“The hatred of your own female body has become normalised to the point that listing things you hate about yourself is a perfectly normal conversation. Telling the lady at the store that you can’t wear that dress because you hate your upper-arms or discussing weight-loss with a complete stranger are everyday happenings. In fact, it’s even a way for young girls and women to bond. You see, in girl world, hating yourself can be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”- Anonymous Source.
Over time, beauty standards for young girls has changed, it was not until the late twentieth century that thinness was beautiful and desirable. Even from only sixty years ago, the standards have changed and evolved. A good example would be Marilyn Monroe, in her time many girls and women aspired to be like her, she was the face of beauty. Marilyn Monroe was in fact a size 12, nowadays in society if you were a size 12…you may as well be dead. You would immediately feel pressure to lose weight. Why? Because now the face of beauty is a slim supermodel who weighs 90 pounds and is a size double zero. One figure which is there in any and every form of media is the woman. Not just any woman, but a woman who has a “perfect” body. She has a tiny waist, slim legs, flawless skin, perfectly sized and placed eyes, lips and nose, and dressed in the latest fashion or next to nothing at all. Is this woman real, does anybody know this woman in real life? The answer is no, she is a photoshopped person. The media portrays what a "normal" body should look like, when in reality it’s not real.
Mass media is designed to reach large audiences through technology. Its purpose is meant to give information we need to function as a society. Mass media is everywhere, there is no escaping from it. From the moment you wake up until you fall asleep you are bombarded with media especially now everyone is on-line, all the time. Almost every home in Singapore has at least one television, access to the internet, and cell phones. “When I was younger I’m sure the impact of the media on my body image was greater, you would see an ad in a magazine or on the television, but then you would turn off the program or flip to the next page, it sure wasn’t as in my face as it is now. Now, I ignore it…but these days you can’t escape it as easily as I could”
-Patricia Driver.
The media has a wide impact on people, particularly in female teens and children. A 2012 a study showed that even girls at the age of five aren’t happy with their body and begin dieting at the age of only eight years old! “Girls who are a size nine aren’t ugly. Just because you aren’t as tall or as skinny as the model on that magazine, does’t make you ugly…teaching young girls- children in fact, that they are only beautiful if they look a certain way. That is ugly.”-Rachel Driver
The average woman sees 400 to 500 advertisements per day, and by the time she is 17-years old, she has received over 250,000 commercial messages through the media. This constant exposure to female orients advertisements may influence girls to become self-conscious about their bodies and to obsess over their physical appearance as a measure of their worth.-Mass Media Effects On A Girls Body Image (Author, Unknown)
A study in America in 2012 states that eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness for women, and that in 2012 ten million women in america have eating disorders, and 20% of people suffering from anorexia will prematurely die from complications related to their eating disorder, including suicide and heart problems. “Mass media definitely provides really unrealistic expectations for young people and how their bodies look, so it make them feel like they won't be able to achieve anything or ever be good enough unless they look that way, thats why people can have eating disorders and go into depression.” - Akanksha Shukla
Another study in Australian high school girls, 76% of the girls wished they were thinner, 50% have tried to lose weight, and only 16% were happy with their body weight. In extreme cases, girls begin to shows signs of wanting to lose weight around the age of five, but statistics show that “95% of those who have eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25. Why? Because they don’t fit the description of a “Real woman” or having the “perfect figure” they are not flawless and shouldn’t be taught to think that being flawless is normal. They want to change, they want to be that girl, that girl who everyone thinks is beautiful. We all want to be beautiful, but in this society…no-one ever is.
How can you be positive? In a world so hateful and flawed. Your first step is to appreciate all that you and your body can do. Every day your body carries you closer to your dreams. Celebrate all of the amazing things your body does for you- running, dancing, breathing, laughing, dreaming, etc. You should keep a list of things you like about yourself, things that aren’t related to how much you weigh or what you look like. Read your list often. You can add to it, the more you become aware of more things to like about yourself. You have to remind yourself that true beauty is not simply skin deep. When you feel good about yourself and who you are as a person, you carry yourself with confidence, self-acceptance, and openness that makes you beautiful, regardless of whether you look like a supermodel. Look at yourself as a whole person. When you see yourself in a mirror don’t focus on specific body parts. See yourself as you want others to see you–as a whole person. Because you’re never going to be accepted by others, if you don’t accept yourself first.
Showing posts with label Teen-Agers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Teen-Agers. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Popularity
Take a look around. A good look around. Look around to find them, because you will. Somewhere, in every school there is always that group. The boys that hang out with those girls, and those girls that hang out with those boys. But not just any boys and girls. The boys and girls that deem themselves higher than all else. The girls with layered makeup, and the boys puffing out their chest. Boys hitting one another and girls giggling foolishly. Because they will be there. This is the social segregation. The popularity division.
The usual commotion began as everyone came down to lunch. Everyone went to their normal places ny for one boy who stood, playing around the long table in the centre of the cafe. A Group of boys walked by looking at this mere ‘peasant’ in their eyes. Laughing loudly they gave him a look of disgust, and walked off.
After research, interesting facts have been revealed that only 2 in 10 people seem to deem themselves popular. That means 80% of grade 8 students, deem themselves as being cool and interesting. This has illustrated alarming information on children today, as self esteem between both boys and girls has dropped dramatically. ‘Hanging out in the Plaza’, A source wishing to remain anonymous tells us, ‘as well as being cool and being in a big group’, ‘caring more about just your friends and peoples opinions about you than anything else’, This evidence here is significant because of what society themselves have deemed ‘popular kids’. This not only tells us about people who themselves don’t hang out of the plaza and how they think of themselves as kids who aren’t that cool or even ‘outcasts’. This however is a stupid analogy of how someone ‘who hangs out in the plaza’ or ‘is always is in a big group’ is somehow know to everyone else as a popular kid.
