14 Year Old Elijah wants adults to know that teen boys are not all the same.
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Meet 14 year old Elijah, who in a candid video shares his thoughts and feelings in response to What Does it Mean to Be a Teen Guy in the 21st Century?
In the video, he addresses assumptions adults make about teen boys, hooking up culture, and the pressures in his life. Elijah’s message to adults is that “All teens are not the same. We are very different and proud of it.”
I think Elijah did well with this but I have to comment on his view of the friendzone… If a girl doesnt want to date a guy then Elijah thinks the girl should just say they dont like them and what, not be friends? What if they want to be friends with the guy? Its not a secret code saying they might date them later, it litrally means girls can have guy friends without wanting to date them (and vice versa). I know alot of other topics were covered too, but this idea bugs me. When people have an idea… Read more »
Bill I completely agree with most of what you said but I want to tell you that kids are really changing for the better. They are much more accepting of difference and there is much less rigidity of social groups, kids are a bit more free to float in and out of groups and act outside the accepted role of their supposed status. Two of my kids are in the thick of high school (in Australia) and their friends are such a mix of sporty, arty, nerdy kids. They have amazing social consciousness and think racism and homophobia are outdated… Read more »
Elijah, you’re quite a speaker. You also show a social awareness far more than I possessed at your age. Your family background seems to be quite positive; and your coach sounds like a nice guy, too. (I’m just a retired 63-year-old coot who pumps iron at a local health club and has two daughters who are now young adults.) However, I must disagree with your use of the expression “discriminated against” when you say you were “discriminated” against as a football player. If you had said you were subjected to negative stereotyping, I would have had no objection to such… Read more »