Being a teenager in high school in 2019 is abundantly more difficult than adults make it out to be. High school students have immense amounts of pressure nowadays, between their current education, sports and extra-curriculars, future education, future careers, and not to mention a social life. There’s pressure on students to excel in school so that getting into college and eventually having a career is possible. However, in order to stand out for colleges, students need to be involved in their own school by participating in clubs, sports, and other extracurricular activities, such as band. Also, students are supposed to enjoy their “high school years” by going out and having fun with their friends, all while juggling their other responsibilities. It would seem as if time is a high school student’s worst enemy, but the constant need to break the stereotypes applied to every single student only adds to that pressure.

What comes to mind when you think of a teenager in 2019? Probably someone on their cell phone, not paying attention to anything but what’s on the screen, and someone who can’t do basic math whenever cash registers break. Well, that image couldn’t be any more inaccurate. For starters, teenagers are only on their cell phones because it’s an easy, portable way to keep up with current events, whether that be by actually reading the online newspaper or becoming informed through social media. Furthermore, if teenagers aren’t paying attention, it’s most likely because there’s so many things on our plate: due dates, tests, quizzes, college applications, schedules, etc. In order to remember everything that has to be done, you have to focus on your to-do list all the time so that you don’t forget things or you can add on to it quickly. Therefore, you should give teenagers a pass for accidentally bumping into you on the sidewalk walking home after six hours of school, two hours of practice, and then a soon to be seven hour “check things off the to-do list” period. Lastly, if we can’t do basic math, like applying a coupon to groceries or adding tax to a receipt, it’s because we’re too busy learning quadratic equations, proofs, and calculus in school.

Times have changed since adults were teenagers.  High school is more challenging, they even changed math, expectations are higher, plates are more full, and the pressure is much more extreme. Therefore, it’s unfair that adults judge teenagers today based on false stereotypes and pretenses. Yes high schoolers may be on their phones, what seems like all the time, but it’s merely an escape from the societal pressures placed on teenagers to be exceptional, original, unique, extraordinary.