Interesting facts can now be revealed about self confidence in boys. In a recent survey only 3 in 10 boys are happy with the image that they think that they present, an interesting coralition to the fact that only 5 in 10 boys seem confident around the other gender. It seems as times have changed that long gone are just female insecurities.
You might be interesting to know about another fact, which unearthed interesting information about the amount of time boys spend in front of a mirror each morning. 2 Minutes? 5 Minutes? 10 minutes turned out to be the average time spent in front of a mirror, that might not seem like a lot but times that by 7. 70 Minutes each week spent in front of a mirror just staring at themselves unconsciously ‘fixing’ themselves.
Social pressure is also a sad thing that relates to how people change. There is always that pressure that is put on you by others, A pressure that grow’s and grow’s varying with the matter. Like a disease, It spreads engulfing you in the need to do what you have been pressured into.
A great example of this pressure is asking someone out. You yourself might not really want to, but remember? It’s not what we want anymore. Its what they want. Its not really like you have a choice either, to be perfectly honest. You do and everyones happy, however if you back down you're looked down upon, and your ‘levels’ just drop like the NASDAQ.
In all schools around the world there is always a divide. A segregation between many similar to Apartheid that divides between different people who deem themselves more popular than others. First lets talk about the word, What does Popular even mean? The dictionary defines it as people who are admired by many people or a particular group. But why? Why does this mean you are different from others? Being deemed popular or trying to get to that stage changes so much about who you really are, From where you hang out to your dress sense, to how do you things just regularly. You become a different person under the influence of this social pressure.
Not only does it change your physical self but it undermines your personality and who YOU truly are. Its not about what you want anymore or what you do. Its about what the people want.
Amongst other things, one of the things that ‘Popularity’ does change is what society deems you should be good at. Passions now should be something masculine, cool rather than something that you enjoy. An unconfirmed source tells us ‘Something that I am really passionate about is Dance. But I have been bullied about this in the past. Its not good enough, its Macho. Its not what everyone else wants to see. I tried to get into something else, Football, Rugby, Tennis. None of them I really enjoyed, It was Dance that was my passion.
These people get bullied over nothing. They get bullied over fitting into society.
Those football players, those rugby Jocks, those kids are the cool ones. Making the team, well that justs your levels rocketing like product shares of apple when the first iPhone came out.
If there is one thing that you do after reading this, is just be prepared, be wary that their are all these different people in the world out there. Be prepared to accept that you might not be one of them and you don’t necessarily need to try to be one of them. It might sound old, ‘Be Yourself’, But that is the best advice you can get. Don’t change yourself for others. These people might not necessarily be bad, but what they do do is create an influenza in society, where everyone is engulfed in this need to become great.
The usual commotion began as everyone came down to lunch. Everyone went to their normal places ny for one boy who stood, playing around the long table in the centre of the cafe. A Group of boys walked by looking at this mere ‘peasant’ in their eyes. Laughing loudly they gave him a look of disgust, and walked off.
After research, interesting facts have been revealed that only 2 in 10 people seem to deem themselves popular. That means 80% of grade 8 students, deem themselves as being cool and interesting. This has illustrated alarming information on children today, as self esteem between both boys and girls has dropped dramatically. ‘Hanging out in the Plaza’, A source wishing to remain anonymous tells us, ‘as well as being cool and being in a big group’, ‘caring more about just your friends and peoples opinions about you than anything else’, This evidence here is significant because of what society themselves have deemed ‘popular kids’. This not only tells us about people who themselves don’t hang out of the plaza and how they think of themselves as kids who aren’t that cool or even ‘outcasts’. This however is a stupid analogy of how someone ‘who hangs out in the plaza’ or ‘is always is in a big group’ is somehow know to everyone else as a popular kid.
Interesting facts can now be revealed about self confidence in boys. In a recent survey only 3 in 10 boys are happy with the image that they think that they present, an interesting coralition to the fact that only 5 in 10 boys seem confident around the other gender. It seems as times have changed that long gone are just female insecurities.
You might be interesting to know about another fact, which unearthed interesting information about the amount of time boys spend in front of a mirror each morning. 2 Minutes? 5 Minutes? 10 minutes turned out to be the average time spent in front of a mirror, that might not seem like a lot but times that by 7. 70 Minutes each week spent in front of a mirror just staring at themselves unconsciously ‘fixing’ themselves.
Social pressure is also a sad thing that relates to how people change. There is always that pressure that is put on you by others, A pressure that grow’s and grow’s varying with the matter. Like a disease, It spreads engulfing you in the need to do what you have been pressured into.
A great example of this pressure is asking someone out. You yourself might not really want to, but remember? It’s not what we want anymore. Its what they want. Its not really like you have a choice either, to be perfectly honest. You do and everyones happy, however if you back down you're looked down upon, and your ‘levels’ just drop like the NASDAQ.
In all schools around the world there is always a divide. A segregation between many similar to Apartheid that divides between different people who deem themselves more popular than others. First lets talk about the word, What does Popular even mean? The dictionary defines it as people who are admired by many people or a particular group. But why? Why does this mean you are different from others? Being deemed popular or trying to get to that stage changes so much about who you really are, From where you hang out to your dress sense, to how do you things just regularly. You become a different person under the influence of this social pressure.
