What the hell is wrong with modern youth society?

As you all know I'm the young one on here, 16 years old and in my last year of secondary education. My generation often get negative coverage in the media and the press, and many of those older than us have accepted this stereotypical opinion of 'teenagers' as fact. I'm not going to try and defend that (as we are asked to do in most English exam papers) because I know that much of this stereotyping is true.

I have been genuinely angered about this today, not because of the bad press teenagers get but because of the amount of people I know who live up to it.

Everybody knows that in the society of a secondary school there are a number of different social groups, there is a whole range of these so-called groups - but they can generally be classified into five categories.

You have the 'nerds' and the 'geeks' who are often too concerned by work or learning to be that bothered about, what we would refer to as 'having a life.' 'Nerds' will stick together in their activities and accept the constant barrage of abuse they get - simply for trying to achieve and succeed at school. Ironically it will end up that it will be these people with the well-paid jobs whilst those who (quite pathetically) laugh at them will struggle to make anything of themselves in years to come.

Those who do 'have a life' would be the 'really cool' people, who think they are the greatest thing ever to walk the earth . They are too concerned with their ego to worry about anyone or anything else other than their own social group. These are the people who are usually (metaphorically) stuck so far up their own backside they cannot find the way out. The girls in this group would be referred to by their peers as 'plastics' due to the inconceivable amount of make-up used to cover their generally cold and heartless personalities. The boys which interest the 'plastics' would be the 'popular' clever, attractive, sporty guys. 'Sporty' meaning that they are admittedly extremely good at a sport (more often than not soccer) - and very arrogant and boastful about it too. These are always accompanied by the guys who want to be like the 'popular' guys, and assume that mimicking everything their idol says and does will achieve this.

At the complete opposite end of the spectrum from the 'really cool' group are the degradingly, and rather crudely, titled 'retards'. These are the people who haven't been blessed with the good looks, or intelligence, or social skills of their peers. They may have a weight problem or other issues. This group seems happy enough to get along together and have a good time without caring about what anyone else thinks of them. This may be just as well, seeing as they are largely ignored by the other groups.

The next group would be the one that the 21st century has labelled the 'chavs'. These tend to be the people who simply do not care. They might come to school, but the majority of them do not care at all about their education and this is reflected through their behaviour and actions. These are the ones that you would find smoking between lessons. These are the ones who deal in drugs. These are the ones who will happily go out every evening of the week for a night filled with booze and sex. The majority of them will have a close relationship with the police. The most important element of this group is to maintain the 'hard guy' image in all situations (this is of course achieved by wearing trainers and tracksuit bottoms with a Fred Perry top and, a ridiculously out of place, Berghaus mountain climbing jacket).

The final group consists of the 'normal' people. These are the ones who do not really fit into any of the other groups and tend to universally like and be liked by everyone. This is the 'safe' group or the 'comfortable' group. You have a large group of friends and you can generally get along with everybody.

Please tell me I'm stereotyping because I am. This is my point. We talk about adults stereotyping teenagers; this is teenagers stereotyping teenagers, and this is what happens.

I've often thought my school year group lucky because, collectively, we are quite a close community and, when a situation requires it, everyone should be able to co-operate with each other and get along reasonably well. However thinking about some of the things that go on in teenage society I realise I could be completely wrong.

I'm not afraid to say it, and don't think me arrogant, but in general I'm quite a popular bloke. If I was to be grouped into one of the categories above I would definitely be classed as 'normal'. I do well in class and I play for the local soccer team. I have a pretty big set of friends and am comfortable getting along with just about anybody. Nevertheless, I have witnessed and, in some cases, experienced the harsher side of teenage society and, quite frankly, it sickens me.

Take for example last night when I went to the nearby outdoor ice rink with two extremely close friends. Incidentally these two friends have recently finished a serious two-year relationship together. The amount of hurt they have both been through because of this is unbelievable and just goes to prove how unbearably painful teenage love and relationships can be. People like to croon "awww young love" in response to such situations as if it is trivial and enjoyable. I'll tell you now from experience - the "aww young love" phrase is quite possibly the biggest load of bullsh*t you will ever hear.

