A Message To Teenagers

A Message To Teenagers

-3/8/18-

Dear Teenagers, 

*Names used do not pertain to real-life situations. Just made up scenarios.

     I don’t like to talk about it. I am 100% going to be completely honest with you guys. I will not hide my emotions, feelings, or thoughts due to the fact that I have an active social media following. I never have and never will change myself to please others. That’s not what life is about. That’s not what I do this for. I use social media to get my point across. 

My whole platform is about caring for yourself as well as others. Being a genuinely kind person. It’s everything that we’ve all heard before. It’s everything that is drilled into our heads from the time we hit 5th grade and on. But, as we all know- bullying and unkindness are still prevalent in ALL aspects of life. We’re never going to completely eradicate it. We can change it, though. Teenagers are the next generation. We hold so much promise and hope. We will change things. Hopefully our kids won’t have to live in a society where they’re ridiculed for being them. 

     But as of now, it’s still here. West Virginia is ranked #3 in the nation for the prevalence of bullying in schools. In other words: that’s extremely terrible. I’ve asked about it before. “Have you ever been bullied?” Why, yes they have, in fact 6 out of 10 kids have been bullied in their lifetime. 

     “I’ve been bullied,” I say. My friends gasp. “What? No way. Not you? But, you’re so pretty! They were out of their minds! I don’t believe you.”

Believe it. Please believe it. Know that when I confess what has happened that I am not lying or boasting, but telling a terrible piece of truth.When I look back on it, I narrowed it down to two observations.

1. I had incredibly low self-esteem. I was vulnerable.
2. They were not the nicest of kids. It seemed like their self-esteem was low, as well.

Hear me out. When kids have low self-esteem and self-image, their behaviors flip flop. One minute you notice that they start making self-deprecating jokes, the next minute they’re lashing out at friends, bullying other kids, and creating chaos all fueled by the chaos raging inside of them. So, the question is, how do we fix this? How do we help people to believe in themselves as well as others?

     Encouragement. We can do this. We can promote positivity. Many teenagers will claim that social media is a negative aspect to our lives. It is not! It is so positive! Having a large audience and being open to the entire world means that we can spread such a positive message! Everyone has the ability to comment. Start commenting compliments! We have the ability to post. Start posting uplifting things! We have the ability to livestream. Livestream your love to the world! Use social media to your advantage and encourage!

     Responsibility. You are responsible for your actions. Not for the actions of others. Just yours. You can’t help what others do.- only what you do. Meaning, you need to understand that how you treat others comes with rewards and consequences. If you decide to be a bully, you have to live with the fact that you are damaging, not only an innocent person’s self-esteem, but your own.

     Words. Two qualities I love in a person is stubbornness and sassiness. I think being a “Chatty Cathy” is a great thing. You tell it like it is- but to an extent. You have to learn to manipulate that talent for good. In summarization, if you see something, say something. Defend yourself. Use your brave voice to help the ones who don’t have one. It’s not fun. Being the “snitch” or the “party pooper” is never fun. You know what’s even worse, though? A lifetime filled with anxiety and self-loathing due to the fact that you saw something happening to an innocent person and decided not to speak up. This goes for so many situations other than bullying. I hate having to explain this concept because it’s common sense. Stay chatty. Be a snitch. You could save a soul.

     So, teenagers. I know, it’s terrifying to start. The world is so caught up in being “petty” and taking joy in being mean. Don’t you ever wish things weren’t like that? This isn’t why I’m here. I’m here to encourage positive self-esteem and kindness. I want you to take care of yourselves. *I want Mariana to understand that she works too hard and needs a break. I want Avery to understand that he’s not alone. I want Jenna to understand that it might be rough sometimes, but her parents will always love her.

     I want you to also take care of others. I want Kayla to stick up for the boy who’s gay in class; who gets bullied everyday due to something he can’t control. I want Taylor to check on her friends everyday, because sometimes they need it. I want Elijah to compliment as many people as he can because he knows that not a lot of people get them.

     I am not an expert. I am not a psychologist. But, a fire has been started. I have a burning need to soothe this epidemic. I know that together we can spread this message. So, fellow teenagers, take some advice from an observer. It may be in our best interest that we start changing things now. Our children don’t deserve comparisons,critiques, and social media terrors. They deserve a chance to grow and prosper normally. Let’s start now.

                                                                                                  I think we all can be brave.

                                                                                                    Love, 

Katie.