TEENITY

TEENITY

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Teenity is a teen community. Not yet. But shall we make it a community?

Oh my dear--darling--dearest readers!!!

When was the last time you felt like a child?

The question sounds like it came from a hopelessly romantic thirty year old but it comes from a fifteen year old. Before someone thinks "isn't she just fifteen? Technically, isn't she a child?"

The children of my time are the children robbed of their time to be children.

One year ago my class teacher said You are children. So act like children. So there won't be problems

This year another class teacher said You are not children

Are we children? Apparently not.

Are we adults? Definitely not.

Then why doesn't the damn world treat us like teenagers?

I am angry. So angry. 

Age 0-10 goes smoothly for me. And when I was 11, well---that happened---Covid Freaking 19 is what happened. All cool, right? After mostly useless but the only available online classes and isolation of two years, people expected the pre teens to act like--- what exactly? Children? Pre Teens? Teens? Adults? 

That was my experience and it was similar to so many.

Don't you know how to respect people?

Can't you talk to people?

You can't even go to the nearest store?

You don't run? Or skate? Or dance? No sports?

Why don't you go to libraries?

Why are you always on your phone?

Why don't you want to go out anywhere?

Why is that you disrespected our guests?

You don't even know basic math?

Now tell me what photosynthesis is because you learned it in 3rd grade.

You are manner-less.

Haven't your parents taught you anything?

First we should blame your ****(mother/father/parents/teacher/siblings/----)

So many kids are doing that with their phones while you are----

All you can do is this crap--

Aren't you children? Don't act like you're--

How dare you?

Who do you think you are?

You get the gist. You know this. All these questions. You know it because either you have asked it or you have heard this.

SCHOOL

Nobody did nothing with the school syllabus. Nobody did anything about the post corona effect. It took over and everyone still pretends like there is no post-corona effect. 

Back in (Year before 2000--2010---2020) is the same thing that is happening to us in post-2020. 

Why do the schools here have the same working days? Why do the schools here have the same hours? Why do the schools here teach the same things---all things(all things that were already there, nothing new, nothing necessary)? 

These questions might sound irrelevant to you but maybe not after my next line.

Back in those years, there weren't the same possibilities, accessibilities and necessities.

While there are personalized school systems, homeschooling and some of those in some parts of the world, it isn’t here and I don’t think what exists is enough. I read about NIOS in our country and the popularity of it, the relevance of it and the risks of it does exist. 

Personal Experience

For a higher secondary school’s certificate I go to school five days a week and sit in class from 9 AM till 4.40 PM. I have six subjects and please do let me explain the situation.

English:

Boring chapters. No Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Louisa May Alcott, Chetan Bhagat, Chithra Banerjee, New authors, novel topics and it’s literally, academically, timely—TIME WASTE.

16 year old girls can’t even read properly. The teacher barely shows up. I don’t see no one teaching no one on any writing, comprehension or—

I love english and now it’s the subject I hate. 

Hindi:

Totally unnecessary right now and the unavailability of spanish, french and arabic in most schools is sadistic. This being mandatory is just agonising. It’s completely unnecessary and time wasting.

Mathematics:

For students aiming to take the NEET examination or pursue those career types that definitely don’t need Mathematics, this is another waste of time. Math can be taught alongside physics and if it were done that way, maybe the youth of this country can be more productive. 

Physics:

Not experienced enough to comment on this.

Chemistry:

Not experienced enough to comment on this.

Biology:

First of all, who showed me a heart’s model in zoology class? Nobody. There’s internet, laptop and a projector in class for no reason except for the teacher to pull out a PPT that contains exactly all the lines in the textbook, read it, translate english to our native language and finish the chapter.

Then there’s the NEET exam which has 360 marks from biology and these classes don’t help prepare for that.

Physics, chemistry and maths have two teachers teaching two different chapters in the same day and I don’t even know what to say about this madness. 

The teachers are amazing and I’m blaming the system—not them.

This is happening and nobody realises what’s at stake here.

Not to mention the stupid educational strikes by political parties, stupider allotment procedures into the higher secondary schools in Kerala and—--ugh!

Let me stay at home the entire year and I’ll come to the school to write the exams only. That way maybe I’ll have a shot in securing myself a seat in some medical college. All I need is a relevant higher secondary degree. Youtube classes, specific other resources are the things that would help me become my best version. Whatever I’m becoming now—I have no idea.

Recognition

First of all---this has got to change. The under eighteen and over eighteen is a bunch of bullshit. Teens from 14- 18 needs a part in middle of this. 

We need recognition. Under 18 is child, Over 18 is adult and just like that we need 14-18 is teen. You might think that the people of that category will soon be out of that category but let me tell you that those people being in and out of categories is better than having no categories at all. The people of that category have potential that needs to be recognized.

What do we have?

News about some youth programmes really do delight me. There's something called 'The Under Eighteen World' and we all saw a bunch of Gen Z with Rahul Gandhi. There are youth conferences in some parts of the world. The UN too includes minors in different things. There are young businessmen, fashion designers, engineers, even professors! 

But fact remains---

Most of us are trapped in situations with some of us being treated like children, some like adults and some like neither but shit. I'm just gonna cut the crap here. I have to rant about this somewhere, right?

There are certain political parties like SFI,KSU and all which include mostly college students. And there is–I heard of a children's political organization alongside SFI but it’s as far as I know—-has been nothing but nothing exactly.

What do we need?

The world is changing and we must change too. 

And nothing is going to change with some adults around a table talking about this. 

We should have more teen organizations, teen programmes, teen communities, teen movements.... and while these exist in some parts of the world, they definitely don't here. I shouldn't have even written this. Because so far I've understood that here— this thing I do doesn't matter. 

Instead of liking teen relatable reels on Instagram made by some 22 year old college student who's got an exam to fail, teens need to consider creating a community online to present the issues and suggest alternatives and make actual changes around this place. 

Why not? 

14-18 might seem like a disrespectful, annoying and idiotic bunch of people. But if there was someone to push them the right way, all of them---I know---can contribute to this society. They can do much more than scroll, study and eat. Let them. 

Is that it?

You can rescue a bird out of its cage after five hundred years of imprisonment. To actually rescue it, it needs to be guided up the sky to fly or otherwise, it'll trot back and forth in this dryland.

How do we acquire that?

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We can’t make flags and storm out on the roads. 

But we can make hashtags and storm out on the internet. 

Roll your eyes but before you do—remember how Gandhiji lead us to freedom.

Tell me. Are you in? I’m ready to collab.

Follow teenitytrend on instagram right now.

What we will try to do:

• Recognition for teens

• Reform school systems

• Create online communities

• Acquire a platform for teens

TEENITY

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Haapyyyyy Childrens Dayyy babes