Not only does it change your physical self but it undermines your personality and who YOU truly are. Its not about what you want anymore or what you do. Its about what the people want.
Amongst other things, one of the things that ‘Popularity’ does change is what society deems you should be good at. Passions now should be something masculine, cool rather than something that you enjoy. An unconfirmed source tells us ‘Something that I am really passionate about is Dance. But I have been bullied about this in the past. Its not good enough, its Macho. Its not what everyone else wants to see. I tried to get into something else, Football, Rugby, Tennis. None of them I really enjoyed, It was Dance that was my passion.
These people get bullied over nothing. They get bullied over fitting into society.
Those football players, those rugby Jocks, those kids are the cool ones. Making the team, well that justs your levels rocketing like product shares of apple when the first iPhone came out.
If there is one thing that you do after reading this, is just be prepared, be wary that their are all these different people in the world out there. Be prepared to accept that you might not be one of them and you don’t necessarily need to try to be one of them. It might sound old, ‘Be Yourself’, But that is the best advice you can get. Don’t change yourself for others. These people might not necessarily be bad, but what they do do is create an influenza in society, where everyone is engulfed in this need to become great.
Stand up against Bullying
George’s classmate would always kick him or slap him at the back of his head. One day George had enough, he threw the bully onto the ground and started kicking him. After that day the bully stopped bothering him.
Thats called one way of stopping the bully.
Thats called one way of stopping the bully.
You might wonder if others have had this experience. Bullying was never a new problem it is just that more people are becoming aware of the problem now. To see how many teenagers are bullied, the reporter put a poll on a social media website. Of the 50 votes 80% (40 teenagers) are bullied. And the remaining 20% have not been bullied. The reporter took another poll to see how many people stood up against bullying. Of 43 votes 53% have stood up against bullying while being bullied. 30% of the teenagers have stood up against bullying but they have never been bullied. 9% never stood up for themselves. And only 7% have never stood up for anyone. This shows that some of the teenagers know how to stand up for themselves and a few don’t. “Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life, but define yourself.” – Tim Fields. Basically, just be yourself even though others might judge you. You should not care of how others perceive you as long as you know who you are.
Peer pressure and bullying are the worst types of influence. People get bullied in many different ways and no one sees nor realizes the pain victims go through physically and emotionally. There are many different reasons to why people bully each other. Some bully for attention or because of misunderstanding differences. ‘People want to destroy your dreams and ruin your life, thats how people are, so ignore them and keep doing your thing’ says Alex a 10th grader. Sometimes bullying starts when the victims friends go too far with teasing them especially when the victim doesn’t let the bully know that they’re going too far. Bully's sometimes bully because they are either jealous or hurt themselves so they put all their anger into hurting someone else.
To find out more about how bullying starts the reporter asked a counsellor for more information. Some bullies lack of self-esteem or confidence so they bully other people. The bully could have possibly been bullied in the past so they repeat the same behaviour on others. If people do not stand up against bullies, then the bullies will feel more empowered.
According to Derek, a grade 11 teenager, ‘If you see someone being bullied,help them, if you ignore the bully; The bully will keep bullying them and others. If no one stops the bullies then who will?’
The people who can’t stand up against bullying can't or just don't know how to fight back on their own and others. They need help and support. Everyone should have the right to feel safe from bullying, and not forced to face it alone.
Victims should try to ignore and avoid the bully because if they don't react to the bully then the bully will stop. Victims should have the courage to stand up against bullies even if the bullies are their own friends. Victims should atleast talk to an adult about their problems. According to the i-Safe America survey of students bullying statistics, about 58 percent of kids admit to never telling an adult when they've been the victim of a bullying attack.
What people do not understand is that if you stand up for yourself against the bullies, they will actually stop bothering you. George adds ‘I used to do judo before, I am still good at throwing people down. Use your strength or learn martial arts to fight off the bullies.’ It is really helpful to block or fight the bullies because most of them just stop after getting their own medicine. You can defend yourself and others from being bullied. To find out more about how victims can stop being bullied the reporter asked the counsellor for more information. If the bully is making fun of you just joke about yourself with them. For example if you got a haircut and the bully is making fun of you just tell them something like ‘Ya, don’t go to that hair salon!’. You can also ask your friends to help you walk away from the bully. If the bully continues making fun of you tell them that it isn’t funny anymore. If you have warned them to stop go and tell a trusted adult. The reporter also asked the counsellor how a bystander can help someone being bullied. A bystander can help by stopping the fight and also help the victim walk away from the bully. They can also go get an adult to help.
Peer pressure and bullying are the worst types of influence. People get bullied in many different ways and no one sees nor realizes the pain victims go through physically and emotionally. There are many different reasons to why people bully each other. Some bully for attention or because of misunderstanding differences. ‘People want to destroy your dreams and ruin your life, thats how people are, so ignore them and keep doing your thing’ says Alex a 10th grader. Sometimes bullying starts when the victims friends go too far with teasing them especially when the victim doesn’t let the bully know that they’re going too far. Bully's sometimes bully because they are either jealous or hurt themselves so they put all their anger into hurting someone else.
To find out more about how bullying starts the reporter asked a counsellor for more information. Some bullies lack of self-esteem or confidence so they bully other people. The bully could have possibly been bullied in the past so they repeat the same behaviour on others. If people do not stand up against bullies, then the bullies will feel more empowered.
According to Derek, a grade 11 teenager, ‘If you see someone being bullied,help them, if you ignore the bully; The bully will keep bullying them and others. If no one stops the bullies then who will?’
The people who can’t stand up against bullying can't or just don't know how to fight back on their own and others. They need help and support. Everyone should have the right to feel safe from bullying, and not forced to face it alone.
