Angsty Teens; part 1

"Rant about how some teenagers see themselves, and how other teenagers and society perceives them. How their distorted sense of things can lead to a shock once they get into the real world, etc." -Anon

The wise words of Anon have been said, and who am I to disobey them?

I am Kyle, that's who. But hey, why put down a good suggestion? This is the first of a mini-series of posts about teenagers. And what better than the blog of an angsty teen? Come on, it's right in the name!

Anywho, this one's going to be about how teenagers view themselves; which is sort of like trying to describe a color: not impossible, but it requires a lot of thought and understanding. Warning: there may be some content mentioned on here, so if you see something you're uncomfortable with, then please skip over it.

First, let's ask ourselves: "How do teenagers view themselves? The words that can be used to describe what are essentially hormone bags full of lustful fluids aren't easy to pick out. Add to it the fact that many a teen's average day involves mental symptoms that would land any adult in a mental institution. And to think, that's just and average day for them.

To put an answer to a question, we'll have to think of how teenagers group themselves; the cliques as they are. There are your jocks, popular girls (not the ones on YouTube), religious nut jobs (or "Jesus Freaks"), misunderstood (i.e emo and goths), nerds, and those who look like the messiah. Maybe that last one's just me. Anyway, I know this list is about as fulfilling as Earing Magic Ken, but there are just so many individual cliques that vary from region to region that's it's near impossible to list them all in one post without it being ridiculously long. Foregoing tracking down a list and talking about each and every one of them, I'll just talk about how I understand the world. Feel free to share your own experiences. Thought I was going to talk about all of those people? Yea, so did I. And then it didn't turn out so good.

Getting the first point out of the way: adults. Adults never fully understand teenagers.

"But, Kyle!" You shout. "Adults were teenagers at one time!" Yea, they were. But how long ago was that? 10 years? 25? 50? The very concept of "adults know what teenagers are" is slightly flawed. Sure, there are many things that adults and teens can relate to: peer perception, social problems (religious, political, etc.) and maybe eve something a bit more saddening like depression. But society moves forward (despite what political groups say) and things evolve (also despite what political groups say). My parents, much less my grandparents, had to deal with cyber-bullying (I've never been cyber-bullied, nor am I thoroughly convinced of its legitimacy, but there are those who have). How could an adult fully sympathize with something like that? Sure, they could try the usual "it gets better" but for some people, that just doesn't work.

There are people who having eating disorders. That's a fact none of us can dispute. There are multiple reasons why these disorders can occur, but many people cite society as the reason why. Society's emphasis on being slim and sexy (both subjective words, the kind I dislike the most) is what causes individuals to develop a disorder like anorexia or bulimia. The people think of themselves as "fat" and "unattractive" when they aren't, in reality. This pushes them down into a state where they want to conform (which, despite what some will tell you, is a good thing at times) and be one of another group. The problem with this is that they're going about it in an unhealthy manner, which could drive itself into a vicious circle or problems. Anyway, how could an adult sympathize with this unless they also suffered from an eating disorder as some point in their lives.

Connecting with some of the last paragraph, we have conformity.

Conformity is something we all do, whether we know it or not. Most people think of it as a bad thing, but when was the last time that driving on the wrong side of the road a generally good idea. But many people have drilled it into our heads that conforming is a bad thing; always be yourself.

Teenagers always think they're being themselves; to an extent, they should be. Be themselves, that is. Individuality is a great thing to have, but the hive should not be considered pure evil. Conformity can make a species thrive.

Also on this there is an "over individuality." Take a person who likes to express themselves with full body tattoos and piercings everywhere. Not to slam on them or anything, but are they really expressing themselves, or just conforming to a different group? My opinion is the latter. Many ideas that pop into our heads are often sparked by an outside force.

This happens to me all the time. I'll be going around all the internet, reading things, and I'll be all "Why don't I make a place where I can share my own opinions?" Then BAM, this blog is created and I'm typing out an essay every couple of days. Am I expressing my individuality? To an extent, yes. But is everything my idea? Not everything, no. It might have a spin on it, but I can't express ideas that I don't have a basis for, right?

Time for some controversy: depression.

I said there'd be some stuff you might want to skip over, and this is it.

Depression is existent. And, at risk of making some people upset, I'll say something: I don't think all of depression is something that just happens. Parts of it are/can be a person's own fault, and that they can make a difference. Though this is less clinical depression and more of a sadness. More on that later, though.

That being said, there's also how depression that can't be helped. A imbalance, or scarcity, of dopamine and serotonin in the brain leads a person to feeling unfulfilled, simply because their brain ins't receiving the reward signal that leads to happiness. So while they may be doing something that was enjoyable at one time, they just don't feel like it is anymore because their brain isn't getting the chemical signal that says it is.

This lack of pleasure can lead to a worsening and worsening condition, possibly brought on by the blessing (or curse) that is self-awareness. We know we exist, and that other people know we exist (whether they acknowledge it or not) and crave happiness and pleasure. When we can't, or don't want, to physically receive this pleasure, we feel as if it's all hopeless and that nothing cares for us. That's to the contrary though, because you've made it this far into this post, and for that you deserve a hug.

With the depression, feelings of loneliness, and self loathing, suicidal thoughts can become common place. Sometimes, these thoughts become urges, and these urges manage to express themselves. Sadly, this happens. And too often for my taste. It's sad that a person has been driven to the point where they feel that there's no way out but by the ceasing of their heart and lungs.

If you've felt like this at any point int your life, especially if you currently do, read this: There are better ways. I know, I said just earlier in this post that "it gets better" doesn't always work. But from one person to another -- albeit through a screen -- it does get better. This moment in your life is just that: a moment. It can be turned around. Changed. Morphed. Though it may not seem like it, your life is clay in your hands. If you want to be a dragon, then dammit, be the best damn dragon you can be. Grab some latex and make a a few teeth, because what kind of dragon doesn't decimate small villages in his/her free time? But I digress. Don't give up. Never stop pushing forward. An a runner can't win if he stops in the middle of the race. Just ask Charlie Spedding. So, in the wise words of Journey. DON'T STOP. BELIEVIN'.

Now to end on a happy note.

Your life is yours. Treat it like a Thai prostitute. Whatever that means. I don't condone the beating of women, but hey, if you paid and she consents, have at it.

You want to be happy? Go find something that makes you happy. Carve wood, play card games, taste test doughnuts, exercise, whatever makes you happy. Just remember to keep it within the realms of health. You'll be even happier if you do.

According to the Science channel, even smiling can make you happy. And it can make others happy to, which only leads me to one logical conclusion: to walk around with a dorkish grin on my face for the rest of my life to ensure that I am a happy and enjoyable person. This can't freak anyone out ever, right? Better yet, why not be a clown. They make everyone happy, especially small children.