A look at the Internet through teens’ eyes: misinterpretation

Brooklyn Norrell

More stories from Brooklyn Norrell

Jazmin Galicia
February 15, 2017
Recent+news+stories+on+the+Internet+have+made+it+seem+like+teenagers+have+a+whole+secret+text+language+to+avoid+adults+scrutiny.++But+is+this+just+another+adults+take+on+teenagers%3F

Kate Muir

Recent news stories on the Internet have made it seem like teenagers have a whole secret text language to avoid adults’ scrutiny. But is this just another adult’s take on teenagers?

Everyone knows that feeling when they’re reading an article online about teens and nothing being written about is right. Who really is behind the writings on these articles? Adults.

Have you heard of the text abbreviations PIR? WYCM? TIME? SWYP? Yeah –many people don’t. What they do mean: parent in room, will you call me, tears in my eyes, so what’s your problem; these are just a few of the ridiculous abbreviations that teens are believed to use.

Most internet articles are written by adults – seeing that reliable sources like CNN and Time Magazine only hire adults. Are these sources really reliable in the sense of interpreting teens?

Sophomore Cailin Peters said, “No, because teens now are facing problems adults never had to deal with as kids like social media, internet, and school problems.”

“They base teens off of how they were when they were teens and not how they are now,” said Allison Closs, freshman.

Brittany Stephans stated, “It makes teens look worse than we really are; it puts out the wrong image of us.”

Adults like to take a chance and think the worst when it comes to what happens in their teens lives. But is it really ethical to judge teens by their societal cover?

Peters said, “The worse sides of teens are shown more than the good through the internet giving adults different misconceptions of teens today.”

“I think the internet sees teens as rebels without a cause,” said Closs.

Alize Niblack, junior, stated, “They don’t know what it’s like to be a teen using the internet in this generation.”

“They don’t know what teenagers are like these days; adults always think they know but they have no idea what they’re talking about,” said Stephans.

Overall, when you look at it teens do not believe that the internet is a reliable source into our lives. Most of us believe that we are wrongly interpreted on the internet because of the stereotypical teen image.

What do you think?  Does the Internet portray teens fairly?  Let us know in the comments below!