We're All A Bunch of Stupid Teenagers.

Earlier this evening, and friend of mind (whom I believe is approximately twenty four) posted this unbecoming message as a Facebook status:

"has never hated teenagers so much as she does these days. WHY ARE YOU ALL SO RETARDED. Overly sensitive, emo lovin' preppy bland brand name skankin' disrespectful idiotic arrogant little brats! With the acception of a few, I cannot STAND teenagers! Gah."

Originally when I read this, my intentions were to go into full on troll mode and start bashing every inch of this with angry, half formulated thoughts. And then I kind of thought: "What a brilliant blogging moment!"

So here it is.

I want to start off with saying that I think a majority of teenagers get a bad rap. I know many young, well adjusted teenagers. I'm not going to say that there aren't any that might just be bad eggs, but I truly believe there are many more finely reared youth than my friend is clearly aware of.

Yes, we kids sometimes make stupid mistakes. We sometimes speak or act with arrogance, we sometimes talk back to a figure of authority. We sometimes lash out in momentary rebelliousness. But I suggest to you that these are merely an unfortunate part of growing up.

And not to mention that teenagedom means puberty, which means all sorts of wonderful hormonal and chemical changes are going on in our bodies and yeah, that does tend to make some kids get a little "overly sensitive" or "emo".

Being a teenager means walking that fine line between child and adult, a strange in between world where things sometimes don't make sense. And somehow we're supposed to figure out who we are and what we're supposed to do and where we're supposed to go. Society tells us that education is all about YOU. Your career is all about YOU. Your life is all about YOU. YOU are an individual and no one is like YOU. And then we wonder why kids seem so self involved?

The last little bit I just want to direct to anyone who has had a bad experience with a rowdy group of teenagers.What I want to point out is that everybody was a teenager at some point. Everybody has made mistakes and has had to grow and learn from them. Everybody has had and will have to mature at some point in their lives. Being and acting stupid is simply a part of this growing up process.

I want to put out there that I am in no way justifying or defending the acts of raucous teenagers. What I am trying to point out with the above post is the logical fallacy of a young adult whom claims to, in general, hate teenagers and young people-- though she is just barely out of the realm herself.

Let me know what you think!