Our names are Marianna and Rosa. We are in the Advanced class of English and recently we have been discussing the problems that effect teenagers; like drugs, stress, dieting and teenage pregnancy. As a result, we decided to do a project based on these topics.
To start our project we made some questions that helped us to discover the differences between the lives of teenagers today and in the past. Then, we chose to interview 6 people of different ages. These respondents were between 18 and 83 years of age.
Some of the questions that we included in our interviews were, for example, “Do you believe that teenagers now have more freedom than you had?” “What are the main problems that effect teenagers today?”
We had a variety of different responses as the people we interviewed were of different ages. But each person told us with passion about their old memories from their teenage years. In addition, they told us about the problems which they think exist for teenagers today and they spoke about the increase of freedom for adolescents today. These interviews were very interesting for us and now we would like to share our results with you.
We have divided our results into different sections of interest, concerning the different areas of teenage life that we learned about.
So what are the problems ?
One of the questions we asked in our interview was what the main problems facing teens today are compared to teens in the past. We got many responses. Here are some:
The problems facing teens today: drugs, alcohol, smoking, AIDS, bad company, the influence of TV, over-consumption, road safety.
The problems that teens faced in the past: smoking, alcohol, poverty, lack of freedom, isolation, lack of education, hard work.
The similarity – smoking and alcohol
Would you like to be a teenager in today’s society? Why/Why not?
YES = 5 Respondents NO = 1 Respondent
Reasons:
YES: curiosity about life as a teen today, re-live teenage years, technology, more freedom
NO: drugs
Our opinion
It’s not unexpected that the majority of our respondents answered “yes” to this question.
The idea of being a teen today is very attractive due to the independence that teens have.
Entertainment
In the past: playing outdoor sport, dancing, singing at home, no bars, the cinema, board games.
Nowadays: clubs, dancing, coffee, electronic games, the cinema, TV, computers, board games.
Our opinion
In the past teens exercised outside whereas today teens spend most of their time in front of a screen. The result is an increase in overweight teens. However, TV, magazines, advertising and our peers all tell us that we should look a certain way and take care of our bodies. The emphasis on appearance has led to an increase in eating disorders like Anorexia and Bulimia
The other difference in entertainment is that, nowadays, entertainment like computer games or clubs are expensive. Parents have to provide money for all of these activites. This puts a lot of pressure on parents, especially in Greece where the economy is not strong.
All of our respondants believe that teens today have more freedom. What are the advantages and disadvantage of this freedom?
Advantages…
1. freedom to entertain yourself with your friends.
2. freedom to make choices about your own life.
3. freedom to choose your friends/boyfriends/girlfriends.
4. helps you to become more mature/independent.
Disadvantages…
1. teens exploit their freedom and get involved in bad situations/or with people they shouldn’t
2. some teens are too immature to deal with freedom
3. teens need direction from their parents
4. teens are still children and they should try to have fun, and have stress-free lives without problems
As teenagers we believe that, living in today’s society, we face a lot of problems, for example: sex, drugs, smoking etc. Being a teenager, in our opinion, is more difficult today because we have to deal with many dangers. In addition, we lead very stressful lives.
The average teenager in Greece attends about 12 hours of private lessons on top of their regular school hours. Homework requires about 3 hours per. night, leaving very little free time.
All students are under pressure to study hard at school and do well in their final exams.
It is expected that we go to university and get a good job. All of this takes its toll on even the most balanced student.
____ So, freedom, independence and youth all come at a high price!
Interviews
Respondent age: 20 — 30
Gender: male
Nationality: Greek
Interviewer: Describe your teenage years.
Respondent: I didn’t used to study. I had a lot of activities like I played many games with balls. Also, I worked and I tried to connect them. I liked to ride a motorbike.
Interviewer: What kind of entertainment was there for teenagers in your time?
Respondent: We played football, basketball and went to the cinema daily, because I had my own money.
Interviewer: Do you believe that teenagers now have more freedom than you had?
Respondent: Of course! For the reason that they are more mature.
Interviewer: What were the main problems facing teenagers in your day?
Respondent: In my opinion, the problem that teenagers faced was lack of transport.
Interviewer: In your opinion, what are the main problems that effect teenagers today?
Respondent: The intense influence of TV and over-consumption.
Interviewer: In your opinion, what are the 3 differences between being a teenager now and in the past?
Respondent:
1. freedom
2. they don’t have as much free time as we did
3. there are more gyms and facilities now
Interviewer: Would you like to be a teenager in today’s society? Why/Why not?
Respondent: No. I believe that being a teen in my time was better because those years were very tender.
Respondent age: 20 — 30
Gender: male
Nationality: Greek
Interviewer: Describe your teenage years
Respondent:I liked to play football and this was one of my big mistakes because I didn’t study. I was quiet and I didn’t have any initiatives.
Interviewer: What kind of entertainment was there for teenagers in your time?
Respondent: Football, electronic games and sometimes I played billiards. Also, I used to go for coffee with my friends.
Interviewer: Do you believe that teenagers now have more freedom than you had?
Respondent: Yes, in comparison to me, they have more freedom.
Interviewer: What were the main problems facing teenagers in your day?
Respondent:Poverty and lack of independence.
Interviewer: In your opinion, what are the main problems that effect teenagers today?
Respondent:Smoking and motorbikes. Generally they have been the same since I was a teen.
Interviewer: In your opinion, what are the 3 differences between being a teenager now and in the past?
