Pretentious Youth

**GregoryZero** · Joined: 04 Jan 2008 Posts: 2338 Location: California

As an avid fan of some of the more popular social networking sites, I have noticed for quite a while now that a very large percentage of other teens who frequent these sites love to act like pretentious douchebags. I'm not talking PBR or indie music pretentious, I'm talking about shit like this, this, and this. To be honest here, it's outright annoying to see anyone made idiotic status updates or posts that try to provoke "deep thought" or show how shitty their love life is or just make them seem important because they're different.

I'm willing to bet that I'm certainly not the only one here who has seen those Facebook updates from emotional teens who say drastic things like "nobody understands me" or "maybe I'll just disappear" to attempt to draw attention to themselves by saying something stupid that's usually filled with shitty grammar and very vague.

Now, my main reason for making this topic is to ask the question: why are they like this? What could have caused such an idiotic trend? Is it the recent ability to essentially gain a public "platform" in which to "speak their mind" or is it something that's always been there but has seen a big gain in being brought out into the public?

I feel that expression in this way has somewhat become the norm, evolving from seemingly depressed teens sitting in their room and doing nothing to seemingly depressed teens sitting in their room on the computer doing nothing but browsing Facebook and Tumblr. As to why they feel that way, I think it's simply a case of teenage angst that stems from the trials and tribulations of growing up.

Also, the Rant Thread can still go fuck itself.
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**PiemanLK** · Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Posts: 4711 Location: /export/home

Kids are stupid
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**DragoonKain** · Joined: 11 Jul 2007 Posts: 942

I hardly think it's a "trend;" this stuff was going on 5-8 years ago when I was in high school too. And I'm sure it existed before the Internet, just in different forms. I think it's just something to do with minds that haven't fully grown and matured yet. Plus the hormonal rushes going on vastly exacerbate it. I know this isn't very thought-provoking of a post, but I really think the answer is as simple as "its always been that way."
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**Silly** · Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2012 11:16 am Post subject:

Emo and self-pity is narcissism disguised as depth.

It's all attention whoring, and it's fucking retarded.
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**woozerkristen** · Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2012 11:31 am Post subject:

I think part of the issue here is that all these are pre-made. They'd never think of them on their own but I think most teens are naturally followers; they see others post them and repost them themselves in search of validation and fitting in, ala "Check it out--I feel the same complex emotional adult thoughts as you do!" Tumblr is designed to be (and facebook has evolved into) a place where people largely just repost and pass along things created by others. Combine that lack of needing to create original content with a lack of experience and desperate need for validation, and this is what you get.
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**GuitarHailz** · Joined: 11 Jun 2007 Posts: 4910 Location: Austin, Texas

Every generation complains about the generation after it. We were the same to the people who were born a few years ahead of us, it's always been a phenomenon and will always be one. The difference now, though, is that the kids nowadays have an outlet to post their thoughts and feelings that millions can see. I'm sure if I posted my feelings and depressing things on the Internet in 9th grade I'd look pretty retarded too. The Internet gives annoying and/or young people a voice, for better or for worse.

The other difference is that now "adults" (20-30+) share the same social space as high school and middle school kids since young adults still pay attention to Internet trends. Rewind a few years, and people years older than 13-year-old me didn't know or care about my thoughts because it's not like they sat at my school lunch table, it was a much more private affair (whereas now everyone, young and old, is on Facebook/Tumblr/whatever)

All that being said the first example you posted made my blood boil because it reeked of the friendzone "my-friends-who-are-girls-owe-ME-something" bullshit mentality. I could write a huge rant about whiny boys and this friendzone crap but that might better be saved for the Rant thread :p
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**HellAshes** · Joined: 06 Apr 2006 Posts: 8320 Location: Livingston, NY

Trust me, I'm a guy and I can't stand this friend zone bullshit. Grow a pair and do something about it.

It worked for me. XD
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**Rikuthemaster** · Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2012 5:47 pm Post subject:

Simple. Kids are attention whores. I know because I was one. The reason for these stupid ass emo statuses about how shitty their love life is and such, is mainly for attention, and support, I suppose. It's stupid to try and seek support from a bunch of people on the internet, because that's pretty much the equivalent of little or no actual support. Not necessarily proud that I used to be one of those teens about 2 years back, but it helps me understand them, I suppose.

The statuses, however, aren't really what bug me. For me, it's these stupid "Like if you've ever cried for someone," or "Like if you relate to this cute relatable post" bullshit. These achieve nothing but try to whore out likes for the person, and make the person who likes it try to look deep and emotional, much like the statuses and pictures mentioned before. Facebook has pretty much become a place for people to bitch. That's why I prefer Twitter at this point. A lot less bitching.

But yeah, teenagers suck. Teenagers and kids nowadays seriously make me never want to have kids.
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**bclare** · Joined: 21 Jun 2008 Posts: 6048 Location: Boston

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**youhas** · Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Posts: 3015 Location: Santa Clara, CA

Yeah, Daniel O'Brien's statements have some weight behind them. I mean, I am so glad - so glad! - that I can recognize the immaturely dumb things I've done in the past, and learn from those missteps, and take a hardier course going forward. But I am cognizant that I am probably fucking up some additional things as we speak, and it's only youhas-in-2015 who is really going to bear the brunt of the damage from my present actions. Sorry, future me.

Anyhow: I think many of those who've posted upthread have a general gist of things. I mean, when you're a teenager, you're soaked with hormones, having life experiences for the first time which you may cavalierly assume that no one has ever felt before, and generally experiencing things which are terrifying. This has always been the case; it's only in recent memory that people can toss their emo musings online instead of, say, having them buried in their personal journal (or whatever) forever. There are some things I wrote when I was eighteen - back in 1997, bitches! - where I appear to be clueless, and cosmically self-indulgent, and otherwise probably should have been shot on sight. And there are some thoughts - "if I died tomorrow, and they had a funeral for me, who would actually attend?" - which are mopey enough if someone is thinking them, but take on entirely new sadness-based qualities if there's the ability to express them online, where those thoughts can be referenced now and forever.

None of these impetuses are new, of course. But the scale and scope of people who get to hear about them - well, that's broader than it's ever been, and it can be a little jarring.
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**Josseppe95** · Joined: 09 Jun 2008 Posts: 1045 Location: Philadelphia

I just don't think you get it GregoryZero maybe you never thought deep thoughts as a teenager but as one currently I am fully aware that no one understands me and no one ever will but hey that's just life.
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**JOE2210** · Joined: 19 Apr 2009 Posts: 2480 Location: In the Gagasphere

I genuinely think people should have to take a standardised test before they cam buy a computer, an iPhone or download Instagram.

I've genuinely felt actual contempt for people who do that. Whoever thought that they are making a positive contribution to the world by taking a photo of a tomato and putting it in front of a picture of some stars and writing "and in that moment, we were infinite" on it, should frankly be shot.
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