How did you feel at the age of 16-17?

[lidia]

I am 16. Every day I feel that my sensation of the world is changing. I see now that most of my friends are fake. When I was 13 I smiled every day and felt happy, had a lot of friends and never thought about problems with communication. But when I was 14 my father died. A year later my grandfather did too. I loved them very much.
Now when I look at my friends I see that they don't know anything about this life. They haven't seen death. Their interests are sex, drinking and smoking. I just can't smile and laugh like in the past. I like reading, but when I tell somebody about a book, they don't listen. I study a lot, but they just tell me that they haven't done homework cause of party or whatever and I am "uncool". I feel that society around me degrades...
And how did you feel at that age?

[lidia]

I drifted away from most of my friends for a while, mainly because they were doing a lot of things that hurt my feelings.. Well, particularly one friend. I told her in confidence that I attempted suicide and had to be put in a psychiatric hospital for 9 days, but I just told everyone I was out for being sick. I didn't tell her "Hey, keep this is a secret." but come on, she was my best friend and it was implied that you just shouldn't tell everyone that. She ended up telling so many people and I was so embarrassed and ashamed that people were calling me selfish and stupid for attempting.. Even people that didn't know me. I don't know why she'd do that, she never even came clean about it, and we're going on 22 years old now.. Another friend had told me that she was saying it like she was gossiping, with no sympathy, no somber tone. Kinda just a "HEY, did you hear about Breanna? Yea! That Breanna! She attempted suicide!!" And friend said that when a few people said she shouldn't talk about it like that, she just ignored them.. We were never that close again. And she was close to all my other friends, so I didn't see them much often either..

So yea, I was really depressed during that time. It was a time of strong realizations.

[Jason]

At 16 I I felt unloved,misunderstood, and ANGRY! I read often also but had no one to talk to about it. I had to fight some of my best friends for absolutely no reason. my Grandma died and my aunt told me cold heartedly after i ran in the room yelling "Grandma Granda!" excited about some good news when my aunt peeked in a and said "oh, she's dead." I turned 2 look and broke down. Im 32 now 'N tears still swell in my eyes as i talk about it. I seemed to always b in the wrong place at the wrong time. I had a gun put to my stomach twice by 2 different gangs (oakland Ca.) and i was shot at once. I was held @ gun point by a guy w my friend, he tried to make us rob the gas station w him buy we acted like we didn't know what were doing and ran when he got destrated. My 1st love/ sex partner left me for an older guy w a car. I loved her for at least a decade afterwards. I felt the world was against me. Things got better when i learned exactly who i was and what I wanted out of life.J Braxton

[Jennifer]

yep thats life hunni..if you like what you like and are interested in reading and interesting things people are jealous because you actually HAVE apersonanality wheras these "friends" are just sheep. i know exactly what you mean they havent a clue what a problem is!!!

[Paul Preston]

Well at that age I was just thinking on getting out of the juvenile and stop my life of crime, good thing I did, by the way I was just found Non Guilty for a murder charge I didn't committed, the system works....sometimes.

[Annecia E]

Sweetie, you are describing just what teenagers around your age go through, well most of them anyway. I like the fact that you read, it's a good thing. It will improve your grades, your understanding and according to what you read, offer you lots of different views about this thing called life. If you don't drink, smoke or do drugs, don't even think about trying it because many who do regret it later on. If you do, please stop. As far as your friends are concerned, you seem to be much more mature than they are. The world is changing every day, you just make sure you are prepared to change with it, but please note you do not have to degrade yourself with the society that is quickly heading downhill.... Keep doing the things you like, try to have some fun and dont keep things inside... it's good to find someone you can relate to and talk. I felt more or less the way you do when i was your age and i read a lot also... everyone is different, you dont have to try to be like anyone, just be yourself and you will be liked and loved for who you are.

[Patricia]

Hi.. i'm far from 16 years old, and it's been a long time since i was that age. Looking back i can tell you i felt like an outcast, and tried hard to fit in. And now that i'm much older, ahd even have made friends on facebook who were in my graduating class, i have come to realize that, when we are young, we have little, practical life experience. All of my facebook classmates are normal, decent people and treat each other with regard. It's fun to see what they are doing today, also. And yes, there are a couple of them who have some idea they are above others, but they have issues!

Teens are just learning how to be social - they aren't fake really, they simply do not know how to be proper in a social manner. And the bulk of them are insecure and unsure about whether they are accepted or not. This sometimes causes kids to have attitudes and they might seem to think they are better than everyone else (but really, they are insecure). On the other end of the spectrum, some kids simply fade into the woodwork because of their feelings.

Look around and you will see that kids just learning what is proper social behavior are actually extremely socially retarded. It's simply the process of growing up. In a matter of years, most of them will come back down to earth.

You have had some trauma in your life, and i'm sorry for your losses. Yes, a huge part of life life is about connecting with the people we love and care for. It's about taking interest in others and practicing kindness and loving actions and behaviors.

We all learn this in time.

I'm quite sorry for your losses. Sending blessings!