Lazy, selfish, sleep way too much. These are just a few words that are used to describe today’s youth. Stereotypes like these have been around forever, but they aren’t always accurate.
A Helpful Hand
A stereotype that teens are confronted with on the daily basis is their tendency to be selfish.
“I think the selfish stereotype comes from technology and social media,” junior Tanner Probst said. “People outside of our generation think that kids just stay on their phones all day and don’t wanna help out.”
While there is usually a reasoning for every stereotype, the majority of teenagers do help out. 15.5 million, or 55% of teenagers between the ages of 13-18, participate in community service activities, according to the National Service Foundation.
“I mainly help out with the Special Olympics of Southern Indiana,” Probst said. “I help out with the activities like putting bowling balls in the ramp, corn toss, and also the track and field events.”
Probst is a member of the Key Club. Members are expected to reach about 50 hours of community service a year.
“I try to get around sixty hours [of community service] a year,” Probst said.
A Successful Scholar
A stereotype that is related to both selfishness and oversleeping is the thought that teenagers are habitually lazy.
“Well, stereotypes have basis, but it’s irresponsible to call all teenagers something,” Neel Jain said.
In fact, the average grade point average of high school students has steadily risen over the last decade. It has reached an all time high of a 3.10, according to U.S. News.
“I think most of my students could definitely could improve their work ethic,” math teacher Chris MacIntyre said.
Jain is a living example of a hardworking teen. He was recently named a National Merit Scholar.
“About 50,000 people nationwide a year are named a National Merit Scholar, I was given it because of my PSAT score,” Jain said. These stereotypes have been around for years and show no signs of fading from the minds of today’s adults.
“I think this stereotype will always be there, but we just have to keep working hard,” Jain said.
A Sleepy Student
It’s an age old notion that teenagers spend their whole adolescence asleep. This misconception is practically a daily conversation “It depends on my schedule and the amount of homework I get a night, but I usually get about four and a half to five hours of sleep,” sophomore Brooklyn Ketzner said.
Ketzner is a part of the theatre program at NAHS, and is also a devout student. Her commitment to these activities occasionally robs her of a chance to get enough sleep.
“School is one of the main reasons behind [lack of sleep],” Ketzner said. “Sometimes it’s stressing about the work I still have to do, or the tests I have.
Even though a majority of adults believe that teenagers sleep too much, only 15% admit to getting the recommended amount, which is 8-10 hours, according to the National Sleep Foundation
“We run on so little rest that whenever we get the chance to sleep, we do,” Ketzner said. “Adults don’t always realize it’s the only chance we get.”