Teens’ voices shared in partnership with Georgia Teen Institute, organized by GUIDE (edited by VOX for grammar and spelling).

What is something today’s teens have expertise to talk about in our communities? What would you say if you had the microphone and the opportunity to share your thoughts and opinions about today’s teen generation?

In my opinion, today’s teens have to be able to express our feelings in one another; to our communities. My thoughts on today’s teen generation is that we’re okay about our new technology that the last generation has made for us. Maybe our generation can invent other advanced things in our society today. The last generation that thinks like for example, our government; they think we won’t do anything advanced and maybe some of us teens would want to make our world a beautiful, better place!

Miztyka Laparra, 14

I am part of Cetpa Prevention Clubhouse. Being in this clubhouse has taught me and has changed my life for the best. My experience in Cetpa has been wonderful. It has opened up many opportunities for me. It all started with myself and my choices in life. Of course like any teen I want to have the time of my life, but doing it the wrong way. I made ¨friends¨ with people who were more like drinking buddies. Going to parties to drink, throwing our own parties to drink, and drinking while our parents left for hours.  Making that choice wasn’t great. I was blamed for another person’s actions of getting drunk and passing out not knowing what was going on. I was blamed for not being responsible for their own responsibilities. Teens in today’s generation find smoking, drinking, and doing illegal things fun. In reality, they’ŕe not. You have a future ahead of you, don’t let one mistake ruin it.

Emily Morales, 16

I’m not going to write a fancy poem or something on this. I’m just going to tell you how it is. Adults cannot get a better source of information about youth, than youth themselves. The way for adults to naturally improve lifestyles of youth is to incorporate youth in those ideas. Adults telling kids about things becomes boring because we get enough of that at home. They need youth to step up and inform each other about making better lifestyle choices. If I was in this situation, I would try to suppress the influence of negative things. Instead of social media posts supporting alcohol or drugs, use it to post about fun activities you can do without [alcohol and drug use]. Instead of music, talking about alcohol and drugs, use it to sing or rap about fun without them. It just starts with the VOICE!!

Jeffrey Hughes, 17

Teens have a voice…that no listens to and because of that we are turning into little drones that the adults control. We all know that there is a time to talk and a time to listen, but when did our designated time to talk get ripped out of our hands? We may not know what adults want, but we sure know what our youth wants. The more adults take away our freedom to talk, the more our self-esteem disintegrates. It is important for our youth to have high self-esteem so they don’t turn to negative outlets, like drugs, alcohol, and possibly even suicide. That is why it is important for our youth to have their voice in their own hands!!

Hannah Mercer, 12

1. Today’s teens get to discuss the rules and regulations and members of different community-serving club and organizations.  2. I would say that our generation should have more opportunities to share their opinions because they are the world’s future and they are the ones that will (and are) changing their communities and the world for the better. Today’s teen generation is the world’s future, and if they don’t have a chance to lead now, they won’t be able to change the world.

Elaine Williams, 15

I want to start being a better leader in my community. I want to take more initiative in any program and work more efficiently by communicating. I want to stop being a slacker in my work. I want to get things done! I want to continue advocating for my community.

Mutasem Shapo

Our generation of teens are the experts of technology, from iPhones to laptops, teenagers can tell you anything you need to know whenever you need to know it. Being the experts of technology, they are also the experts of social media, and with social media comes cyberbullying. With all the time teens spend on their phones, many of them experience bullying. With this, teens have become the experts of depression and social disorders. It is no good thing [that] people so young deal with this, however, because of their experience, teenagers will be the ones to stop the effects of cyberbullying.

Chandler Wooten, 15

In my program, I would like to continue the distance our sponsors give us so that we can truly grow on our own. Our organizations is youth-led and our supervisor guides us to the right choices and never truly gives us the right answer unless we stray off too much. This is important and needs to be done more throughout other communities.

Kinjol Loha, undisclosed age

They have expertise in electronics. Today’s teen generation is kind of messed up because they are thinking that drinking, smoking, and using drugs is cool. They need to learn that doing all these bad things doesn’t make you cool.

Anonymous

In my community, I would like to stop all the bad and false reputations teens have. Also, start boosting up the percentage of students that graduate and go on to continue their education further. Also, start getting other teens involved, not just only from my school, but from the entire Rockdale County area. As a community, we do have plenty of opportunities for teens to get involved, but we just generally don’t get involved unless it has to do with for a grade, or if our coaches organizations are involved. Pretty much we need to branch out to meet new people.

Leilani Brannon, 16

At my school, many of the decisions are made by adults, and the students have little or no say. I think our school should start letting the students pick what happens in school events and other places. Our school has many opportunities for the students to get involved and lead.

Zion Martell, 15

START having more youth-led activities and events that allow youth to express themselves. STOP making every ¨youth¨ activity planned by adults. CONTINUE forming leadership opportunities.

Peyton Wilson, 14

Social media and today’s biggest stars are always the hot topic of teens. Music plays a major role in [a] teen’s life and this is often expressed and proven through social media. Music has the ability and power to lift someone up in a hard time or situation.

Matalyn Santini, 18

I have been active with my community for about five years. I have been involved with student government, the local SAMS (?) contest, and 21st Century. Everything that I do helps — (?) to help me. I love to help others, and lots of people do.

Amanda Home, 14

Teens struggle to accept who they are because of self-image, confidence, and everyone’s judgement of themselves. Today’s teens focus too hard on things that don’t matter as much. Internet, laziness, and preparing our image for the likes of others! We need to stop. We focus too much on others, instead of developing ourselves into something original into something we’re not. Why do we focus on everything we’re not instead of everything we are? Why do we care about what others think, that if after high school we’re never see them again? Because we’re gullible. Society controls us. We can’t control how the image is inflicted on us in the world. This needs to stop. Be yourself.

Julia Kiklica, undisclosed age

Adults are close-minded to kids’ opinions. They think we are too young to share and should believe/do/get/talk/live like they tell us too. Our voice is silenced by adults with ¨experience¨ and ¨wisdom¨ because they always know best. I have been told that my opinion is nothing, and I shouldn’t be sharing it because I am young.

Allie Aughan, 17

The youth in Georgia know a lot more than adults think. Adults tend to believe that we shouldn’t have an opinion because we are too young. I disagree with that, I believe that youth have expertise on many problems adults don’t exactly understand. For example, drug and alcohol abuse. We as teens know who is doing it and supplying it. We could be useful to law enforcement and school in identifying problem places, people, and what exactly is going on at our schools. Adults would be surprised how much they can learn from us.

Alyssa Childers, 15

Teens have stress. Adults feel like teens should not be stressed because they don’t have things to worry about. Teens worry about their families, school grades, future plans, relationships, the unknown. Some teens are the primary caregivers for their siblings or their own children. Others must worry about making good grades to get into college and have a successful future. Teens know stress – regardless of what anyone says.

Carson Cook, 17

I would for team group to do better in is get more parents and teens involved [in combatting] in the stuff we have going in our community like alcohol and marijuana [usage]. [I want adults to help] them stop [their alcohol and drug consumption] because they really don’t that [these behaviors are] bad for [your health]. I would to continue to go out in our community and help out others in our community and to [continue keeping people] from drinking and smoking a lot. But it got [to] start at home first.

Marquavious Brooks, 17

Start – Being themselves  Stop – Being rude  Continue – Being happy

Asnami Frett, 17

When we are in our team meeting, I would like if we would work together and have communication.

Kala Mcdoogle, 16