As we walked through town we talked about numerous things until conversation got round to a 'party' which 20 perfectly respectable girls my age have planned for tomorrow night. The night will be a "success" if they all manage to get "completely wasted" and "end up puking in the toilet." These are people who I know are all clever and ambitious, yet they feel that going round to someone's house with the sole aim of getting pissed on binge drinking is an appropriate way to behave at the age of 15. I know that some of these girls of been provided with bottles of vodka each and there will undoubtedly be a huge amount of chain smoking going on as well.

I am not a kill-joy and I am not boring, but this genuinely angered me to the point of feeling physically sick. I understand that everyone will fancy a bit of alcohol at a party and I also respect an adult's decision to smoke if they do it responsibly. What I cannot comprehend is this teenage culture of going to so-called parties with no intention but to get absolutely wasted on booze, fags and, in most cases, drugs.

Going back to the stereotypes, this is the kind of behaviour one might expect from the 'chav' group. But these people are not 'chavs', they are people I know, people I respect, people I get along with and people I care about. Perhaps my own personal feelings have something to do with it; one of the girls is someone I have had intense feelings for in the past and care about immensely. It is infuriating to stand and watch such people degrading themselves to this level.

This is not the only incident by far. I can think of well over a dozen people I know who are addicted smokers, I can also recall several people who are actively involved with drugs. The general opinion is that it is somehow impossible to have fun without being totally out-of-your-head drunk. I understand that some of these elements take a role in the life of any young person, but these people are 15 years old, 16 at most. What is going on?

When will it all stop? When someone throws their live away by getting pregnant at 15? When someone ends up in a young offenders institute? When someone gets too high or pissed or stoned and ends up dead?

It is painful to see what is happening to these people - my friends. The changes in their personality and attitudes to life. I just hope we all come out ok at the other side.

Jaysus Sami - I wouldn't know where to start with this rant! Fair play its an epic tome of anger.

I think most of us were angry during our teenage years but the only crumb of comfort I can offer is that this anger and disgust at stereotyping only lasts about 7 years .......

Haha ya go looking through the site and ya find this gem.


Ok I'm 15, drink, don't smoke really, don't really do drugs, get straight As and Bs in school, wear tracksuits (nike, adidas), get with lads, wear abercrombie, play hurling and do ballet, have a fairly large group of friends and like all types of music, stereotype me please


Groups are a lot different in my school it would seem. We have:
The GAA lads: Don't drink have the craic and generally are fairly popular
Non- GAA lads: Lads who wouldn't be in the Gaa group but would be mates with them and get on well and would also be fairly popular. Do drink. Drugs and smoking optional.
Us: My group of friends. We're friends with those two groups of lads. Drinking/drugs/smoking only a few.
The rockers: A group of people who stand around the corridor with guitars and usually have hair in need of a good wash. Generally do a lot of weed.
Middle of the road group: People who are grand to get along with pretty much everyone. Tend to be nice enough crowd.
The un-named group: The people who don't really fit into any category. Are often a little bit strange but if they're happy in themselves its all good.


I agree that a lot of the time teenagers do live up to our reputation but we do nothing that generations before us didn't do. Drink, sex and drugs aren't anything new.

Epic post Sami.. Absolutely bang on with those stereotypes. Except in our school there was no difference in the Cool and Normal people.

As regards the binge drinking, it was something that infuriated me when I was your age too. I started working in a local pub at 15 just when most of my friends would have started drinking and after one or two busy weekends I swore to myself that I would never drink, and that was just from the way drunk adults would act. People my age going to youth discos and spending the night throwing up in the corner and/or being carried home by their parents or the Guards baffled me.. How is that enjoyment?

