This Is Our World, Too
By: Bella Grimaldi, Grade 8
Teenagers. As teens, we’re the face of the future. We're going to have to be the ones to piece the
world back together. But, how will we, if adults see us as irresponsible and careless? They see us like that
because of the few that really behave so poorly and get attention for it. Why aren’t we allowed an understanding
of the world around us? Is it a behavior misconception? Are we considered too young, even
though this is our world, along with everyone else’s, and will practically be ran by us soon? What can we
make out of what we have? This is the world that we live in, we should help build it back up in any way
that we can.
Adults seem to think that teens don’t get the proper understanding on things, such as mental health. Yes,
many people use terms like “depressed” very loosely. However, there are teens that understand it and care
about it. And teens that do see the problem with mental health know that it is, in fact, an issue that people
on an international scale face, and that it’s a serious topic. Kaevonna, a peer of mine, agrees that teens
should care about and understand mental health. “People can take their lives because they feel not needed.
And because teens are the next generation to have the chance to help fix the world, we can be the ones to
give people a place where they feel important,” she says.
Teens may not see certain things as an issue, so they just ignore it; but there really is a lot about the
world they have yet to learn. A good example was given by my school’s principal, Dr. Berios. “The impact
of technology on children...” he says “Parents should be the ones to solve these issues, because
they’re the ones that give devices to their children, who are at a young age, so their brains aren’t completely
developed. However, teens can learn from the negative impact on technology.” So, what he said is that
teenagers should care about the use of technology and who uses it. This also ties into behavior issues.
What people are exposed to at a younger age can affect the way they act, and maybe even affect their future.
My math teacher, Ms. Noble, says “Teens can spread kindness and try to make others kind, too.”
Younger generations look up to us, as we do, older generations. If we don’t have a positive impact on
younger people, where will that bring them? If they don’t understand that high usage of technology at a
young age affects their brain, which will lead to problems in the future, we should take every chance that
we get to educate them on topics that they should understand, like technology usage.
As Dr. Berrios said, parents are the ones who control their children’s usage of electronics. But,
that’s not all they can do to help. Older generations can also take action to help support teenagers. Another
peer of mine, Jessica, says that wildfires are something everyone should help with preventing. “People
should work together,” she says. This is just one of the many other things adults can support us with.
Teens can help prevent certain issues, but, we need consent, understanding, and support from older generations.
For example, if we speak up against something we see as unfair or unjust, they could take the time
to realize that “Hey, they’re the future. We shouldn’t take their opinions for granted. We can use their ideas
to better our decisions. Because, they see and understand things that we don’t, so, maybe, their views
will help us as a community, state, country, even our world as a whole.”