High School: The Teenage American Dream
‘High school’ seems to have become its own subgenre in modern media. Whenever a film has teenage characters, the romanticized high school life often follows. With a thousand different friends, activities, events, freedoms, and opportunities, it’s hard not to envy the life of an American teenager. Even American teenagers do. The thing about this perfect, idealistic take on the young adult experience is that it can be harmful. Because when every representation of your peers shows them having a better time than you, it can be easy for your own life to feel inadequate. Then the question arises, “What am I doing wrong?”
The answer is nothing. Because this fantasy is entirely unrealistic. It makes even the good times in school feel lacking, and it can hold people back from actually enjoying these years. This contributes to the disease known as ‘wanting to grow up too fast.’ Because if you’re not enjoying what are supposed to be the best years of your life, then you might as well move on to the next stage, right?
There’s also the factor of pressure from older generations to be grateful for your youth. Your youth, where you are supposed to be out with friends every day and join every club, but also focus on your studies. Also, don’t forget to get a job because it’ll prepare you for your future, go to every single football game you can, and—oh, don’t forget about your homework! Well, what do you have to be stressed or depressed about? You have no idea what the real world is like! The list goes on.
The older generation is also responsible for this view of high school. Because it is always easier to enjoy something in hindsight. The most popular representation of teenagers shows them having the freedom of adults without the responsibilities. However, in many cases, teens have to take on adult responsibilities in order to gain the freedom, and then the freedom is consumed by the means to secure it. Like working to afford a car. A car, which, in many cases, is required to go anywhere. Or money, which you essentially can’t do anything in public without. Another problem is that unless a character is specifically nerdy or bookish, the high school ideal often leaves out the responsibility. Homework forces students to focus on school even when at home, which is supposed to be their free time. Their free time is for going to school events, which are also overhyped. Such as dances. Which realistically are far more awkward than film writers seem to realize. It always feels as if you’re meant to be having more fun than you are.
Even representation of bullying in school is still massively glamourized. When the entirety of a school’s student body all gangs up to pick on and belittle one kid, it shows a sense of community among students that frankly, just doesn’t exist in most public high schools. This is generally because the student body in the average American high school is often too large for such a tight-knit space. You could go to a school for four years and still not even know half of the kids there.
Is it entirely impossible to have fun during high school? Absolutely not. This is a great time to be alive. It gives you the chance to figure out who you are, who you want to be. To make connections and explore opportunities. But don’t get disappointed if your high school experience isn’t all it’s chalked up to be. Some people have a better time during this period than others, and that’s okay. The point, essentially, is not to allow comparison to ruin your happiness.
