Being Young

Essay by Eystein JarpHigh School, 10th grade October 1997

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BEING YOUNG

Everyone has once been young. But everybody hasn't gone

through this difficult period in life the same way. Which

possibilities and living conditions have teenagers nowadays?

Some people think that you leave childhood when you

become a teenager, and that you are still young up in your

twenties. I don't think there are exact limits that tell you

whether you are young or old. According to christian tradition

one is considered adult after the confirmation, but I wouldn't

call fifteen year-olds adults. At that age, they're still not

ready to handle the consequences of their own actions. When

you are eighteen, you are considered an independent

individual, and have all juridical rights, such as driving a

car and the right to vote. You are also bound to serve in the

military. Nevertheless, one can't buy spirits before the age

of twenty-one is achieved.

Now, more than ever, fashion seem to dominate the youth's

everyday. Perhaps the reason is that they feel insecure and

think that the 'right' clothes will give them a feeling of

being accepted by the group. This phenomen has a negative

side. What if a pupil can't afford to buy these clothes? Will

he or she be excluded from the gang? Some schools in various

countries have tried to solve this problem. They have

introduced a rule that allows pupils to go at school only if

they are dressed in a specific school-uniform. But many

students don't like these uniforms. They want to decide for

themselves how to dress.

During the last years it has become more usual for

parents to divorce. Some people think that this conflict may

have a positiv effect on kids, because the children get a

bigger family to hold on to. Others think the opposite. But it

is obvious that...