Let's face it. We, as a generation, are in a position where most of us, as teens, are called out as uneducated, uninformed and all around ignorant about just about everything. The teen voting statistic is brought up constantly, the teen pregnancy and suicide rates are high. We, as teens, have basically been pushed down to the level of grade school children in terms of maturity and intelligence. What is something we could do to change this? Is there anything we can do to change this?

Public perception doesn't personally matter to me as a person. But it's disheartening to see that teens have been practically turned into obsolete figures in the world. Our opinions mean less, our ideas are blown off in favor of anyone else, etc. But is it true? Are most teens as mentally abusive to each other as they're made out to be? We all know there's an asshole in every crowd, to be quite frank, but it's now looking like there's at least 100 in every crowd.

If it isn't one thing, it's another. Racism, sexism, drugs, sex, smoking, drinking, closed mindedness, laziness. Everything is labeled on every team the same. A typical black teenager can't walk down the street without being looked at as a criminal. Hell, every teenage male is looked at like a criminal, thief, etc. And every teenage girl is looked at as a slut.

There's an alternative idea to this. What says that we as teens didn't do this to ourselves? Think about it. Every label the media slaps on us, we put on each other first. Every stereotype they hand out to teens, we've, at some point or another, stereotyped each other. Are we the cause of it all in the first place?

This is not an American teen issue. This is not a UK teen issue. This is a TEEN ISSUE. Plain and simple. Don't bring up how ignorant Americans are. Don't bring up how ignorant UK people are. Be an intelligent human being and discuss the issues.

And this, kids, is why you're a fucking moron.

Funky, I agree with you. We complain at how we get treated, yet we are the reason for the way we get treated.

Sarcasm. A tool of comedy. Like a lot of things...if you can't take it, don't give it.

I suggest you thus abstain from the use of sarcasm until you can see it.

I agree with you, Funky. To be fair, there are those of us who don't fit that stereotype, but on the same token there are those that are the slutty, thieving ignorant fools that we are ALL made out to be. It's a case of a few ruining it for the majority, in my opinion.

I just think that teens have this big rebellious idea that "no one's opinion matters but their own" and that's.. not realistic. That's not a realistic way to live. Public perception matters in everything you do. Eventually, every one is going to have to grow up and realize that.

Well, my opinion differs, sort of. I think it is on both sides that make it a problem. The biggest one is how much more leniant adults have gotten to teens. Discipline has gone down a lot, most of the time they just send the students to In House Suspension, which students personally enjoy sometimes. There are also that many teachers are bad influences or just aren't up to punishing a teen, which makes a big influence. Many parents nowaday don't care what their kids do. The parents actually ecourage smoking, drinking, having sex, etc...and their parents could care less what happens to them. Many parents, in all countries, are becoming much more abusive to their children/teens, also. We have parents beating us, locking us in closets, filling up a bath tub and dunking us in them, all sorts of things, which in turn makes the teen less likely to want to obey authority. We also have all of these bad influences on TV, contrary to what people say it makes a huge influence on what we do and say. Same for video games. Plus, last I checked ALL TELEVISION NETWORKS MUST BE MONITORED BY SOMEBODY OF THE AGE OF 18-21 OR OLDER, it could have changed, who knows, but last I checked, that was true. All of these criminal and slutty stuff is just stupid. Everyone knows that there are more adult criminals/prostitutes than there are in teens (even though it is still pretty high). One reason why so many teenage girls are so slutty is because their fathers forbid them from even talking to boys, which makes them just want to rebel...a lot. Government in every country has become less aware of teens and our opinions, which really pisses us off and makes us want to rebel. Students have no say in what happens in their schools. We don't decide our lunch, what teachers get to stay or go, what new supplies we need, whether to change what type of credit a class is counted for, etc...Plus the fact that many teens are not able to attend school and do not know any discipline, they've had to live on their own and abide by their own rules. So I can't say completely that this is just on the teens side, and how it is highly on the adults side, too.

To me, the best discipline is staged discipline. Like a 3 strikes thing. Gradually take away everything they like until they learn who's boss. Start with going out with friends, then material things like video games/computer/TV, then put them on complete lockdown, make them do all chores, etc. A lot of parents can't be bothered with that, though.

Or aren't allowed in fear of repercussions from the parents.

A lot of parents' idea behind that is, "I'd rather see them do it in front of me than hide it." I'd rather see my kid not do it all, but okay.

Quite frankly, a lot of parents just.. don't deserve to have children. They make up for their short comings and mistakes by abusing the shit out of their kids. But when they blow up and bring a gun to their high school or cut their wrists a little too deep, they'll say it isn't their fault.

Here's where I disagree with you. The television networks, the video games, the movies.. none of that has anything to do with a teenager being violent. Not the rational teenager. It's parenting. If I had a 6 year old son, I wouldn't personally let him play Grand Theft Auto, but at 13 or so, if that's what he wanted to do, I'd let him. You just have to be a parent. That's all.

But I can understand where those fathers are coming from, in a way. Although I get your point.