Piercing Truth Edition 4 - City of Greater Geelong

TEEN DEPRESSION
By Matt Haigh, Year 9, Lara Secondary College
Teen depression is not something you hear on the news
very often, if at all, for that matter. It is something that must
be taken more seriously, as it seems to be a bigger problem
than ever before.
Bullying is one of the biggest problems facing young
people and can easily lead to depression. Bullies have
more ways to get into peoples heads and it is prevalent
among teenagers. Bullies can now do whatever they want,
where ever they want. With the internet being a daily thing
for teens, it becomes a part of their lifestyle. People are
able to post comments on social networking sites such as
MySpace and Facebook, people can easy get a hard time
about photos they’ve uploaded, or a comment on their main
page for everyone else to read and see. With more social
networking sites becoming bigger, with more users, there
are more chances for a bully to harass someone with all of
these internet portals.
Even on the video sites like YouTube people are getting
bullied; it is not surprising that bullying can lead to
depression and then possibly suicide, something that we’ve
seen in the media a lot recently.
Another big issue that can affect teenagers is the state of
the economy. This is something that teens can be worried
about, particularly where their parent’s employment is
concerned. They may worry about what their parents can
Beaten Up By
These days, fighting is getting out of control with teenagers
and most of them think it is all right to fight others.
Teenagers go out into the city not to see their friends and
have a good time but to pick fights and beat up others.
It is sad to see teenagers acting this way, and this
behaviour is being replicated by younger children who
think it is an okay thing to do.
When teenagers fight, they don’t just throw a few punches.
They fight with such aggression and violence that people
often end up in hospital.
Now some teenagers are scared to go out, or even go to
school, because they don’t know whether or not they are
going to be bashed.
What is making it worse is that teenagers are videotaping
these fights for their enjoyment and posting them on
YouTube.
How can these videos be uploaded on YouTube and not be
taken off because of inappropriate behaviour, when you
can’t put anything rude on the website?
To stop this violence people are saying that we need more
police but police can’t be everywhere all the time. The real
and can’t afford, or perhaps their parents’ relationship is
at risk.
I’ve talked to people before about their experiences with
depression, and even suicide. Its a hard subject to talk
about with some of your close friends. I have several
friends who have had bouts of depression and it can be
really hard for them to deal with. Some people I know are
also bullied. Often people think it’s ok to tease their friends
but sometimes they can take it too far. Even those actions
can upset a person severely. Obviously this is not the same
as the malicious bullying we see in the media. That is often
so bad, people kill themselves. It is such a tragedy and
waste of a young life.
All these things, as well as the usual troubles associated
with simply growing up, can make young people feel really
bad, all the time. It can cause trauma and tragedy and is
something that should be taken a lot more seriously.
It is important to always talk to someone if you are feeling
down-there are places and people who can help you when
you want to talk.
Try to speak to your student welfare counsellor, teacher,
parents or friends that you trust about what is going on or
contact these services-Lifeline13 1114, Kidshelpline 1800
551 800 or Headspace at Clockwork Young Peoples Health
Service 5222 6690 .
Jessica Hobbs, Lara Secondary College, Year 10
solution needs to start with teenagers. How much brain
damage and death is needed before young people start
taking control of their actions?
Hopefully one day this fighting will be brought back to a
minimum and that teenagers will come to their senses and
know that fighting is not the answer.
Violence is never ever acceptable in any form. Always
report acts of violence to Victoria Police OOO
Who do you think
is the hottest
celebrity and why?
Daniel Craig
Taylen Furness
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