There are so many issues with teenagers today. Girls are anorexic and obsessed with models and being skinny, while males sag their pants too low and have no respect for authority. We are drug and sex obsessed and we refuse to accept the world, rebelling against everything that makes sense. Right? Well, even if it sounds extreme, this is the opinion of a surprising amount of people.

A girl will walk by with a low-cut shirt or maybe an adult will catch a swearword slipping by. These one-time impressions often influence adults’ thoughts on our generations- that we’re lousy, no good, lazy, and inconsiderate. They say we are obsessed with makeup and video games, liposuction and body part enlargements. I real articles complaining about how young people these days have no compassion for the issues, only for who is dating who and who is hosting the next big bash, whether or not the cops will be there. It seems, however, that there has been an oversight.

What about those kids without eating disorders? The ones who cuss as little as possible and don’t laugh at the obesity in some fellow students. My friends and I are the girls who walk past the low-cut shirts and roll our eyes, imagining ourselves in them and feeling ridiculous with just the thought of it. Because, quite frankly, the people who assume we are ALL image obsessed are being very ignorant and, sometimes, stupid. We do NOT believe that showing more skin means we are prettier and we do NOT believe we need makeup and tight miniskirts to catch a boy’s attention. I am really, truly happy with my appearance, and let me explain this to you: I have short, straight brown hair, plain brown eyes, pale skin, and a small cup size. I wear blue jeans every day and have never worn mascara a day in my life. Most of my friends are of the same opinion. Are you doubting that I am happy with my appearance? You definitely should not be.

We also cannot use the excuse that we are not the “cool” kids, so we know nothing. Actually, it is quite the opposite. I am friends with those girls I mentioned above who wear skirts and makeup because they see magazines and feel insecure. Or, that is the adult mind’s reasoning for it. But I know that one of my girlfriends wears it because she likes to feel dressed up. She knows she is pretty, but she thinks it’s fun create her own style, even if she isn’t stick-thin. Some of my best girlfriends are popular girls three grades above me, and they, too, have more brains than is really expected of them just because they wear eyeliner daily. They are thin, but that’s because most of them play volleyball and rugby, not because they have bulimia.

So maybe, grown-ups, I am being a bit stereotypical as well. A lot of my teachers and friends’ parents understand that we have opinions about important things and can speak for ourselves, and they let us do that. Otherwise, what am I doing writing this article? I would be counting calories if I was wrong. So please, don’t go overboard next time you see a guy with saggy pants. Because I happen to know a great guy who wears baggy jeans and plays video games, yet still holds doors open for girls. I just think it is a bit stereotypical for you to think that just because I am fourteen means that I cannot think for myself. Girls do still obsess over clothes and makeup sometimes, but usually that’s one or two out of eight girls. The rest of us can think pretty well for ourselves, thank you very much, so next time you come by it would be appreciated if you could just leave your stereotypes at home.