Where is the poster from? Love the video btw❤️

It seems Gravity Falls may have been one of the few instances that made a semi-accurate assessment of high school..... anyone remember Wendy's rant about how it's not like High School Musical?

@@DrawciaGleam02 the

@@chantellequsham2823 o

@@DrawciaGleam02 ?

you described it perfectly

Same :/

I felt the exact same way the day i turned 18. Didn’t even want to celebrate

I’m gonna turn 17 in about a week and I feel the exact same way currently. I’m so so angry and feel tricked and like I’ve wasted so much time being depressed that I’m missing out on “the best years of my life”

Same

I'm 32, and I concur. I'm happier than I ever was when I was a teen.

@AA I couldnt Agree more! I am 31 now and I have my own little kids and I can promise you No one knows what they are doing but feeling like you are running in a hamaster wheel goes away. I feel happier now than I felt when I was 18 because the same pressure to (do it all) was on my head. I wish I could go back and relax and enjoy the time I had with my best friends

I'm gonna be 31. I am so happy I am not retable to teenagers anymore. Like holy shit lol. Yes I am 30, and not I'm not old. (I'm getting back and knee problems)

@KC I will be 50 this year. My teens, 20s, and early 30s were awful for me. I honestly did not really start enjoying my life until I was in my 40s. Right now, is truly the best time in my life. I remember years ago being so frightened of 50. Now, I'm so grateful that I was able to take all the lessons I learned, and all the strength I gained fighting for my peace, and use that to live the life I thought I was going to have in my 20s. So yeah, the older people you see are enjoying their life and they probably look back on their youth with nostalgia, but if they are being honest, they would not really want to go back to it.

Honestly though. I'm 24. People legit think I'm "old" now. Bitch, I'll consider myself old when I feel like it, and that'll probably be when I'm like 65.

What does the cow think about the teenage dream?

Getting older is awesome. Lately I've been thinking "it is punk AF to age and be unapologetic about it and combat ageism by being happy with myself and doing what I want at every age not buying into "this is what adults do" or "that is how young people dress", etc." and I've been analyzing where I've bought into a commercialized view of what it's supposed to "look like" when you're an adult and crafted my own version of adulthood on my own terms.

My 20s have been my best and worst years. Nothing started for me til after 17 lol friends, freedom, accomplishments, mistakes, responsibilities, relationships, growth/finding myself. All of it

At 25 I feel like I’m going through a second teen phase lol - was the baby in my masters program now I’m the baby of my school staff (I think I’m the youngest teacher at my school lol, I’ve been mistaken as a middle schooler … no I teach 4th grade now let me use the copy machine!! 🥴) , at 25 I finally reached a phase of being obsessed with a band lol like I’d been a wild 5 years but I’m glad of the life I have now !

​@@athenathemself yes!!!! this here! forever and ever!

(I am also Brazilian, I am going to comment in English for the other people here to be able to read it too) Yes, we are sold the American dream and everything, that's why so many people here idolised the States (it's getting less common nowadays), so much there some years ago it was a dream to send your kid to the US or to live there, no one really talked about how some americans treat immigrants like trash, it's was just the good things.

I 100% agree with you! So I was raised in America but grew up in a Latin American cultural household since that's where my family is from and although i was raised in Hollywood I did not have the "Hollywood teenage experience." This city does a very good job of selling a dream to others and making you think it's the only valid experience one should have. It's extremely difficult growing up in America if you are not rich/middle-class/white or have relaxing parents. My parents were struggling and very strict/abusive and I had to grow up very fast and be treated as both an adult and a child at the same time which was NOT good. I'm currently 24 and I suddenly feel this pressure now from my family in Latin America to have my life together, to be married with children and to have a company job when I am still recovering from my past. I also notice how much mistreatment I and my family received on both sides of the border. Growing up in the US I would face criticism from white-Americans and immigrants for not being fully American whereas whenever I visited my family in Latin America I was constantly criticized for being American. My family was criticized as being seen as a failure for immigrating to America when wealthy Latin American families send their kids to American schools for the same reason. It's just exhausting being told constantly by both cultures that you're never good enough and you're always compared to what is expected of you by either culture at certain ages.

