A Dangerous Sensuality

When we think about the people of a hundred years ago, the women with their tight corsets and covered ankles, projecting a false modesty, we conjure up an image of a completely different world than the one of today. Young girls wearing short shorts and small tops have become fashionable; the intrigue involved with the sensuality of women has almost disappeared. A lot of this we see at the theatres, on our most popular channel, on that show that’s been praised by all reviewers. It’s no wonder that each year, almost 750,000 women aged 15-19 become pregnant, according to guttmatcher.org. How are we supposed to act on our individual thoughts and desires when they’ve been corrupted by this modern day world?

Despite the fact that more young women are sexually active than they would admit, the media is not always to blame. Peers and lovers are often the underlining reason these women are losing their virginity left and right. In high-school, teens tend to form cliques, a social order where everyone inside a group can be stereotypically categorized as “sluts” or “prudes”, or anywhere in between. When we see very affectionate couples in the hall, inappropriately displaying some form of PDA, some of us cringe with displeasure and others feel a pang of jealousy. Deep inside, we all want to be a part of that “dream couple”, but nowadays the relationship between two teenagers has very real consequences. The most important issue involved with young sex, I believe, is young love. Girls more than boys can get carried away with the idea of romance: constantly doodling in notebooks and finding a way to fit his name into every conversation. But how is this affecting them as people?

Girls who decide to explore their sexuality can and will be quickly labeled as “sluts”; this is where the infamous double standard fits in. Boys who manage to get that girl into bed with them are high-fived and congratulated, looked upon enviously by other pubescent boys who haven’t yet found a girl. I think that when boys put pressures on girls, the emotional baggage can be more significant than the physical consequences, no matter how severe. I believe that we as teenagers need to have access to protection, because realistically we are not all going to keep it in our pants.

“Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow”… “‘Cause Baby You My Everything”

Hundreds of years ago, the “language of love” was expressed through sweet poetry hummed between strums of a guitar. As we’ve evolved, however, so have our means of expression, our standards becoming vastly limited. What happened to the puppy dog lovers we saw in the movies, gawking up at a balcony in a Romeo-esque way, professing their love? Or, when young girls would be tuned into a favorite radio station, and hear a sappy dedication? In the days of I pods and text messaging, where is the real need for the romanticized version of courting? I believe that the way we approach those we are interested in, for example leaving a love letter in a locker as compared to sending exposed photos of ourselves through our cell phones, shapes the relationship we develop.

A popular song that has been cycling through the radio stations for months opens with a line claiming: “Baby you my everything, you all I ever wanted”; special, isn’t it? However, if we keep listening, we will come across lines that are not quite so subtle, such as: “Know you got a roommate, call me when there’s no one there/Put the key under the mat and you know I’ll be over there”. It is songs like these that make me wonder how our generation could be so blind to the implications of these lyrics. Do these evolved versions of romantic poetry, with their disturbing suggestive dialogue, really make women feel unique, adored, and special? I believe that unfortunately, in this day and age, many women out there are desperately searching for some form of validation, even if it’s hidden with a smiley face through a text message or a scandalous picture e-mailed through MySpace.

The realities of a teenage relationship today have evolved drastically in the past decades. We still have the same hormones, the same vanity and the same rebellious natures; nevertheless, we are much more upfront about it. Popular websites such as FaceBook and MySpace, by-products of the modern age, have only helped aide us in this insincere form of courting. Shouldn’t we stick to our roots and try using subtlety, if only for the sake of diversity? I believe once we discard our picture messaging and invest in a flower and box of candy, we will have taken a wonderful, important step backwards.

Which Epidemic is it Now?

In today’s society, the women displayed on magazine covers across the nation are praised for their perfect physiques and admired for their size 2 pant size. However, lately us as a society have been told by talk-show hosts and people alike that the normal woman’s body, a size 14/16, needs to be embraced as a beautiful reality. This statement is further contradicted by the trainers, athletes and motivators of our country: the men and women who tell us our calorie consumption is too high; our level of carbohydrate intake is intense; and our generation will be the first in recorded history to eat ourselves into an earlier death than the generation before us.

My point is, that while the people influencing the motivation for a toned body and healthier lifestyle are being looked down on for having too high of expectations, it is really the single overweight person out there who is creating this unrealistic idea. Shouldn’t those of us who eat right, exercise regularly, and just generally take care of our bodies have a visually pleasing body? And isn’t this way of living considered universally as the correct, smartest way to extend your life? Then why is the public trying to glorify the overweight and borderline obese population by creating reality shows such as “More to Love” and “Dance Your Ass Off”? I believe that if the public continues to accept this newly labeled “disease”, the statistics will worsen. Already, by the time they leave school, one in three children is overweight, according to an article in Telegraph.

What will happen when franchises such as McDonald’s and Wendy’s, which are already benefiting from the invention of the dollar menu, create a world where no street corner is without a drive-through? In this economy, everyone from soccer moms to big-time investors are taking advantage of these deals and treating their families to frequent trips to these “restaurants”. However, despite a scientific claim to support this fact, the fast food industry has created a Meca of food establishments by using craving-inducing substances and fats that keep the public coming back. In this sensitive time, where the fate of the environment is questionable and the financial burden is back-breaking, we need to take the reigns and unite as a healthy, focused group of Americans, who will not sit still and let the population fade into oblivion.

Cliques and Stereotypes in a Media-Influenced World

In today’s society, the cliques we often see in the most popular sitcoms, movies or hear from lines in a song portray different, exaggerated versions of real cliques teenagers come across in school. Unfortunately, more often than not, drugs, alcohol, sex, and obsessive partying are used by the media as a way to represent the “cool group”. So, while "Just Say No" is being constantly thrust upon us by eager counselors or worried parents, some teenagers may still go to that party, open a beer, and get carried away. How can we, as peers, be expected to turn a blind eye to the negatives of this epidemic to be involved with the “in crowd”, when our friends cry to us about drunken exploits they wish they could take back?

Peer pressure is in every clique, even if it slyly disguises itself behind a Facebook comment or unassuming text message. The athletes, for example, traipse through school with their embroidered jackets and bags, but what are they really dealing with besides the stereotypical assumption of a need for more time to enhance their biceps? Their supportive peers are also their biggest competition; constantly critiquing and always watching. Some athletes may even be pressured into trying a form of perfomance-enhancing drugs. And what about the unfairly labeled “geeks” and “nerds” of our schools? We may not fraternize outside our intertwining cliques, but we know who they are. Can we honestly think that they don’t have impossible standards set on them by family and friends? Their friends may put pressure on them by expecting them to make Honor Roll, expecting them to take AP classes. Expectations. The labeled “stoners” are always expected to say yes to smoking that blunt, taking that pill. But why?

Why are we, as children, finding it easier to accept this distorted view of organized social placement and insensitive rejection? Because the media, today’s largest source of information, reminds us of our social standing every day, of our inproportionate, imperfect, average body types, of the expensive things we can not afford. And this will never be put to rest; cliques and stereotypes will continue to run rampant in our society, because it is just human nature.