Victims should try to ignore and avoid the bully because if they don't react to the bully then the bully will stop. Victims should have the courage to stand up against bullies even if the bullies are their own friends. Victims should atleast talk to an adult about their problems. According to the i-Safe America survey of students bullying statistics, about 58 percent of kids admit to never telling an adult when they've been the victim of a bullying attack.
What people do not understand is that if you stand up for yourself against the bullies, they will actually stop bothering you. George adds ‘I used to do judo before, I am still good at throwing people down. Use your strength or learn martial arts to fight off the bullies.’ It is really helpful to block or fight the bullies because most of them just stop after getting their own medicine. You can defend yourself and others from being bullied. To find out more about how victims can stop being bullied the reporter asked the counsellor for more information. If the bully is making fun of you just joke about yourself with them. For example if you got a haircut and the bully is making fun of you just tell them something like ‘Ya, don’t go to that hair salon!’. You can also ask your friends to help you walk away from the bully. If the bully continues making fun of you tell them that it isn’t funny anymore. If you have warned them to stop go and tell a trusted adult. The reporter also asked the counsellor how a bystander can help someone being bullied. A bystander can help by stopping the fight and also help the victim walk away from the bully. They can also go get an adult to help.
“You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.” –Winston Churchill
If you do not stand up for yourself then you will never be free. Take your chance for freedom now or be the fool..
If you do not stand up for yourself then you will never be free. Take your chance for freedom now or be the fool..
Friends. Can you trust them?
A girl was walking past tent plaza. Meanwhile, all the kids under the tent are watching while eating their food. Staring at her. She gets the jitters and walks faster. They turn and and start talking to one another. The girl then runs of to her friends who are sitting far away from tent plaza.
1 out of 4 people in grade 8 feel they are true friends. That is true in many cases. Many people think of themselves as true friends and many don't. But in the end, everyone is friends. Everyone is brought in at UWC. There are people who are friends with other people but are always nice to others. This 1 out of 4 people may feel as if they are friends but they might not actually be true/good friends. Feeling is when you have a thought and then have an emotion after it.
Dr. Sanjay, psychiatrist in Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai, says that people get overwhelmed when they think they are popular. When asked what types of friends are there, Dr. Sanjay replied "There are many types of friends. There are BFF's, Good Friends, Acquaintances and many more. All these are just statements but in the end, true friendship lies between you and your connection with your friend." A new 8th grader shared her story. "So last year I was in an accident and my face got really messed up so I thought no one would accept me for who I was. After I came back from the hospital my friend called me. I thought I should tell her since she didn't know. I was going to hang up but she insisted I show her how I looked. Once I showed her she didn't laugh, give me pity or anything she simply started saying I don't look as bad as she thought I would. Basically she cheered me up. She made me feel really happy being accepted. She was the only one who accepted me after I went to school. All of my friends made fun of me they bullied me for being in the accident."
Helen Keller once said “I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light.” Everyone should have friends who do this. Many famous actors and superstars have friends next to them to help them when they need that help. If it means you need to step back a bit then that it is what you do. Dr. Tucker, as doctor working in Mount Elizabeth Hospital, says. "When you are in stress, or you need some help, your friends would be the first person you would go to." he said "Middle Schooler's always go through this phase and when they need friends a lot. But in times like this, people often forget about their friends"
This is a story that really makes us go "What could I have done to help?" Well this brings us to the next steps into the future. What you could do is try to reach out to people when they need help such as a new girl at school. Go out and give your hand by helping them go around. Small things can be done and you can be a better friend. Thats what true friendship is all about. When someone is in need of you help, you go out to help them. That is exactly why we should have friends. They are always there for you like when you are troubled or need help yourself. Like the quote goes 'A friend in need is a friend indeed'. You can help the new students from feeling out of place and alone by just talking to them and being their friend as that can brighten their day.
When you are down, go talk to a counsellor or someone to clear your problems. Your friends might not be the best people to talk to as they might go behind your back and talk mean things about you. Share your feelings with someone you know you can trust and know that they can keep a secret. Your parents are really good people to talk to as they have been through middle school just like you and so they may know how to deal with it. You can also talk to your pets as pets really help you feel better.
Remember, never let others control you and you should be able to pick your right friends. Always be yourself and try not to please others because you want them to be your friend. They should appreciate you for who you are.
1 out of 4 people in grade 8 feel they are true friends. That is true in many cases. Many people think of themselves as true friends and many don't. But in the end, everyone is friends. Everyone is brought in at UWC. There are people who are friends with other people but are always nice to others. This 1 out of 4 people may feel as if they are friends but they might not actually be true/good friends. Feeling is when you have a thought and then have an emotion after it.
Dr. Sanjay, psychiatrist in Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai, says that people get overwhelmed when they think they are popular. When asked what types of friends are there, Dr. Sanjay replied "There are many types of friends. There are BFF's, Good Friends, Acquaintances and many more. All these are just statements but in the end, true friendship lies between you and your connection with your friend." A new 8th grader shared her story. "So last year I was in an accident and my face got really messed up so I thought no one would accept me for who I was. After I came back from the hospital my friend called me. I thought I should tell her since she didn't know. I was going to hang up but she insisted I show her how I looked. Once I showed her she didn't laugh, give me pity or anything she simply started saying I don't look as bad as she thought I would. Basically she cheered me up. She made me feel really happy being accepted. She was the only one who accepted me after I went to school. All of my friends made fun of me they bullied me for being in the accident."
