Final Blog

I think that i have more of a "creative mind". I cant focus on things for very long- especially if it is school related. I really like to paint and listen to music. I thin everything is better with a little bit of color. Sometimes however i have more of an "analytical mind". I like to analyze things- sometimes i over-analyze them. I tend to over think situations and it causes me stress. But i find that these are both helpful to me when it comes to school work because i use my creative side to come up with clever way to rememeber things whereas i use the analytical side to think things through. People have told me I have a right side brain- and i would agree.

Heres a test to see what side you are!
(according to the test i was 48% left and 52% right)

http://www.wherecreativitygoestoschool.com/vancouver/left_right/rb_test.htm

Famous Teens

Hollywoods Top 20 Teens

20. Dylan and Cole Sprouse
19. Alyson and AJ Michalka
18. Rayven-Symone
17. Rihanna
16. Emma Roberts
15. Zac Efron
14. Mischa Barton
13. Shia LaBeouf
12. Miley Cyrus
11. JoJo Levesque
10. Tyler Williams
9. Abigail Breslin
8. Vanessa Hudgens
7. Hayden Panettiere
6. Dakota Fanning
5. Lindsay Lohan
4. Scarlett Johannson
3. Hilary Duff
2. Daniel Radcliffe
1. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

This is a list of just a few of the Hollywood teens who have made it big in show business.

What It Isnt...

Lately I have noticed the way television has made its attempt to reenact the average teenage life. Personally, I have become pretty annoyed with the far-fetched portrayal of kids today. TV shows like "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" "Hannah Montana" and "The Suite Life of Zach and Cody" I think are some of the worst representations of Teen life. Although "The secret Life" does the best job at making things a bit more believable, I really cant stand the show. It seems like all the kids on that show do is talk about sex. I dont know about you, but my friends and i prefer to talk about other things every once in awhile. Next we have "Hannah Montana". I'm sure i dont have to even state how riddiculously far-fetched this show is. Finally, there is "The Suite Life". I am guilty of watching this show ever once in awhile, however, there are things about this show even i detest. In "The Suite Life" as well as many other TV shows, the teenagers are depicted doing whatever they want. They shop. They travel. They go wherever they want. I would just like to know what kind of parents these kids have and where they get all their cash?! Yeah, that's something they dont show ya in the shows, huh? So, in conclusion, i really just wanted to point out that life is much different than what it appears to be on TV (you know, in case you didnt already know that)

Teenage Statistics

Teenage lives seem simple? These facts/ stats may just change your outlook on teen's lives.

* nationally nearly 1 million girls under the age of 20 become pregnant each year (about 2800 teens a day)

* Teens 16 to 19 are three and one-half times more likely than the general population to become victims of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault

* In America, 1 in 4 sexually active teens becomes infected with an STD each year

* Homicide is the second leading cause of death for persons 15-24 years of age

* The percent of students reporting street gang presence at school nearly doubled between 1989 and 1995

* Approximately 80% of adult smokers started smoking before the age of 18 And Every day, nearly 3,000 young people under the age of 18 become regular smokers.

* 56 percent of youths age 12-17 reported that marijuana was easy to obtain in 1998

* Each year, students spend $5.5 billion on alcohol

* approximately 240,000 to 360,000 of the nation's 12 million current undergraduates will ultimately die from alcohol-related causes

* on average, eight teens a day die as a result of drinking and driving

all information from: http://www.soundvision.com/Info/teens/stat.asp

Stress

What is stress all about anyways? according to an article published on Familydoctor.org, stress "is not always a bad thing." in fact, the article goes on to say that a little bit of stress is good because it pushes us to excel in different areas in our lives. The article also lists several signs or symptoms that would help indicate that a person is stressed these include (but are not limited to):
•Feeling depressed, edgy, guilty, tired
•Having headaches, stomachaches, trouble sleeping
•Laughing or crying for no reason
•Blaming other people for bad things that happen to you
•Only seeing the down side of a situation
•Feeling like things that you used to enjoy aren't fun or are a burden
•Resenting other people or your responsibilities

Stress is normal, especially for young teens. However, that does not make it healthy. If you are experiencing any of these signs of stress you should consider talking to your doctor or trying any of the simple "stress relief" ideas by Claire Curtis

Teen Relationships

"High School Sweathears" a phrase heard all too often. Come on people, we don't go to high school to find our soul-mates! on the other hand, many teens do end up finding that special person who makes their life complete. But just because it's complete doesn't mean it's always easy. Relationships can prove cause a tremendous amount of stress- especially to girls who do just about anything they can to try to please their "boo".
Didnt think teen dating was stressful? it doesnt have to be! take some advice from pyschologist Reka Morvay

Peer Pressure

Peer pressure is an inevitable aspect of being a teen. Sooner or later every teen must deal with the effects of alcohol or drugs. Some teens choose to travel down that road- which may lead them to a lot of trying and difficult times. Others, on the other hand, may have to deal with a friend who has experimented with drugs or alcohol. Throughout high school a lot of friendships are ended- a great number of those come from peer pressure. on top of everything else in their lives, some students find the most trouble in saying no to a friend who wants them to do something they just arent comfortable with. Peer pressure has the potential to break friendships or worse- cause people to give in to something they know is morally wrong. Peer pressure truly is a majorly overlooked stress factor within a teens life

Jobs

A great number of teens feel the need to pick up a part-time job after school. Whether they use the money they make to help save up for college or spend on the weekends, it makes no difference. Teenagers undergo a lot of stress from school, but when you add a part-time job to the mix, life can get a little hectic. Being a teenager is a lot of hard work- especially when trying to balance school, work, and a social life all at the same time. Many teachers or parents dont take into consideration the tremendous amount of time kids spend at work only to get home late and work on their homework.
Though there are many downsides to picking up jobs in high school, there are also a lot of benefits. Kids with part-time jobs make new friends, gain responsibility, and of course- make money.

School

People always say "High School is the best four years of your life!". And for most, it is. But how about for those of us who seem to have too much on our plate? Most parents are oblivious to their teenagers schedule- therefore they fail to recognize why kids dont love school- or they can't fully comprehend why their scholar doesnt make straight A's on their report card. The truth of the matter is high school is tough!
First there's the horrible hours. Waking up at 6 am five days a week for four years in a row- sounds awesome doesnt it? uhh... no. But it doesnt end there- because school starts at 7:30 but doesnt end until 3. Yay, you just got to spend 7.5 hours copying notes and taking tests. The average kid spends about 1,350 hours a year in school! thats 5,400 hours once you're done!
And then there's the homework! Some teachers just arent sure when enough is enough! High school students have enough problems, but homework often times overwhelms teens. We spend enough time in the class room, give us some time to relax!