took them quite a lot of coaxing to make me write for the horizon. finally did it! here it is...
Teenage assertiveness
For the grownups…
Considering the fact that I’ve had 5 years of being a teenager, I think I’m eligible to write on this topic. The oxford defines assertive as confident and forceful. So, ‘assertive’ is the perfect word for teenage… neither stubborn nor aggressive, but assertive.
Today’s teens, whether the elder generation agree or not, are a whole class apart. Maybe some ways of life have changed and some values may have been sacrificed, but there have been remarkable changes. Life in the era of the 2000’s can be described very easily – it’s a continuous fight - you loosen up a little, and someone else gets ahead. There are a gazillion problems and pressures that every teenager puts up with every single day (and we’re not discussing just academics or exams). Funnily enough, the simple fact that he or she still survives shows how strong they are.
There’s a tiny spark in every student to rebel, and in some it may get bigger. No doubt it’s a wonderful feeling to say, “No, I won’t… because I don’t want to.” And this is where assertiveness comes in. It is the same thing that gets them through all those problems. The general picture that the ‘adults’ have is that these youth would do anything to rebel, that - they’d rather not do something that they want to do, just because they’re forced to – simple reverse psychology. But that’s not true anymore, at least not today. Whether they’re asked to do something, or told not to, the only thing that finally matters is their own decision.
So that’s what we’re looking at. Exposure that teens get is incredible. So, even though it may sound a little far-fetched, they know what to do. Let them make their own mistakes and learn, they shouldn’t be and mustn’t be stopped (unless they’re in an extremely bad state). In short, give them a break, and see what they’re capable of.
Priya