Helen Keller once said “I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light.” Everyone should have friends who do this. Many famous actors and superstars have friends next to them to help them when they need that help. If it means you need to step back a bit then that it is what you do. Dr. Tucker, as doctor working in Mount Elizabeth Hospital, says. "When you are in stress, or you need some help, your friends would be the first person you would go to." he said "Middle Schooler's always go through this phase and when they need friends a lot. But in times like this, people often forget about their friends"
This is a story that really makes us go "What could I have done to help?" Well this brings us to the next steps into the future. What you could do is try to reach out to people when they need help such as a new girl at school. Go out and give your hand by helping them go around. Small things can be done and you can be a better friend. Thats what true friendship is all about. When someone is in need of you help, you go out to help them. That is exactly why we should have friends. They are always there for you like when you are troubled or need help yourself. Like the quote goes 'A friend in need is a friend indeed'. You can help the new students from feeling out of place and alone by just talking to them and being their friend as that can brighten their day.
When you are down, go talk to a counsellor or someone to clear your problems. Your friends might not be the best people to talk to as they might go behind your back and talk mean things about you. Share your feelings with someone you know you can trust and know that they can keep a secret. Your parents are really good people to talk to as they have been through middle school just like you and so they may know how to deal with it. You can also talk to your pets as pets really help you feel better.
Remember, never let others control you and you should be able to pick your right friends. Always be yourself and try not to please others because you want them to be your friend. They should appreciate you for who you are.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Be Yourself
The anxious, scrawny looking boy gazes intently and keenly as the buff, popular boys pose like big, oversized, intimidating gorillas. Skinny and slim girls can also be found twirling their hair as they challenge and flirt with the boys at UWC Tent Plaza during lunch time. But why is this popularity contest such an huge and important thing between teenagers?
According to G.M Williams, the image of being popular is a person who is considered and believed to be important, happy, liked and supported by school. To be popular is to be adored, adulated and loved. To be popular is to actually be somebody, like an entity.
But being popular doesn’t only give out positive vibes. It has its share of negative as well. Some of the popular kids are disliked by other students. But this may be because of envy and jealousy but also because the standout teens can be bullies or part of the mean girls clique.
Cristie is often called a malicious girl who often feels inferior to herself. When interviewed, on the behavior of Cristie, a shy introvert expressed that she often feels that Cristie judges her and the introvert claims to feel her self-esteem go down, almost like an instinct.
Another interview with a talkative and chatty bystander suggests that Hunter is a really funny and witty guy but he often makes fun of him while joking. He also adds that Hunter’s actions and behavior have a high contrast when he’s with the ‘cool kids’ and when he’s with the so called ‘un-cool kids’.
Still, the big question is, what does being popular in middle school tell us about the world outside the bubble of adolescence? Why does being popular matter to the students? Does it matter?
According to Professor Allen, who is using the criteria of likeability to define popularity, his studies indicate that the more the popular the teens were, the more likely that they get into trouble with wild deviant and quirky behavior, like shoplifting or vandalism and drinking and smoking. According to him, its the one way to signal to their peers that I’m not doing what adults want. To indicate that I don’t listen to anyone. I am independent and an antagonist.
But another story of 13 and 14 year olds found that teenagers who perceived themselves as well liked and comfortable with their peers were just as socially successful over time as those who were deemed popular by others. This internal sense of social acceptance, the study’s authors said, may be as or more important in the long run than the number of friends you have.
But one of the questions which races into my mind is, so why isn’t popularity of any significant value?
The idea that someone is better just because they own an ‘posh’ car, an expensive wardrobe and have an alluring or a pristine body is just absurd. Hear me out readers. No one is better than someone else. We all were born equal and because of those senseless and ludicrous rationales, treating others different is again, just absurd.
Most of the people are convinced by that fact that popularity leads the way to happiness and contentment all the time. And of course, and some of that might be true. Lots of popular kids are contemplated as more happier, just because they are admired and because they are surrounded by lots of friends with whom they have fun with. But on the other hand, there are the unpopular kids who aren’t very happy but they have a good, loyal set of friends which make each other happy.
So, popularity doesn’t control or determine your happiness but instead, what you do and what you make of your life does. Whether or not everyone in your class or grade is fond of you shouldn’t determine your middle school experience. You should be able to control your happiness by who hang out with the people you love and doing the activities in which you take pleasure in. Be yourself. Being popular isn’t important. It is as straightforward as that.
According to G.M Williams, the image of being popular is a person who is considered and believed to be important, happy, liked and supported by school. To be popular is to be adored, adulated and loved. To be popular is to actually be somebody, like an entity.
But being popular doesn’t only give out positive vibes. It has its share of negative as well. Some of the popular kids are disliked by other students. But this may be because of envy and jealousy but also because the standout teens can be bullies or part of the mean girls clique.
Cristie is often called a malicious girl who often feels inferior to herself. When interviewed, on the behavior of Cristie, a shy introvert expressed that she often feels that Cristie judges her and the introvert claims to feel her self-esteem go down, almost like an instinct.
Another interview with a talkative and chatty bystander suggests that Hunter is a really funny and witty guy but he often makes fun of him while joking. He also adds that Hunter’s actions and behavior have a high contrast when he’s with the ‘cool kids’ and when he’s with the so called ‘un-cool kids’.
Still, the big question is, what does being popular in middle school tell us about the world outside the bubble of adolescence? Why does being popular matter to the students? Does it matter?
According to Professor Allen, who is using the criteria of likeability to define popularity, his studies indicate that the more the popular the teens were, the more likely that they get into trouble with wild deviant and quirky behavior, like shoplifting or vandalism and drinking and smoking. According to him, its the one way to signal to their peers that I’m not doing what adults want. To indicate that I don’t listen to anyone. I am independent and an antagonist.