Respondent:
1. independence
2. more educational resources
Interviewer: Would you like to be a teenager in today’s society? Why/Why not?
Respondent: Yes, because I want to put right some mistakes I made.
Respondent age: 50 – 60
Gender: Female
Nationality: Greek
Interviewer: Describe your teenage years
Respondent: A lot of reading. I had love from my family. I lived in a small town and I played with many kinds of games. We didn’t have a TV but we had a radio.
Interviewer: What kind of entertainment was there for teenagers in your time?
Respondent: Our games were improvised. We also played football. We went to the cinema and sometimes we visited other towns to see a play.
Interviewer: Do you believe that teenagers now have more freedom than you had?
Respondent: Yes. Now they can entertain themselves with their friends. In the past we couldn’t have a relationship with a boy or girl without our parent’s approval. Also, we didn’t have much free time because we worked.
Interviewer: What were the main problems facing teenagers in your day?
Respondent:Poverty and lack of independence.
Interviewer: In your opinion, what are the main problems that effect teenagers today?
Respondent: Isolation. And we didn’t have a lot of education. Now teens have TV and the Internet.
Interviewer: In your opinion, what are the main problems that effect teenagers today?
Respondent: Drugs, alcohol, smoking and AIDS.
Interviewer: In your opinion, what are the 3 differences between being a teenager now and in the past?
Respondent:
1.Freedom in relationships
2.Entertainment
3.Opportunities for education
Interviewer: Would you like to be a teenager in today’s society? Why/Why not?
Respondent: Yes and No! “Yes”, because I could use the Internet and “No” because lessons would take up all my free time. Also “No” because of the danger of drugs
Respondent age: 70 – 80
Gender: Female
Nationality: Greek
Interviewer: Describw your teenage years.
Respondent: War, poverty, hunger, no freedom and lots of sadness.
Interviewer: What kind of entertainment was there for teenagers in your time?
Respondent: There weren’t games but only work and stockbreeding.
Interviewer: Do you believe that teenagers now have more freedom than you had?
Respondent: Of course. They have more freedom in relationships also. Back then, we didn’t have freedom, not only in relationships, but in our own lives.
Interviewer: What were the main problems facing teenagers in your day?
Respondent: Hunger, no necessities, compulsory work at a young and unsuitable age.
Interviewer: In your opinion, what are the main problems that effect teenagers today?
Respondent: The main problems are drugs and smoking.
Interviewer: In your opinion, what are the 3 differences between being a teenager now and in the past?
Respondent: 1. freedom to move and to live – that’s all !
Interviewer: Would you like to be a teenager in today’s society? Why/Why not?
Respondent: Of course I would because today teenagers enjoy a lot of things.
Respondent age: 40 – 50
Gender: Female
Nationality: Greek
Interviewer: Describe your teenage years
Respondent: My teenage years were wonderful but these years weren’t like today. We used to play and dance a lot. Also, we used to study a lot and there wasn’t so much freedom.
Interviewer: What kind of entertainment was there for teenagers in your time?
Respondent: We used to play in the play ground and sometimes lots of us would get together in a house to dance and sing because there weren’t any bars at that time.
Interviewer: Do you believe that teenagers now have more freedom than you had?
Respondent: Yes, of course. Nowadays teenagers from age 12 are in clubs until 6 o’ clock in the morning. They also drink a lot of alcohol so they don’t know what they’re doing. In my day we didn’t have a lot of bars or cafeterias.
Interviewer: What were the main problems facing teenagers in your day?
Respondent: Only smoking but we didn’t know the dangers of smoking then.
Interviewer: In your opinion, what are the main problems that effect teenagers today?
Respondent:Nowadays there are many problems. However, the main problem is drugs which are addictive and teens don’t ignore them.
Interviewer: In your opinion, what are the 3 differences between being a teenager now and in the past?
Respondent:
1. more freedom now
2.teenagers don’t understand the dangers facing them today and run into trouble easily
3. drugs
Interviewer: Would you like to be a teenager in today’s society? Why/Why not?
Respondent: Yes I would because I would love to experience how teenagers live today. I’m very curious!
Respondent age: 20 – 30
Gender: male
Nationality: Greek
Interviewer: Describe your teenage years
Respondent: My teenage years were like all teens today. In classrooms we had fun so the teachers would shout and throw us out. On Saturday night we would dance in clubs. Also, I was continuously fighting with my parents.
Interviewer: What kind of entertainment was there for teenagers in your time?
Respondent: We used to laugh a lot when we would play jokes at school and other people would shout at us. Me and my friend were very naughty. But this wasn’t entertainment. For entertainment we would go to clubs and dance. That was our main fun.
Interviewer: Do you believe that teenagers now have more freedom than you had?
Respondent: Yes, but not much more. I really had a lot of freedom.
Interviewer: What were the main problems facing teenagers in your day?
Respondent: The same problems as there are now, e.g. smoking, drugs and alcohol.
Interviewer: In your opinion, what are the main problems that effect teenagers today?
Respondent: Children have a lot of bad company now who effect them in negative ways.
Interviewer: In your opinion, what are the 3 differences between being a teenager now and in the past?
Respondent:
1. In the past we didn’t smoke from such a young age.
2. We played more and were more fit.
Interviewer: Would you like to be a teenager in today’s society? Why/Why not?
Respondent: I was a teen in the near past and i can tell you that it’s really wonderful!