Interesting take. I agree

exactly

Yes, yes, yes! Born, raised and still living in Puerto Rico. As a US colony, it’s like we’ve gotten a cheap knockoff of the American Dream they keep trying to sell as the “real” deal (doesn’t exist lol). Scraps even in the concept of adolescense. Prom is a hit or miss, there’s no homecoming or other dances, most schools don’t have lockers or yearbooks, and only half the students move out for college, most commute from home. I remember the bad highlights, a broken heart, fights with a friend, mental health problems/body problems, a few parties I had no business being drunk at, but we’re all so confused at that age. Beginning to understand our own identity and wondering how life (or “the real world”) is supposed to be like but having no one to look towards for help finding either. Just classes, media consumption and talking to each other, left to our own devices. Most of us carry generational trauma that we didn’t even realize at the time… I feel that’s a huge part of why the highs didn’t feel as intense as the lows, we were on survival mode. Couldn’t trust the highs and the lows were comfy (and madly romanticized on Tumblr too).

i am 100% in the same boat 💔 here’s to healing 🥂

I'm 18 now and i have to remind myself there's so much after this. All adults say your teenage years are the good ones and when you're depressed it's not exactly motivating to hear it only gets worse. Rationally I know it isn't true and luckily whenever I'm down in that way I have a friend to remind me it's not the truth.

Yea I'm similar

I’m almost 16 and I definitely struggle with this, feeling as though my best years are behind me. I am lucky that I have role models that show me that there is plenty to live for in adulthood, if you find the right people to surround yourself with. Hope everything turns out good for you ❤❤❤

I’m 21 now and I remember turning 18 and feeling this exact same way. It’s crazy how the media and everything gets in our subconscious so much.

Hey! Another Pokemon player here.

Coming from someone who also spent my teen years playing Pokemon and drawing anime Legolas, we would have totally been friends. :)

@@sophiatalksmusic3588 I remember my 18th birthday playing the Battle Subway in Pokemon White..... I was proud because I tend to not do well at those battle facilities..

I love your comment!

Hey, I turned 19 recently too and had a major existential crisis (again, the first was when I turned 18)😭 I don't know why but there's just this invisible pressure weighing you down. Thankfully, I'm getting much more in touch with myself, trying to get by a day at a time. I hope you're doing well!

they call you 'scaring hag', I'm literally 20 and I like some kpop groups, showing my support there when I'm also in college means for them that I'm doing nothing all day and I'm just useless

I'm 61, yet here I am learning new things.

@@ana.5687 the TRUTH in this comment 😭

@@maryeckel9682 that's wonderful. And quite inspiring tbh.

I feel like our society has been ageist since a long time ago. Media is oversaturated with teen focusing content. And also people think becoming old means you stop living? No dude. You're a human being. You're not in an era where you can live past 60 and doing nothing meaningful with ur life. I strive to live as I'm living now when I'm 60 just with more exercise and more enthusiasm. Being older means u have more experience and freedom.

Hey! I'm also 31 and bought a house in 2020. High five!

I turned 32 today and I 100% relate to this comment. I didn’t buy a house but I opened my first business in 2021 🎉30s are being the best I felt ever (except for longer hangovers and being a bit less social)

@@Aster_Risk yay. High five. I'm proud of you. 😊

@@Barbaraska my 30s are so much more fun and relaxing. Congratulations on the business. That's awesome. ❤️

I love this comment, thanks for sharing ♥️ I’m 20 now, but I can’t see myself beyond 25 and so many of my friends feel the same - here’s to hoping change is in the stars for us ♥️♥️♥️

yooo icon harri in another icons comments

Omg Hari ♡ yeah my Highschool years where weren't that super great either mostly at my senior high. My Junior high has its ups and down. But overall its fine its just wasn't as glamorous as I hope for like in the movies when I was younger

Yeah, I think you mentioned having a bad childhood in a few of your videos.

Yes! I’m 23 and it still blows my mind that I can pick what I want to eat for dinner, hang out with any friends I want, and just play my music out loud. When I moved out from my strict parents the world became so much brighter. Still have anxiety and feel like my career is out of my control sometimes, but I know this isn’t true and I can apply to be anything I want. 20s is nice, I don’t know how to do many things but I like that I get to pick what I want to learn.

Me too. Like at first I was sad to grow up but being a teenager was horrible and I’m healing as a very young new adult and it’s *super exciting* to be an adult. Boring and tons of responsibilities, but I can actually enjoy the time now that I’m healing and I hope that for everyone else too.

And hear I am thinking that being a teenager was better and more fun back in the day

@@Pink_pr1ncess Oh ,same here! Well, maybe if you were a young white person who fits beauty standards. I don't think certain minorities (African American, etc) and more rotund teenagers had the type of fun the teenage dream showcases. At least, that's what I've gotten from the older teen movies.