But another story of 13 and 14 year olds found that teenagers who perceived themselves as well liked and comfortable with their peers were just as socially successful over time as those who were deemed popular by others. This internal sense of social acceptance, the study’s authors said, may be as or more important in the long run than the number of friends you have.
But one of the questions which races into my mind is, so why isn’t popularity of any significant value?
The idea that someone is better just because they own an ‘posh’ car, an expensive wardrobe and have an alluring or a pristine body is just absurd. Hear me out readers. No one is better than someone else. We all were born equal and because of those senseless and ludicrous rationales, treating others different is again, just absurd.
Most of the people are convinced by that fact that popularity leads the way to happiness and contentment all the time. And of course, and some of that might be true. Lots of popular kids are contemplated as more happier, just because they are admired and because they are surrounded by lots of friends with whom they have fun with. But on the other hand, there are the unpopular kids who aren’t very happy but they have a good, loyal set of friends which make each other happy.
So, popularity doesn’t control or determine your happiness but instead, what you do and what you make of your life does. Whether or not everyone in your class or grade is fond of you shouldn’t determine your middle school experience. You should be able to control your happiness by who hang out with the people you love and doing the activities in which you take pleasure in. Be yourself. Being popular isn’t important. It is as straightforward as that.
Dance Fever
Middle school socials. The music, the food, the dancing and the DRAMA. According to most middle school students, it has become an honorary ritual.
“Someone always leaves crying, or mad at someone else” says a source before adding; “Last time, one of my friends received a prank call saying that if she wasn’t home in half an hour, they would kill all her friends.” Is that really something a middle school student should be hearing? One can only imagine how horrifying it must have been for them to receive such a disgusting so called “prank call” while they were just trying to have a good time with their friends and peers. “Sometimes students think its funny to scare their friends with threats like these” explains a middle school councillor. “What they don’t understand is how much it actually scares the other person, talking about dying is not a joke” she says.
Other stories are mostly about typical teen drama like, “he won’t talk to me” or “she won’t dance with me” etc. Now, this is normal, teens will be teens, and there really isn’t a solution to these problems. Most teens find it hard to talk about these problems with an adult, so they like to confide in their friends and then bury the hatchet. “What they need to understand is that sometimes, talking to an adult is more beneficial than talking to someone the same age as you, simply because adults have more experience with these situations and your friend might just have the same mindset as you.” says a high school student. “As they grow up, they need to understand that sometimes, its better to let something go, than make a mountain out of a molehill.” adds a bystander.
As middle schoolers, adults would expect and trust them to be responsible and to think about what they say before they let words flow out of their mouths. Socials are meant for relaxing, bonding, and making new friends, not for starting rumors and fights between friends or acquaintances.
There are reports that the upcoming socials are going to be even better for the year eights as this is their last year of middle school, before transitioning on to the great big world of high school, and unconfirmed sources tell us that there might even be a semi formal at the end of the academic year. So the only thing left to do, is keep calm and party on!
“Someone always leaves crying, or mad at someone else” says a source before adding; “Last time, one of my friends received a prank call saying that if she wasn’t home in half an hour, they would kill all her friends.” Is that really something a middle school student should be hearing? One can only imagine how horrifying it must have been for them to receive such a disgusting so called “prank call” while they were just trying to have a good time with their friends and peers. “Sometimes students think its funny to scare their friends with threats like these” explains a middle school councillor. “What they don’t understand is how much it actually scares the other person, talking about dying is not a joke” she says.
Other stories are mostly about typical teen drama like, “he won’t talk to me” or “she won’t dance with me” etc. Now, this is normal, teens will be teens, and there really isn’t a solution to these problems. Most teens find it hard to talk about these problems with an adult, so they like to confide in their friends and then bury the hatchet. “What they need to understand is that sometimes, talking to an adult is more beneficial than talking to someone the same age as you, simply because adults have more experience with these situations and your friend might just have the same mindset as you.” says a high school student. “As they grow up, they need to understand that sometimes, its better to let something go, than make a mountain out of a molehill.” adds a bystander.
As middle schoolers, adults would expect and trust them to be responsible and to think about what they say before they let words flow out of their mouths. Socials are meant for relaxing, bonding, and making new friends, not for starting rumors and fights between friends or acquaintances.
There are reports that the upcoming socials are going to be even better for the year eights as this is their last year of middle school, before transitioning on to the great big world of high school, and unconfirmed sources tell us that there might even be a semi formal at the end of the academic year. So the only thing left to do, is keep calm and party on!
The Popularity Division
Take a look around. A good look around. Look around to find them, because you will. Somewhere, in every school there is always that group. The boys that hang out with those girls, and those girls that hang out with those boys. But not just any boys and girls. The boys and girls that deem themselves higher than all else. The girls with layered makeup, and the boys puffing out their chest. Boys hitting one another and girls giggling foolishly. Because they will be there. This is the social segregation.
The lunch bell rang and there was that usual commotion as everyone ran downstairs to que up. Everyone went to their normal places but for one boy who stood, playing around the long table in the centre of the cafe. A couple walked up to him holding hands and dropped off their bags giving him look of surprise and indignation mingled with disgust. ‘He’s at our table?’ They thought. Walking away without another look back he was left alone standing in the middle of all this bedlam, shunned away from all else.
