TED RÖNESANS COLLEGE / 8-C
When the World Suddenly Felt Larger
Göksu YENİAY ‣
170
Transformation is often imagined as a sudden breakthrough, a dramatic moment when everything changes in the blink of an eye. In reality, its usually slower, quieter, and far more complicated. It appears in the way we speak, the way our attitude shifts as we grow up, in the clothes we wear to avoid being different, and in some moments when we realize the world is more complex than we once believed. In my generation, change does not come politely; it enters our lives through screens, classrooms, friendships, and expectations. After noticing these changes in my friends and myself, I realized that the person I needed to question the most was me. So, instead of interviewing a teacher or an expert, I decided to interview myself, both as the student asking questions and as someone living through these transformations every day.
First of all, one of the biggest changes I noticed was in people’ s attitudes, including my own. I have seen people who were once gentle and open become bold, sarcastic, or guarded as pressure, judgment and expectations slowly piled onto them. These attitude shifts can help someone grow stronger or slowly turn them into someone they no longer recognize, but they never come out of nowhere. They are often shaped by friendships, difficult experiences, and the constant need to fit in. Little do we realize, outside forces can turn into inside voices that shape who we become.
Another transformation shows up in the way people dress as they grow older, including me. I used to throw on whatever was in my closet in the morning, but now I actually think about how I look and what my clothes look like. Not only me, I see others shifting their style too. Sometimes just to follow trends, sometimes to feel more confident, and sometimes just to avoid standing out. Social media plays a big role in this, constantly showing us what is pretty and what is not. Clothing becomes more than comfort; it becomes a form of expression, protection, and even identity. Without realizing it, we start shaping the outside of ourselves to match how we want to be seen.
The final transformation is the hardest of them all. Many young people today are forced to grow up faster than previous generations because they are exposed to serious topics at earlier ages through news, social media, and