@@DrawciaGleam02 ohh I see now, im an 18 year old black girl who always wished to be a teenager in the 90s because it looked more fun.

32 here and cannot agree more with the “ God I hope not” part. My school years (after primary school) was god awful, I am not from the US and the school system is stressful af, I didn’t think I’d live over 30 bc if that was the best years of my life I’d rather die😂

@@Pink_pr1ncess Hell no! Being a teenager sucked then and it sucks now. I grew up in the 80s. My son would often say things like that to me. I told him stories about being a young person when the crack epidemic was first starting to take hold and how many people I saw ruin their lives during that time. Also watching so many of my friends get caught up in the game and either losing their lives or going to prison. This would also be the same time HIV would come along. My son did not quite understand how that felt, so I told him imagine the same panic that surrounded the Covid-19 pandemic, double that anxiety, and now imagine it was being transmitted by sex. You would also be totally shunned by society and it was pretty much a death sentence. Can't forget about the nuclear war drills. I don't know why they thought getting under our desks was going to help us. Music videos, TV shows and photos have a way of warping people's thinking and people tend to project whatever sentiments they have onto pop culture media from the past. But that stuff is only entertainment. The same way people post pictures of themselves on social media with smiling faces when their lives are actually shit and probably falling apart.

That's a sick joke being a teenager is like the worst

I’m 15 and I have a lot going on like I feel this pressure to have so many friends and hang out all the time but I don’t really have anyone to do that with and tbh I genuinely don’t want to I just tell myself I want to because I see everyone else doing it.

Dude (gender neutral) I remember being 16 and let me tell you, you couldn't pay me to go through that again. I'm still a teenager but hands down ages 14-18 are THE worst. I too hope it gets better in my twenties

@@user-ks2vb8zu6b shit went downhill for me when i turned 14. cant see myself live until 20 at this point but im trying to not make everything a big deal for the people around me. hoping things get better for me and to everyone else here.

I sobbed as my family told me "It only gets worse" "these are the best years of your life" "youth is wasted on the young". I hope with everything that I never have to experience pain like I did in my teens, especially 15-17. I'm 23 now. I'm not saying I'm happy and everything is wonderful. Life still sucks but it sure as hell is better than my "best years". As you age and deal with your problems head on, life becomes more tolerable. At least I hope. I'm still young too.

You still can do it! Last year I started to write letters for my future self about random things that happened to me and that I see as special. That way, I’ll always be able to remember them and be able to see myself grow as a person. Totally recommend it!

@@giulossI did the same thing last Tuesday before my birthday I’m 20 now

I hope we start taking the pressure off kids. I was told to my literal child face more than once by my mom, "Failure is not an option." There was just some shit I wasn't good at. Period. Now, she was talking about school, which itself is bad enough, but hearing that over and over turned me into a little ball of neuroticism, because I didn't hear, "Failure is not an option (in you classes)", I heard "Failure is not an option (EVER)." I'm not saying we should let kids sit around, slack off, and do whatever they want. But can we give them some space and wiggle room to try something and just...not be good at it without it feeling like the world is going to end for them? What's the point of making kids feel the way you did? What's the point of filling children with existential dread if they don't land every shot with perfect accuracy? What is the point of all these arbitrary deadlines and if you don't "get it by now" you're somehow looked at as defective and hopeless? It's it really so bad to have your own timeline for some things instead of having adults slam them down on your head at every turn?

you were a smart 9 y/o

@@ChristopherSadlowski you described it perfectly and you have no idea how much i relate to every word you said being a kid that was always compared to others and had no room for failure only turned me into a perfectionist & an anxious 18yo with an extreme fear of failure and a low self esteem. it's really hard to go through it and i'm still healing, but the good thing is that we're self aware and that we're trying to heal, i wish u the best in life sending lots of *virtual hugsss*

Same I vividly remember being 7 or 8 and having a breakdown because I was terrified I’d die without doing anything substantial in my teenage years. That shit is fucked

Omg SAME I cried to that one Taylor swift song never grow up. I still cry to that song tbh it’s just sad to me. But man that’s so sad that we go through that at like 9!! Dang😰

Im gonna turn 25 soon and you described my experience

Same here, I'm in my early 20s and I still feel like life hasn't started for me yet. Plus finding a job within my career I studied from college is so hard to find :/

same here! I will turn 24 at the end of next month and my life is moving forward very slowly because of health issues. many people make you panic that since others in their early 20s often already work, have been working for years etc you should be at the same level. heck, I'm happy I made it through school with good grades despite being absent for it for two months right before finals! and I also am super proud of myself that I'm trying my best! even if it takes longer, even if there are times where I get thrown back a bit again - I won't give up! I'm still so young, life hasn't even really started yet! once my health gets better I can still do so many things I want 😙✨️