In all schools around the world there is always a divide. A segregation between many similar to Apartheid that divides between different people who deem themselves more popular than others. First lets talk about the word, What does Popular even mean? The dictionary defines it as people who are admired by many people or a particular group. But why? Why does this mean you are different from others? Being deemed popular or trying to get to that stage changes so much about who you really are, From where you hang out to your dress sense, to how do you things just regularly. You become a different person under the influence of this social pressure.
Not only does it change your physical self but it undermines your personality and who YOU truly are. Its not about what you want anymore or what you do. Its about what the people want.
Sweating nervously he sat looking across the plaza. All the girls were huddled to together, all whispering looking at him every couple of seconds. Tapping his feet, he looked around to see the other boys all crammed around discussing the situation. Should I do it? Pressure waves kept running through him. It was too late to back out now.
Social pressure is also a sad thing that relates to how people change. There is always that pressure that is put on you by others, A pressure that grow’s and grow’s varying with the matter. Like a disease, It spreads engulfing you in the need to do what you have been pressured into.
A great example of this pressure is asking someone out. You yourself might not really want to, but remember? It’s not what we want anymore. Its what they want. Its not really like you have a choice either, to be perfectly honest. You do and everyones happy, however if you back down your looked down upon, and your ‘levels’ just drop like the NASDAQ.
Sitting up slowly, he took a look at what he saw. He was not happy with what he saw. Questions kept running through his mind, ‘Would she like it?’ Would they like it? Subconsciously he began putting wax in his hair to try and make it look good. Same old, same old routine ‘yikes’ He thought, hopefully people wouldn’t think to much about him today.
You see? Popularity has become a thing that makes even boys insecure about yourself. It’s all about how you look, how your image is portrayed. How people will think of you. It all comes back to the same question all the time. How will will my image be portrayed? Will I be popular enough?
‘I always tried to change for them’ A source wishing to remain unidentified tells us. ‘The way I liked to dress was no longer important. It was about the trends that were going through at the time which I eventually keeled to.’
Popularity is something that changes who you are. not the only what is underneath but the layer above, the one that everyone see’s.
Amongst other things, one of the things that ‘Popularity’ does change is what society deems you should be good at. Passions now should be something masculine, cool rather than something that you enjoy. An unconfirmed source tells us ‘Something that I am really passionate about is Dance. But I have been bullied about this in the past. Its not good enough, its Macho. Its not what everyone else wants to see. I tried to get into something else, Football, Rugby, Tennis. None of them I really enjoyed, It was Dance that was my passion.
Those football players, those rugby Jocks, those kids are the cool ones. Making the team, well that just your levels rocketing like product shares of apple when the first iPhone came out.
If there is one thing that you do after reading this, is just be prepared, be wary that their are all these different people in the world out there. They might not necessarily be bad, but what they do do is create an influenza in society, where everyone is engulfed in this need to become great.
The lunch bell rang and there was that usual commotion as everyone ran downstairs to que up. Everyone went to their normal places but for one boy who stood, playing around the long table in the centre of the cafe. A couple walked up to him holding hands and dropped off their bags giving him look of surprise and indignation mingled with disgust. ‘He’s at our table?’ They thought. Walking away without another look back he was left alone standing in the middle of all this bedlam, shunned away from all else.
In all schools around the world there is always a divide. A segregation between many similar to Apartheid that divides between different people who deem themselves more popular than others. First lets talk about the word, What does Popular even mean? The dictionary defines it as people who are admired by many people or a particular group. But why? Why does this mean you are different from others? Being deemed popular or trying to get to that stage changes so much about who you really are, From where you hang out to your dress sense, to how do you things just regularly. You become a different person under the influence of this social pressure.
Not only does it change your physical self but it undermines your personality and who YOU truly are. Its not about what you want anymore or what you do. Its about what the people want.
Sweating nervously he sat looking across the plaza. All the girls were huddled to together, all whispering looking at him every couple of seconds. Tapping his feet, he looked around to see the other boys all crammed around discussing the situation. Should I do it? Pressure waves kept running through him. It was too late to back out now.
Social pressure is also a sad thing that relates to how people change. There is always that pressure that is put on you by others, A pressure that grow’s and grow’s varying with the matter. Like a disease, It spreads engulfing you in the need to do what you have been pressured into.
A great example of this pressure is asking someone out. You yourself might not really want to, but remember? It’s not what we want anymore. Its what they want. Its not really like you have a choice either, to be perfectly honest. You do and everyones happy, however if you back down your looked down upon, and your ‘levels’ just drop like the NASDAQ.
Sitting up slowly, he took a look at what he saw. He was not happy with what he saw. Questions kept running through his mind, ‘Would she like it?’ Would they like it? Subconsciously he began putting wax in his hair to try and make it look good. Same old, same old routine ‘yikes’ He thought, hopefully people wouldn’t think to much about him today.
You see? Popularity has become a thing that makes even boys insecure about yourself. It’s all about how you look, how your image is portrayed. How people will think of you. It all comes back to the same question all the time. How will will my image be portrayed? Will I be popular enough?
‘I always tried to change for them’ A source wishing to remain unidentified tells us. ‘The way I liked to dress was no longer important. It was about the trends that were going through at the time which I eventually keeled to.’
Popularity is something that changes who you are. not the only what is underneath but the layer above, the one that everyone see’s.
Amongst other things, one of the things that ‘Popularity’ does change is what society deems you should be good at. Passions now should be something masculine, cool rather than something that you enjoy. An unconfirmed source tells us ‘Something that I am really passionate about is Dance. But I have been bullied about this in the past. Its not good enough, its Macho. Its not what everyone else wants to see. I tried to get into something else, Football, Rugby, Tennis. None of them I really enjoyed, It was Dance that was my passion.
