Post by jjuliano on Sept 14, 2008 20:59:15 GMT -5
“Don't just fit in, stand out” -Camp Rock. Kids of today are under more pressure than ever to fit in. They are judged by the clothes they wear and the activities they do. Adolescents try harder and harder to become part of the “it” crowd. Kids who are considered different get shunned and bullied by the popular crowd who talk the “right” talk and walk the “right” walk. But when the time comes these people who get shut out are going to be the ones who prosper and become “the nerds who grew up to make millions”. As Bill Gates said, “Be nice to nerds, Chances are you’ll end up working for one.” They dress at the height of fashion and have all the latest technology. What these teens don’t realize is that being a follower doesn’t get you nearly as far as being a leader. In the real world what these kids don’t understand is that someone who hires them is going to want someone who shines, not someone who follows everyone else.
I wasn’t familiar with the terms “Code of Boys” and “Code of Girls” until I looked it up. Melbourne Independent Media Center describes the “Code of Boys” as bullying behavior and the development of masculinity and the social orders of high school boys. If you walk in to the Shore Regional cafeteria on any given day, you will find a table of football players, a table of band members, and many other groups sitting together. Shore Regional is such a small district that mostly everyone knows everyone and even though there are different groups of friends everyone seems to get along. As far as the “Code of Girls” goes, it follows the same pattern as the “Code of Boys”, different groups of friends sitting together in the cafeteria and walking together in the halls. However, I can’t definitely say that this constitutes a “code” of boys and girls.
As far as a responsibility to my peers who don’t seem to fit in, I have never run across a person who doesn’t fit in somewhere with a certain social group. At Shore Regional, even though the population is small, there is so much variety among the students. Everybody can find a group who shares the same interests. Courtesy and thoughtfulness should be part of the way we treat everyone we meet, whether they are apart of our group of friends or not.
“…If you’re lucky enough to be different from everyone else, don’t change.” – Taylor Swift. Being different is not necessarily bad. People are individuals and as individuals they may have different ideas and interests that aren’t necessarily the same as someone else’s. There is nothing wrong with being different because no matter what you like to do you can always find someone with whom you have many things in common. Just because someone isn’t like you, doesn’t mean that they should be mistreated. From day one of kindergarten kids are taught that if you don’t have anything nice to say to someone, don’t say anything at all. Why should this still be enforced in high school?
I wasn’t familiar with the terms “Code of Boys” and “Code of Girls” until I looked it up. Melbourne Independent Media Center describes the “Code of Boys” as bullying behavior and the development of masculinity and the social orders of high school boys. If you walk in to the Shore Regional cafeteria on any given day, you will find a table of football players, a table of band members, and many other groups sitting together. Shore Regional is such a small district that mostly everyone knows everyone and even though there are different groups of friends everyone seems to get along. As far as the “Code of Girls” goes, it follows the same pattern as the “Code of Boys”, different groups of friends sitting together in the cafeteria and walking together in the halls. However, I can’t definitely say that this constitutes a “code” of boys and girls.
As far as a responsibility to my peers who don’t seem to fit in, I have never run across a person who doesn’t fit in somewhere with a certain social group. At Shore Regional, even though the population is small, there is so much variety among the students. Everybody can find a group who shares the same interests. Courtesy and thoughtfulness should be part of the way we treat everyone we meet, whether they are apart of our group of friends or not.
“…If you’re lucky enough to be different from everyone else, don’t change.” – Taylor Swift. Being different is not necessarily bad. People are individuals and as individuals they may have different ideas and interests that aren’t necessarily the same as someone else’s. There is nothing wrong with being different because no matter what you like to do you can always find someone with whom you have many things in common. Just because someone isn’t like you, doesn’t mean that they should be mistreated. From day one of kindergarten kids are taught that if you don’t have anything nice to say to someone, don’t say anything at all. Why should this still be enforced in high school?