The Internet Age Ian Whitson In the book Against the Machine, author Lee Siegel critisizes the modern dependence on the internet and how it has become intertwined into our society. To me this seems incredibly relevant. Almost every teenager I know cannot go a day without getting on the computer. They have certain activities on the internet that they do religiously. Some of these sites, such as Myspace and Facebook, really seem to attract teens. All of these sites have the same basis, a sort of internet community: a false reality almost. Siegel, noted in his book a trip to Starbucks. He said that the once social environment of a coffee shop has become a place lacking with human to human social contact. This also is very true; people no longer seem to care about actual human contact and care more about keeping up with many people that in most cases they don’t even know personally. The majority of my generation is so absorbed with an internet life that is completely fake. Anyone can put anything on one of those websites and make themselves seem as different from their actual selves as they want. It’s almost as though people have stopped caring so much about their actual life as they worry about the way they portray themselves on the internet. The main thing about the internet that seems the worst for actual social contact is instant messaging. Instant messaging has taken away all need for human association. The concept of talking to several people at once, as fast as you can type, may seem attractive. Again, it is not real and some may substitute this for real face-to-face communication. I am not saying that I am totally against these forms of internet activity and communication; I use them and I think they are great. However there is a point where it goes too far and consumes too much of someone’s life, and that is where I think this generation is going. Children Raising Children By Nadine Miller Teen pregnancy may be an age old topic of debate, but the very reason it’s still a debate today should be a reason to talk about it. The rate of teen pregnancy steadily rose in the mid 1900’s, and very little was ever done to prevent it. Finally, during the 1990’s the rate began to slowly decrease, and by 2005 researchers thought there was hope for the up and coming generations. This hypothesis was, however, premature as the rate began a steady rise in 2007. What might be causing this rise? First off, school districts in New York and Chicago both agreed that it was a good idea to pass out condoms to high school students. Their reasoning behind it was teenagers are going to have sex anyway, let’s make them safer. The only thing safe about sex is to simply practice abstinence. Not having sex as a teenager is important because about fifty-three percent of all teenagers who get pregnant later live below the poverty line. For years, administrators stress the importance of just saying “no,” until students are ready when tempted into one of these relations. However, what’s the administrations meaning of “when you are ready?” Too many teenagers in high school don’t have the discipline to even manage a challenging work load of classes; how can the administrators expect them to know when they are ready to have sex? Many give into the lie of “if you love me then you will do this for me” and later regret their choice. It’ seems uncomplicated to give into the easy way of doing anything, and many teens just give in when pressured to have sex. The pattern of easy living can be seen in other areas of teen living. In school, just not doing homework and cheating on class assignments are easy to do; later in life, welfare, abortion and suicide are other easy way outs that so many people choose. It’s no wonder over half the college freshmen become drop outs. Instead of the regular sex education programs, schools could try field trips to local prisons and interviews with women who became pregnant as teenagers. Certainly these types of field trips would be more educational than a trip to an amusement park. Giving teens a reality check from people with experience is much more beneficial than handing them a pamphlet with statistics they will never read. Schools should stop passing out condoms, and use that money to increase sex education funding, and provide courses for male education on teen parenting and respect to women; it’s important that everyone is educated. Teen pregnancy needs to have more effort put into the cause from the entire community, and teach the importance of self preservation and self control rather than spur of the moment impulses. In the long run, students ability to have self control will benefit their future and the future of a possible little one. 

The Fight for the Right to Vote

By Nadine Miller

          Things seem to be turning around for this up and coming generation as voting rates among teenagers have shown an increase over the past eight years.

          Rates began to drop after the 1960 Kennedy-Nixon election that produced a 62.8% turnout rate among teens.

          It was not until 2000 that rates began to increase to 51.2% from the 1990’s.  Still, the turn out for the 2008 presidential election is expected to be a record setter.

          So what is it about this up and coming election that is causing young people to actually start voting again?

          Young people that I have talked to have said when they vote for a president, it will either be Barack Obama or John McCain, hands down.                            Those who are pulling for Obama think he is exactly what America needs; something new and fresh.  Teenagers like Obama because he is is young, and many say because they are tired of the current President George W. Bush and his Republican party.

          Other teens who would vote for McCain want America to be stable in values and finish the Iraq war, two things that they believe McCain could bring to the White House.  Young voters believe that Obama lacks the experience to be an efficient president and take effective control in a time of war.

          This election is expected to change American history, so for those who don’t currently vote, why start now?

          History has recorded men and women protesting, marching, and participating in sit-ins for the African American right to vote.

          Women have had to fight social tensions as well and risk their reputations and family names to obtain voting rights. 

          Both groups have been faced with threats to their lives and those they care most about.  Still, they were willing to fight to achieve their goal as an American citizen.

          It is foolish of modern teens to waste their opportunity of influencing American policy through whom they elect.  This seems to suggest the values among America’s youth has been lost in the modern age in the belief that everything in life will be given to you.

          Young voters should be grateful that the previous generations stood their ground against the segregation of their time.  So when the time comes, teenagers who are eligible to vote should do so, and remember those who came before them to fight for their right to vote.