We all know the stereotypical teenager image: moody, quite rude, lack of repect for older people, getting in everyone's way, etc, etc.

However, while there are quite a few teenagers who are like this, I also know many that are completely the opposite (I'm one of them.) So I was wondering, how many of you know teenagers that don't fit the stereotypical image (or don't fit the whole image?)

It seems to me that many of the teenagers posting here don't fit that image - EmoJoe, american_non_idiot, Girl Meets World all seem like intelligent, sensible people, who generally have respect for others. The other teenagers here seem to be the same way, from what I can see.

i definitely have an attitude, it just doesn't show here :lol: but thanks.

i definitely have an attitude, it just doesn't show here :lol: but thanks.
Yeah ditto

i definitely have an attitude, it just doesn't show here :lol: but thanks.

Well even if you don't have the best attitude all the time, you don't seem to be the sort of person who is almost always rude and disrespectful. It's the same for Cactus Jack. Everyone's rude at some point, but you all seem like genuinely nice people, who would try to be polite most of the time.

thanks :D but yeah i have an attitude at times too :lol:

a friend of mine has a daughter who never reallly fit the sterrotype ether in that she was really a hard worker in school and never mouthed off that i saw and while she did do some tipical teen thing like having long phone talks with friends she never seemed to follow the trend of doing things just because everyone else did them well she is 23 years old now and she is working as a teacher it just goes to show you that not all teens fit the bum rap people give them i .get so sick of hearing the old teens are nothing but trouble garbage .its not true at all most teens jjust need someone to talk to sometimes people always say that all teens do is whine about things but you have to remember that what seemes petty to a non teen is probaly very imporant to the teen at that moment weather its a breakup or that they failed some test at school people just need to open there ears and listen you would be very suprised to laren howw much teens really understand things. i am almost 35 and i have almost akways been treated with a lot of respect by teens .sorry for my long post

thanks :D but yeah i have an attitude at times too :lol:

Was I wrong about you two? Are you really teenage brats? :lol:

I don't fit the sterotype. The only real time i get an attitude is when i'm uber pissed off.


I'm a great kid :mrt: :king:

I sure wish I could meet one of those nice teens.

All I know are those whining type teens.

I was so happy when a 17-year old boy called me ma'am!:D I was pleasantly surprised that he said, "I don't know what time it is, ma'am(I'd asked him for the time) That showed respect!:D(Though I'm only in my 20's):) Well, a little boy called me ma'am once but he was about 10, and his mama probably told him to call "older" people ma'am and sir.:) But this guy was a teenager, which is really different then being a 10 year old boy.

I sure wish I could meet one of those nice teens.

Myself and all the other teenagers on these boards will move in with you. Then you'll get to meet all of us nice teens. :)

Was I wrong about you two? Are you really teenage brats? :lol:
nah :king:

Eh there's no hope for me..I KNOW I'm a bad teenager. :D *flashes devil horns*

I was not a normal teen. I never really went anywhere, just an occasional weekend movie or something with friends. Never snuck out, did drugs, drank, had sex, got weird body parts pierced, drove like an idiot, lied to my parents about where I was going or where I was....blah blah blah. I was boring.

I'm not a "normal" teenager at all. I have a lot of trouble getting along with most people my age. I'd rather stay home and listen to music by myself then go out with people.

I was a bratty teenager, but mostly it was when I was younger. I have a pretty short temper, and get aggreviated sometimes pretty easily, but when I was younger (13, 14, 15 ish) I did really know how to repress it and act rationally so I would get into the typical fights with my parents but it was just a phase and by the time I got older 17-now (I am turning 20 next month) you learn to get along with your parents, or atleast are mature enough not to get into big fights with them on a daily basis. However to be ironic, it was not until a few years ago once I chilled did I do stupid teenager things (okay basically just drinking, I never really saw a need to sneak out, my friends were all good kids) But even though you go through these phases it doesnt mean you are sterotypical teenager, I mean aside from fighting with my parents, I was very sociable and whenever we were in public or with family friends I showed the upmost respect for my elders. And kids are going drink and have a good time, nothing wrong with that (as long as it doesnt get to an excess) it does not make them awful, hell I fought with my parents and I am well-adjusted about to turn 20 and entering my soph. year at a great college...so what my rambling tangent is basically even if teenagers fit the sterotypical mold most are just going through a phase and it doesnt mean they should be classified as "hooligans"

I wasn't a normal teenager either. I was always very respectful towards adults. I always called my male teachers "sir". Though I never called my famale teachers "mame". I was really quiet as a teenager (still am) and I tended to feel insecure about myself. The only teenage stereotype that fit me was that I listened to music ultra loud. I remeber listening to "Dazed and Confused" by Led Zeppelin (with the bass all the way up) so loud that you could hear the bass line at the end of the street. :lol: That was probably pretty inconsiderate.:lol:

I definitely didn't fit the "normal" teenage stereotype. I did what I was supposed to. I didn't talk back. I was respectful to adults. I was really quiet. I didn't really have friends. I never went to a party or dance. I never drank alcohol. I never smoked cigarettes. I never did drugs, etc. I never listened to loud music. I never did fit in with the other kids.

