I agree with that. I strive for as many A’s as I can possibly get. (perfectionist overachiever here). However, I also want to balance that with my social life, have time for friends, guys, clubs, and acting.
“Do you think depictions of teenagers on TV and in the movies are accurate?”
Not really. In the movies each teen is depicted as a certain stereotype. “the evil one.” “the slutty one.” “the innocent one”. “the horny one.” “the naughty one.” However, not many of us have such clear-cut personalities. We’re all a little bit naughty, many of us a little bit innocent. We all have an evil side, and a nice side. Another difference between us and the movies is that in the movies, teens are portrayed as constant partiers and trouble-makers. Most of us aren’t like that, but then, our lives wouldn’t be interesting enough to make a movie out of. (although recently, mine could have been a soap opera…)