So I decided not to drink until I was a bit more mature and wouldn't end up making a complete idiot out of myself or at least if I did I'd be old enough to take responsibility for it. I didn't drink until I was 18 and it was a good decision. There's plenty of time for the wild drunken stories in college. People will yearn for the more simple times of youth as life stretches out so teenagers shouldn't complicate the simple times, they don't last long.

As someone who once felt as you did though Sami I will say this, don't judge too harshly and try not to get annoyed. As people mature and get closer to and reach the legal drinking age the drinking the face off yourself becomes less cool and won't be as big a factor in nights out. If you decide to join in yourself either now or when you're 18 there is a happy medium where your dignity can remain intact, you'll find as your friends get older they'll fall into that happy medium too.

With regards to the drugs thing, I have had to read about it for exams and there are loads of reason for these behaviours. Some say it is down the the sensation seeking and others will argue it is peer pressure and then there are those who think children are at that stage in their life where they are experimenting.

When I was a teenager at school I would see myself as the inbetweener and got on with all different groups of people. But at my school the nerds would be bullied, infact I was talking to one of my friends who were bullied at school and they asked me why I didnt help them.My answer was simple....Im not going to be following you around all your life fighting your battles for you, you had to learn to fight for yourself. Then you had the girls who were after the sporty lads or the troublemakers. These days I rarely talk to anyone I went to school with, but from what I have heard 5 of them have died, around 40 of them have been to or are in prison, quite a few are a mother/father yet quite a lot have gone to university also.

The drinking down the park thing started in year 10 for my year although I never started drinking all the time untill around 20. If/When you goto uni Sami you wont even recognise the geeks its just every stereotype you have mentioned rolled into one. Although some geeks will remain intraverts.

Royal_Girl2k9 wrote:play hurling

Camogie???

Jayo Cluxton wrote:

Royal_Girl2k9 wrote:play hurling

Camogie???

Yes camogie

Whatever floats yer boat wanna get wasted get wasted heck i could go on an endless rant as i tend to do but smoking is a huge problem in my school and theres no way to stop it. The auld cries with tears and anger "WHEN WILL IT STOP" are all constantly repeated but sure thats what happens. RG's stereotypes are suprisingly extremely accurate and true

By the way there sami love is like a rugby ball ye wouldnt no which way it'd bounce

Heck lads this is a throw up from the past! I can't even remember writing this to be honest, but I must have been in a mood about something or other times have changed now.

I know the original post is a bit of a rant but don't get me wrong - I'm not some kind of dullard who disagrees with enjoyment or anything - I think the initial point I was trying to make was just about how it all seemed so pointless to me.

Long, long time ago now (or at least it seems it).

In all fairness, life now, aside from the odd exam work, is pretty incredible and, in a way, I think that understanding all the crazy aspects of teenage life is, in the long term, quite a useful bit of knowledge to possess.

SamiPremier08 wrote:Heck lads this is a throw up from the past! I can't even remember writing this to be honest, but I must have been in a mood about something or other times have changed now.

I know the original post is a bit of a rant but don't get me wrong - I'm not some kind of dullard who disagrees with enjoyment or anything - I think the initial point I was trying to make was just about how it all seemed so pointless to me.

Long, long time ago now (or at least it seems it).

In all fairness, life now, aside from the odd exam work, is pretty incredible and, in a way, I think that understanding all the crazy aspects of teenage life is, in the long term, quite a useful bit of knowledge to possess.

In other words you have discovered the plentiful joys of vodka? Preachers not so prudent....only kidding withye

SamiPremier08 wrote:Heck lads this is a throw up from the past! I can't even remember writing this to be honest, but I must have been in a mood about something or other times have changed now.

I know the original post is a bit of a rant but don't get me wrong - I'm not some kind of dullard who disagrees with enjoyment or anything - I think the initial point I was trying to make was just about how it all seemed so pointless to me.

Long, long time ago now (or at least it seems it).

In all fairness, life now, aside from the odd exam work, is pretty incredible and, in a way, I think that understanding all the crazy aspects of teenage life is, in the long term, quite a useful bit of knowledge to possess.

You are now a man, my son