As a teenager too, thank you❤ i needed this

ah I needed this

Same .The 25 yr old deadline freaked me out. All those teens talking about wanting to die at 25.Just turned into 26 and now I feel I have infinite time because I'm already declaired dead

Especially because it actually CAN get so much better. I was super depressed in the way you describe for a lot of my teen years, and in my late twenties now I feel like I can actually experience the world as someone with a healthy, comfy brain. It’s far better than being a teen.

Good points. A lot of bad habits are made up for with youth, but that shit catches up to you eventually. I'm also thinking that the "your life goes downhill from here" thing is a self-fulfilling prophecy. People see being unhealthy and unhappy as inevitabilities, so they don't try to avoid those problems.

I'm 44 and having the time of my life. Take care of your health when you're young and you'll be ok.

And having kids. That pretty much sums everything up. Having kids. That’s what does it to you. It’s natural

But I am going downhill... which just so happens to be easier and more enjoyable than climbing up hill 😂

The girls who I envied in high school who were out every weekend at parties getting black out drunk and smoking looked way older than they were in their early 20s. Also they didn't do much to prepare for the future so that adds financial stress and any excessive stress ages you as well. I loss my teen years due to a controlling narcissistic single parent and loss the few friends I made in childhood. I kinda made up for it after college my traveling the world and moving VERY far away from my parent. I still wish I enjoyed that time more tho.

As another 20 year old I totally agree, I wish I could go back and show this to my younger self! I hope a lot of teens find this video and take it to heart the messaging.

Lol you're still a teen

Oh no! I hope your friend finds a better partner.

Well you're wise for your age because in high school your life hasn't even started yet

I had my first kiss and first relationship at 19 at university. I am 24 now and my comparative lack of experience has never been a problem for me, even with me being very socially awkward. You'll be fine

15 year old me thought 18 year olds were too old and that I needed to already have a house, a relationship, stop liking cartoons, etc. And 18 year old me was trying so hard to act that out. But 18 year olds (and 19 year olds and 20 something years olds) are still so _so_ young, trying to figure themselves out just as much as their 15 year old self was. And I feel like not many people say this. I had my very first relationship (including sexual experience) a year ago (18 y/o). They broke up with me due to their toxic behaviours that, thankfully they could recognise. I'm glad they did, because now looking back at it, they were absolute narcissists. But I only let it slide because I thought to myself "If it isn't them, then it's no one else. You're 18 already so you need to take this or you'll keep on being alone forever." For a while I thought that after them there was nothing left for me, not only speaking of a relationship but also regarding friendships and a career, since they said we'd follow the same path and would buy a house together. I thought "holy shit, I'm 19 and they were my only partner. What was I doing all this time that I had my first relationship at 19 and now I don't have it anymore? Now my next partner, if I ever have one, will know of how inexperienced I really am" etc etc After sitting down for a few months to think on my own, I've came into the realization that it really doesn't matter that much. It's not that deep. If the next partner will come and make me happier than the previous one did, then I'm happy to make them just as happy. If they don't and I stay alone for a few more years to come then that's okay too. I sat down and realized that I needed to stop crying over something as little as "not being experienced for my next partner" and started focusing more on _me_ . Stopped thinking more of "what will my next partner think of inexperienced me?" and started thinking "what can I do for myself to enjoy life as much as I can?" I started focusing on myself and also my hobbies. Specifically the ones I had left behind while I was in that relationship because they were deemed as "too immature" lmao. Or my friends were too weird because status was too much of an important thing to them. 18 year old me thought I was already so mature, all grown up and cool simply because I was in a relationship. Looking back on it now I was just a really confused kid trying to figure out how to be an adult simply because I had gotten with someone who told me to "grow up" and was already planning on moving out with me. And now that I'm able to compare *18 year old me dating that person, forcing myself to be an adult for them and trying to impress everybody else by showcasing my "immature" interests less* Vs *19 year old me just vibing listening to my favourite music, watching my favourite cartoons and tv shows, studying exactly what I want, eating exactly what I want and hanging out with whoever weirdo friend I want to hang out with* it's like... Comparing those I prefer being the way I am right now. I ignore the assholes telling me I'm immature and am getting too old and need to be in a relationship already. Let me vibe dude, because since coming into my realizations I see life in a different light and now? I just wanna vibe.

