High School Chronicles: Entitled Teenagers

The modern high school experience can differ in diversity and range in many ways... the student body, teachers and classroom enrichment are unique to each individual. However, it can be said that in areas such as North Potomac and Rockville, there is a cattiness that is present in high school reminiscent of the movie Mean Girls- the entitled teenager lives on.

Tiffany watches, limited edition UGG boots, Tory Burch purses, iPhone 4S's? You name it, we have it. Wootton High School isn't in Beverly Hills, but the wealth in the area is evident just by observing a classmate's fancy footwear or clothing. These materialistic notions are status symbols in high school, where popularity is determined by brand names or family prestige. It may seem ridiculous, but it is a feat that festers secretively and is passed on to each new class entering high school. Displaying how much money one has floating around through material objects has become the norm.

16 is a turning point and enchanting age for teens- not because they are acknowledged as a part of the adult community, but because they can grasp their liberation from the household with one object: a new, shiny car. Teenagers in this area correlate the accomplishment of becoming licensed with having their parents buy them a car. It saddens me to see kids whine about such a luxury at a young age when there are middle aged people who take the public bus because of rising gas prices and the deteriorating economy. So why then do these teens feel so entitled that they believe every fleeting desire they have can be instantly gratified?

The answer is immensely childish. It is because with so many prominent parents residing in the district, teens feel the need to compete with each other so that they can proudly say they have the best and that they know top-quality because they are surrounded by it every day. By rolling into school with a spanking new car and new Nike air sneakers, there is an air of sophistication and coolness that oozes from an individual- that person, just because of their material goods, suddenly has become upgraded in the social hierarchy of high school.

The discussion does not end with just material possessions, however. The competition extends to the aspect of vacationing. Jetting off to Cancun for a quick visit during President's Day weekend? Not an abnormality. Cruising on the Princess line to Tahiti is on every spring break's itinerary for some. High schoolers act as if they have earned their plane tickets themselves or deserve it because their parents can afford it. The question of what class a person sits in on the plane is also raised in the conversation before any major vacationing period. Teenagers are flaunting the fact that they "live large", and have no concern for how condescending or boastful they sound when they speak in such a manner.

So where are the values? What happened to finding joy in just one personal possession? Sometimes I wish we could learn from little kids, where the world is so much more simpler and modest in their eyes.