This week I interviewed four different girls about some pretty touchy subjects. In order to keep their answers completely anonymous, I have changed all their names and will simply say that they are from 13 - 16 years old.
Warning: this post mentions drugs and sex.
“The teenage years are something really special. It’s a time for us to explore who we are, what we want to do, and who we want to hang out with. It’s not a time to be stressed, it's a time to let go and just live.” - Aria
FYI: All questions asked are spoken by me to the interviewee.
Enya
What's the craziest thing you've ever done? "Skip." The scariest thing that has ever happened to me...once I ate beets and then started peeing red, I thought I was dying. Have you ever been pressured to do drugs? "Never been pressured." Do you know anyone who does drugs? Oh ya, obviously. Have you done any? Yes. "I am very against drugs that can change your life in a real way," cocaine, heroin, stuff that can hurt your body. The most teenage thing I've ever done was going to a rager.
Boyfriend? Never! What's dating like today? "Hookup and dip. I have one very big lesson: never give out your number." Have you ever struggled with depression? No, but my mood goes insane when I'm on my period. What about a negative body image? “I like my body. Except my shoulder, my left shoulder is kind of crooked.” Any advice to other teens? "Use it while you can because it will be over so quickly."
Aria
Craziest thing I've ever done? Oh okay, I think I have one. I was recently skiing in Colorado with my family and some of our close friends. At one point, I went off alone with my uncle. He's basically my skiing idol, "he has a lot of confidence in me". Once we were at the top of the mountain, we had two options: a blue slope or a really steep black diamond with a lot of moguls. “To me moguls are super duper scary and definitely not something I thought I could do. It was definitely mentally challenging for me.” Long story short, I did it and was just really proud of myself. What is the scariest thing to ever happen to you? When it started to rain on a plane ride. “I’ve always been a little scared and anxious when it comes to airplanes and turbulence. I remember this feeling inside like I was having a panic attack, I couldn't move."
What's the most teenage thing you've ever experienced? “The first party party I have ever been to, her parents weren’t home, we were playing music, and it went pretty late. It felt like- wow, this is what it’s like.” Have you ever been pressured to take drugs? "No." I know a girl who lives in Alaska, they’re a mutual online friend. We’re not super close but I know that she's involved in JUULing and drugs. “It wasn’t a huge shock to me or a big reveal.” I do appreciate that I have never felt pressured by them. I've never done drugs but I have been around people who do, like the people who do it in the bathrooms at my school. “I’ve kind of been a bystander.” If I was close with someone who did it I would try and talk them out of it. What's your opinion on drugs? “I think it’s their choice, it’s their body, their old enough to make decisions like that. It’s not necessarily a good decision but they’re old enough to make that decision. I don’t think as of now it’s something I would do or get involved in.”
Boyfriend? "Yes, we've kissed." At my school dating is just texting, and barely talking. I honestly don't get it. “I try to go out, go on dates, do fun things, not just texting each other and calling each other boyfriend and girlfriend.” Any struggle with friends? “People can be sensitive and take things the wrong way. It’s hard to find a middle ground sometimes. I think I try to be a little more carefree.”
Have you ever struggled with depression? “I don’t know what certifies depression, or how it’s, I don’t know, um, I don’t know what defines it but I’ve definitely struggled with things like that.” Have you ever lost someone close to you? "Yes. It’s definitely harder in the beginning but it never truly goes away. It does get better, but it’s still there. That was definitely hard to understand. You have to work really hard and learn and manage it as you go on. That was hard to swallow in the beginning.” Have you ever faced a negative body image about yourself? I have definitely run into that. It's okay though because I have found people that I can relate to. Not necessarily people I know but people on social media that I find inspirational. "I would say to all of the parents out there: let you child live...Don't be so overprotective, just let them live and find out things for themselves."
Briar
Have you ever been pressured to do drugs? "Yes." So you know people who do drugs? "Yes. They just think they’re so cool. If you want to mess up your body you can do it, it doesn’t bother me." What's your opinion on drugs? I don't give a f*ck. What is the most teenage thing you do? "Stay out late every day." Boyfriend? "I don't have a boyfriend, I am in a complicated situation with a boy." What's dating like today? People are just like, we want to hook up and they don't mean have sex or anything, they're just making out. That's so stupid. Do you struggle with friends? "Ugh. Oh my god." I'm just friends with everyone but that makes it hard picking who to hang out with because some people get hurt. There was this one girl who was super annoying, fake, and addicted to her phone. "She talked so much sh*t about everyone.
Have you ever struggle with depression? “Not depression but like I was just sad for a while. I was lost. I didn’t have my best friend. Then I was mean to everyone and messed up all my relationships.” Have you ever lost a loved one? “Yes. I was sad but I’m okay now." Okay, last one, have you ever come into contact with negative body image? "Ya. I just think I'm fat and stuff."
Rylee
What's the craziest thing you've ever done? Like, legal? Hahaha. I was sleeping over at my friends house and we snuck out and took an Uber to Denny's. My dad caught us. He was like, where are you? I said I'm at Denny's! Then I had to go into this whole explanation of how there was totally an adult with us. Has something ever really scared you? I was at someone's house with a friend but I didn't know anyone else there. Some kid pulled out a gun, I knew he wasn't going to do anything but I was just really uncomfortable so I left. Have you ever been pressured to take drugs? "I'm sure I have." And do you know anyone who does drugs? "Yes." Have you? "Yes." What's your opinion on drugs? Just be responsible, it’s inevitable to be surrounded by it.
What's the most teenage thing you've ever done? “I got into a fight with my dad, I never thought I would ever do that.” Boyfriend? "No boyfriend, I have four boys that are at my feet though." I think boys are just really immature at our age. From recent experience you can think that someone is cool when they're not but it’s okay because you need to learn. Any problems with friends? “This year I definitely had struggles with friends which has never happened before. It’s not that people didn’t want to be around me, it's that I didn’t want to be around them.” Have you ever had a negative body image towards yourself? “You know, I never have. I’m not insecure about anything. I'm very confident." Do you have any advice for people your age? “If you have a second thought about anything don’t do it.”
Wow, this might have been my favorite post to make. I had some really awesome conversations and just loved every minute of writing it. I would like to thank the girls who I interviewed, you know who you are. Let me know if you enjoyed this, I would love to do more like it. Have an amazing day!
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