Those football players, those rugby Jocks, those kids are the cool ones. Making the team, well that just your levels rocketing like product shares of apple when the first iPhone came out.
If there is one thing that you do after reading this, is just be prepared, be wary that their are all these different people in the world out there. They might not necessarily be bad, but what they do do is create an influenza in society, where everyone is engulfed in this need to become great.
Being A Teenager
In middle school students begin to care about friends more and their reputation is very important to them, but in high school the relationships with their friends is critical and they often struggle to understand who they are and where they fit in.
Being a teen is rough but exciting at the same time, there are its ups and downs. Teens need a good balance with their studies and their social life. Some teenagers often forget that going to school is for studying and not only to see their friends. But the teenagers that don’t have friends or very little of them feel lonely and excluded which often leads to depression. Teenagers have to face obstacles such as finding the wrong friends or backstabbers before finding their true ones, but some naturally prefer to be alone.
All teenagers are different, some are smart, some are dumb, some are sporty and some are less but they are never alone. Some are none of these and they are the ones that find it the hardest to fit in maybe because they think that they are different or maybe they think that nobody feels the same way. The teens that are the most “different” are the ones that are the most vulnerable and the most likely to be victims of bullying or being teased. The ones that are bullied end up feeling insecure and lose their self-esteem. In the US, at least 160,000 children skip school due to bullying.
An anonymous 8th grader in the Lycee Francais de Singapour liked to wear tight clothes but she was bullied and teased for being chubby. As a result, she started cutting herself but she fortunately found a friend that convinced her to stop. She was asked about how she felt about this and she replied “Girls who made me feel insecure about myself can just continue teasing me but to be honest it would be a waste of their time.” In conclusion, school is rough but with the right attitude everyone makes through it.
Being a teen is rough but exciting at the same time, there are its ups and downs. Teens need a good balance with their studies and their social life. Some teenagers often forget that going to school is for studying and not only to see their friends. But the teenagers that don’t have friends or very little of them feel lonely and excluded which often leads to depression. Teenagers have to face obstacles such as finding the wrong friends or backstabbers before finding their true ones, but some naturally prefer to be alone.
All teenagers are different, some are smart, some are dumb, some are sporty and some are less but they are never alone. Some are none of these and they are the ones that find it the hardest to fit in maybe because they think that they are different or maybe they think that nobody feels the same way. The teens that are the most “different” are the ones that are the most vulnerable and the most likely to be victims of bullying or being teased. The ones that are bullied end up feeling insecure and lose their self-esteem. In the US, at least 160,000 children skip school due to bullying.
An anonymous 8th grader in the Lycee Francais de Singapour liked to wear tight clothes but she was bullied and teased for being chubby. As a result, she started cutting herself but she fortunately found a friend that convinced her to stop. She was asked about how she felt about this and she replied “Girls who made me feel insecure about myself can just continue teasing me but to be honest it would be a waste of their time.” In conclusion, school is rough but with the right attitude everyone makes through it.
Procrastination!
to the head of grade’s office as the student had repeatedly been forgetting to do the homework.
Procrastination! Its a common word in UWCSEA middle school.Teenagers these days often procrastinate as they are exposed to all forms of technology.Students repeatedly ask each other for homework answers and projects.Recently a student in middle school was spotted asking her friends for the homework,when asked why she said that she was extremely tired the previous day and so she wasn’t able to finish the homework.A few reason why students procrastinate are when they are stressed or they have a fear of failing and many times even lack of motivation.
According to the Oxford Dictionary procrastination means ‘Delay or postpone action; put off doing something’.People usually procrastinate because they are overwhelmed with something or even stressed.Procrastination can lead to stress and homework problems.Which is why parents and teachers always say that you should not procrastinate
Some people procrastinate because they don’t have to give in the homework in the next day.Some people procrastinate because they are lazy and sometimes even think that they can come up with a silly excuse like “I wasn’t feeling well yesterday” or “I did not get any time” .People get stressed out because they procrastinate. Some children also say that they forgot to bring their notebook so that they can get away with their homework not done.
Procrastination can lead to health problems.If people procrastinate too much then they get stressed out which can be really bad for one body.In a single academic year.Student had shown evidence of compromised immune systems as more colds and flus,more gastrointestinal problems which involves the gastrointestinal tract.A few symtoms are bleeding.bloating.constipation,nausea and vomiting and heartburn.Procrastinators are likley to experience sleeping disorder ‘insomnia’ Procrastination can also effect teamwork in the workplace and private relationships.
According to Dr.Joseph Ferrari who is a professor in DePaul University, “Everybody procrastinates but not everybody is a procrastinator.”
Teenagers always have a temptation to procrastinate.The ruse of procrastination is adding pressure to demands and delaying them.If one put off what they dread then worrying about the work will only make one feel worse.
A student at the library was spotted on the 24th of september after school at 4:30 pm watching videos,spending time playing games and socializing with his friends.When he was asked how much work he had to complete for the following week. He said, “I have to give in a project for science but I will do it tomorrow before class starts or I will tell my teacher that I did not understand it.”.This shows that the student is procrastinating.He is wanting to keep all the work for last minute.
A few tips manage time and stop procrastinating.Create a timetable which will tell you what you have to do over the course of the day.Download an app called iProcrastinate on your laptop which will you organize yourself for homework and you can also tabulate the google calendar, you can change your environment as the environment can be distracting and talk to people and you can ask them on how they manage their time.
In conclusion the antidote to procrastination is determination and motivation and working hard.When the motivation is increased the level of effort and commitment is higher.
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