That pretty much describes me, except that I sometimes turn the music up. Not overly loud, though. It doesn't disturb anyone.

i've hated stereotypical teenagers as long as i've been a teenager myself. i'm also glad not many of them are on this site. of course i do fit some of the stereotypical characteristics, but my god, they are just so god damn rude and naive. they're just clueless, thinking they've lived the whole world and know real pain when they don't, not that i'm necessarily implying that it applies to me; i know i've lived through more pain than most of them have (but that is a different, nearly endless story) but i also know that i haven't lived into adulthood and am still naive to an extent; i keep in mind that i don't fully understand adulthood and parenting and i respect authority figures unless they are being downright personally mean to me. i could go on about how proud i am to be above the stereotypical teenage level. call me conceited, i don't care; the truth is i hate myself and think i'm stupid; but i'm smarter than that, and i have adults who agree.

I don't really fit the normal teen stereotype. I don't really like to party or hang out with friends very often. I also don't try to do things to fit in with the cool crowd.

This thread makes me want to hurt myself.

I never fit that stereotype either when I was a teen. Rather than watch music videos, I'd watch the Weather channel and rather than listen to popular music all the time, I listened to other kinds of music too.

i dont know why i didnt include myself in this catagorey i never fit the sterrotype ether i was always more interested in reading and quiet things rather than partying and my mother owned care homes for the elderly for many years so i have alot of respect for elderly people and the things they enjoy also i never had to have the new trendy clothes and shoes just because everyone else was wearing them i wore what i thought i looked good in they other stuff in my mind was just a waste of good money

i dont know why i didnt include myself in this catagorey i never fit the sterrotype ether i was always more interested in reading and quiet things rather than partying and my mother owned care homes for the elderly for many years so i have alot of respect for elderly people and the things they enjoy also i never had to have the new trendy clothes and shoes just because everyone else was wearing them i wore what i thought i looked good in they other stuff in my mind was just a waste of good money
For a long time, especially when I was in junior high, I wanted to wear Guess (which was huge at the time) and other expensive brands, but I couldn't because my parents couldn't afford it. So I felt picked on and left out. Then when all those kids got into HS, suddenly they had to buy their own clothes and were wearing cheaper stuff just like me. Ha. Made me feel good.

For a long time, especially when I was in junior high, I wanted to wear Guess (which was huge at the time) and other expensive brands, but I couldn't because my parents couldn't afford it. So I felt picked on and left out. Then when all those kids got into HS, suddenly they had to buy their own clothes and were wearing cheaper stuff just like me. Ha. Made me feel good.

They picked on you because you didn't have a certain brand of jeans? Morons.

They picked on you because you didn't have a certain brand of jeans? Morons.
Yep.

My friends and I all basically have some parts of the stereotype while not having a lot of the others. Personally, I can be quite the bitch or bastard when the time calls for it, but I usually try to be nice to people who haven't given me reason to not be nice. I don't ask my parents for ANYTHING, and never cause any trouble with them.

And my hobbies are extremely diverse, as far as TV and music and movies and others go. I like allllllll types, except certain genres (gangsta rap, heavy metal, and jazz music = complete and utter crap).

I am kinda moody and rude at times, but I keep it to myself. I don't tell anyone to their face. Overall, I'm a very quiet person(98% of my social life is online). I don't talk to my parents about much of anything...

My hobbies are TV, Internet, Following World Events, and Weather, Geography. Pretty confined. Don't do much out of the house. I am lazy though...

This thread makes me want to hurt myself.

Why?

I teach at a middle school, so I get to see the whole spectrum of attitudes, manners and behaviors.

I know some very nice teenagers personally, from school, church and so forth, and I agree, Sharop, that those on the boards seem very good, intelligent and decent people. Even the best of people occasionally have their moments. When I was young, I was considered a 'good' atypical kid, but I wasn't without my youthful transgressions, and did get in trouble from time to time, e.g., the occasional fight with a classmate, fighting with siblings, talking back to my mom, sneaking cigarettes and so on.

What I've noticed in some cases is that the rowdiest or most atypical kids have a lot that they're dealing with in their lives, abuse at home, parents splitting up, parents unemployed, etc...Of course, the acting out in class we have to deal with and discipline, or it wreaks havoc in the classroom and we just simply cannot allow that to happen. However, when I have a chance to speak one-on-one with many of these kids, I see, behind the facade and the chip on the shoulder, just a nice, sensitive kid that wants to be paid attention to and who really likes adults, and limits. The kids with the purple hair, the black clothes, etc., seem to gravitate to me. I don't judge them. The jocks (athletes), the kids from minority backgrounds and the intellectual 'honors' type of students, as well as the artsy and drama types--all seem comfortable with me.

I do appreciate teenagers who don't fit the stereotype, as you describe yourself. When a teenager feels free to come up and talk to me, or shake hands and say hello, look me in the eye and smile, and say good-bye and thank you--that is so refreshing these days and it makes my day!

I guess I'm what you consider a "good teen." Yeah. Stuff.