The Struggle Is Real

I'm finally done with exams!!* blows up balloons and pulls string on streamer *. It has been a long time coming but I'm done for the year and that means more blogs from me! I hope you're cheering right now because I am and if you're not then that's just awkward.

This is my first post of the summer and it feels so good. I'm aiming for 3 days a week but I have a super busy summer so there may be some weeks where there are only 2 but I am aiming for 3+.

Today I wanted to touch on a topic that doesn't get spoken about all too often. I have definitely watched a few videos and read a couple of articles on this but it's not a widely talked about topic. Today I wanted to talk to you about the struggles of being a teenager in this generation. I'm going to separate this into 5 categories and hopefully, if you're a teenager then you will relate. If not, then leave me a comment down below and I'd love to hear about your experience of being a teenager.

I was inspired to write this blog post after watching Zoella's Q&A all about HER experience of being a teenager and her advice to teenagers now. This post isn't going to be an advice post but I can do that if you would like to see one. Today's post is all about the struggles.

I think I have rambled on enough so let's get into the struggles.


Social Media: 

I believe that this is the reason for the gap between this generation and the previous generation. Social media and technology has changed the way that people live. Google was literally created the year before I was born and I have never gotten to experience life without it. Along with Google came other social media platforms such as MSN (shout out to everyone who remembers good ol' MSN), Facebook, Twitter (later on) etc. My point is, this generation has always been surrounded by social media and the media. It is so easy to get wrapped up and consumed by it. Teenagers often compare themselves to what they see in the media and online because they don't know any better. We're constantly being shown photo-shopped images on Instagram, skincare adverts where the models have been airbrushed and wearing makeup and being offered apps to edit our OWN images like FaceTune. The fact that there are so many applications for photo editing is enough to damage our self esteem. If there are so many, that must mean we're expected to edit our pictures, right? What is real and what is fake? It's extremely hard to tell when we have been born into the digital world. We are bound to compare ourselves to other people when we live in a world promoting perfection. I can do an entire post on my thoughts on social media if you want to see that because I don't want this section to be too long. To sum this up, social media causes teenagers (and adults) to compare themselves to others. This leads to insecurities and loss of self confidence and it's all to put coins in the purse of businesses. Teenagers already have to deal with hormones and well, growing up. Adding social media into the mix just isn't helpful at all.


Exams

Exams. Oh how I hate them. Now don't get me wrong, I love to learn. I actually love classes because I get this thrill from learning new things. I'm very interested in how the world is and all the history of it etc, however I HATE exams. I hate that you can be doing so well all year round but its that one exam that you do at the end of the year that determines your future. I never got less than an A in my history mocks in year 11 and I got an A* in my coursework. But I was stunned to open my results and see that I got a C in the real deal. It really took me by surprise. I knew I didn't do as well as I hoped but I NEVER expected a C. Not that a C is a bad grade, but when you're an A grade student, it definitely hurts. It doesn't bother me anymore because I know that I am better than that C. My previous exams were proof of that. Exams don't actually say anything about your intelligence. It more so tells you how good or bad you are at regurgitating and remembering facts (which I am not). As teenagers, exams seem to be the centre of your life most the time and society is constantly telling us how important they are but I know so many people that get by fine, in fact MORE than fine without A's. I try my best regardless because I believe you should put 110% in everything that you do, regardless of your opinion of the task. Exams get harder every year and I feel bad for my future kids that have to be doing degree level work at 14 years old. I'm not going to get political over here so all I'll say is, Thanks Govey boi,


"Love"

Now I put love in speech marks because 9 times out of 10, we don't actually find our lifelong partners when we are teenagers. It does and can happen but the majority of the time, it really is short term. Now I know that it was exactly the same for every other generation post the 80's (most likely) but there is one thing that makes "love" harder to find in this generation. SEX SEX SEX. Yeah, I said it. The forbidden, taboo word. In the past it has never really been all that important to couples (though it seems anyway) but now it seems to constantly be talked about. I'm (sadly) a part of a generation that seems to absolutely crave it. Talking about it, hearing about it, doing it. The lot. It's all about body count, virginity etc. I for one don't want to be a part of it and couldn't care less but I definitely understand that there are people my age who feel pressure to be doing it or talking about it. Like I said, I can honestly, truly say I really do not care but there are people who do. I watched a story-time on YouTube and this 18 year old girl was basically dumped for being a virgin. How RIDICULOUS is that? Claps to that girl for sticking to her morals and not giving in because sadly that isn't the case for everyone.


Friendships

Friendship. I personally haven't had to deal with many friendship issues in my life but fake friends seems to be a reoccurring problem. People experience finding out there's a lil snake in their friendship group all the time which is really sad. There are situations where a "friend" has said things behind another's back, they're constantly putting their "friend" down, they only ever want to be around their "friend" when it benefits them etc. I feel like fame and money seems to tear friendships a part or reveal who is a real one. Social media is definitely intertwined with this one.


Body Image/Appearance

Again I feel like this ties into social media so I won't talk too much about it. There seems to be this pressure to look a certain way and it sadly tends to be for someone other than yourself. Whether that be for the opposite gender or for friends. Society is constantly changing expectations and the "ideal" person. One minute it was all about being slim and tall and then it was all about being thick and bootylicious. The ideal look for girls in particular is constantly rotating and its impossible to keep up. People get left behind, accused of being unoriginal and told to be unique but then unique isn't appreciated. It is difficult to "be yourself" and have your own style when the only thing that gets a glimpse is what is trending. Eventually people start to look similar and the world is full of copies. It is also as if boys are afraid to wear something that isn't a major brand. I know that my brother won't wear certain clothing items because it's not in trend. I'm someone who doesn't care and I'll happily walk down the street in Lonsdale. My brother refuses to go anywhere with me if that is the case but like I said, I don't care. Girls are expected to look like these Instagram baddies all the time and a lot of them refuse to go out in public with no makeup because they don't want people thinking they're a catfish. I find that really upsetting. They don't embrace what God has given them and who they are, just because they're trying to keep up with a certain image.

So you guys get the gist right? It is extremely difficult being a teenager in this generation. Practically every sector of being a teenager isn't how it used to be. I could have named so many other things but then you'd be reading for HOURS and nobody wants to know what I have to say for that long.

I hope you related to this post or atleast understood where I am coming from. Let me know if you want to see a seperate post on social media because I would love to do that.

Thanks for reading!

Have a great day x