Teenagers

The teenager is a creature far different from that of

any other. These strange beings are classified into the
species of the homo sapiens ranging from thirteen to
eighteen years of age. Through the years, it seems that a
teenager has grown more to be a separate class in itself
rather than a certain time period in life.

Although teenagers are really almost a separate sub-

species of the human race, none of them are really quite the
same. The teenager may be divided into three separate
categories ranging from the radical, moderate, and
conservative. The "radical" teenager may be best described
as one going to all extremes to try and prove something that
nobody else can really understand. Punks, stoners, new-
wavers, skaters, surfers, and other similar people fall into
this category. The "moderate" sub-species of the teenager
may best be described as the classic teenager, or really a
teenager who epitomizes most of the qualities of a "normal"
teenager. This category comprises the widest range of
people and could definitely be sub-divided within itself.
This particular category of teenager is slightly vague as it
can range from teenagers such as "jocks" to "brains". The
last of these categories, the "conservative" teenager
describes the class of teenagers who follow the rules and
teachings of the adult world without a complaint or
rejection. One will most likely find a "conservative" teen
in the front of the classroom trying to get as close to the
teacher's desk as possible. One will find that this person
is usually quite timid and quiet the majority of the time.
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The description of any of these abstract creatures is

quite difficult because of the vast difference in each one's
features. These beings may range from 3 feet in height up
to around 7 feet. They can be either tall, fat, thin,
short, ugly, attractive, intelligent, slow, fast,
responsible, irresponsable or a variety of several more
features humanly possible. The "radical" and "moderate"
teenagers are usually quite unpredictable and can usually
never be trusted. The vast majority of teenagers begin to
actually think and reason for the first time in their life
and begin to have contrasting beliefs from what they have
been taught by their elders for 13 to 18 years. Before
hitting the teenage years, most every person accepted just
about everything taught by their parents as they had no
reason not to believe in their parents, and also knew no
better. As these teens begin to think, they find logic in
new and different beliefs and find many old beliefs
obsolete. Teens could be a major advantage to the human
race if it were not for their tragic flaw in which they
think that they have had so much experience in life that
they are ready to handle it all and take on the world with
their "vast knowledge of life".

Although teens are far from perfect, they are still not
treated to the best of the older generation's ability. The
average teenager is "abused" by their elders. Teens are
forced to do miscellaneous odd jobs not respectable to the
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human race. One may find a teenager doing such degradable

chores ranging from taking out the garbage, doing the
dishes, to sacking groceries at the local grocery store.
Although for the most part teenagers are mistreated, being a
teenager has its definite advantages. For in being a
teenager, not much is mentally expected of you, for the
elder generation has accepted the fact of the difference
between them and the teen. As the elder generation was also
forced to go through this demanding time in life, they
realize how "difficult" it is, thus a teenager can
practically get away with "murder".

As the teenager can never fully be described because of

their wide variety of qualities both mentally and
physically, many people struggle to find out exactly why
teenagers act as they do. As one may see, the differences
of the teenager are quite obvious and contrasting to that of
any other period in life.
 Teenagers
Brad Goodson
Mrs. Kelley
Period 2
3/9/87
English II
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