Thank you for sharing that! that gives me a lot of hope for my future :)

As a 29 year old I needed to hear that

same here. being an undiagnosed autistic child and teenager was truly a painful experience, filled with confusion, frustration, loneliness, self-hatred, and crushed hopes, but oh well. i'm now 20 years old, officially diagnosed, and finally seeing a therapist who actually understands the way my weird brain works. i can only hope my 20s will be better.

My gosh. I feel like I could have written this. This is exactly what it feels like. And I’m so glad to see us both developing and slowly thriving as our authentically autistic selves.

I’m autistic and bipolar too. My teenage years were a bit dramatic 😅, but I pulled through. I can barely remember my twenties. All I remember is trying to discover who I really was. Here’s to hoping my 30s will thrive!

Wow I also could’ve written this. Diagnosed at 29, five months before my 30th birthday.

@@Eternal32bloom Just turned 30 trying to find me place too. Good luck to you!!

Anyone knew they wouldn't do the teenage dream because of studies and family having a religious background? I never attended parties, but I liked the idea of them (except for drugs and s@x). However, I don't think I'd be willing to go to one now due to how music at those parties drowns out general conversation.

@@DrawciaGleam02 yes it it greatly contributed to my mental health issues and I became very isolated because I couldn't never go out with my old friends

@@DrawciaGleam02 Same here. Never went to parties or anything like that. I was barely allowed to hang out with my friends outside of school. It was so suffocating

Same

@@DrawciaGleam02Yes, im a Jehovah’s Witness and it pretty much stole my childhood.☹️

❤️ same age, similar situation. Think I’m just starting to not feel like a failure.

Thank you for this comment, I really needed to hear this. I feel like I have been living a constant life crisis because I'm not in the same place in my life as my friends and peers are in theirs. I have let the capitalistic culture wear down my self-esteem because I cannot work yet and am thus still living with my parents. It feels like you're living as the butt of the joke when you can't be independent after you've passed 23 or 25. It is more common now for kids to still live with their parents later into their lives but it is never really shown in a positive or comforting light, it's always something that is used to signify a loser, lazy person or a leech. It makes me sad to think kids are growing up feeling the same isolation and insecurity that I did. I hope you're doing well and thank you again for giving me some more perspective!

I'm really grateful you shared that! I turned 20 this year and am still living with my parents. I was so worried about becoming something and being fully independent, but it's not the end of the world. I didn't get the cards I wanted to be dealt, but the cards I have aren't so bad if you look at them differently.

Cost of living is staggeringly high. Especially in certain places. You’re not alone. I lived at home until I was 30 because the cost of living in CA was insane! I moved with them to GA and the cost of living is lower here and I was feasibly able to move and get my own apartment. Even for a crappy studio in the worst part of town in California, they wanted $1700 per month if not more!

Same. more money, freedom, understanding of what you need and much more of a idgaf attitude vs the people pleasing one I had in my early 20s.

Absolutely same here

being 36: it got better every year, sadly the body starts to complain about my lack of sports and healthy food

@@happytofu5 you're still on time to fix that. A lot of people start having these problems right after 25 because they never eat, sleep well or exercise. I feel great every day cause I love taking care of my body and mind.

@@shaktibabe I great as this sounds, I am trying to do this since my mid twenties. I just can't manage to do it though. Plannign food and doing exercises takes mental energy I don't have left after work. Its frustrating.

Exactly. It was all a lie and I’ve never met a lot of people who liked their teen years- heck even tween years. I’m sad it’s all a lie we believed in, but I’m glad we can see that and look ahead at what’s to come. We really have a lot of firsts and so many good things that being a young adult brings (along with the development of our prefrontal cortex yay lol) thank The Lord💖

Yep. Absolutely hated high school. I never thought life was worth living until I turned 18 and went to college. I have older siblings in their 30's getting their health together and enjoying life. "Best years" my ass. Life is for living, and I'll be damned if anyone tells me my best years are behind me. We have the power to make every single decade worth it.

SAME

me too! (love ur profile pic btw! i can't wait for midnights!!)

@@iwouldgiveyouthemoon_ ty!! i love yours as well, and yes, i'm literally so excited for midnights 😭

Well if you’re watching this video you’re already ahead lol. Like many people say, I wish I could go back to 14, I know what to do this time 😭

Q

I'm the same age and only now learning to find myself. I am done following trends and trying to be palatable. It's a journey but we'll be ok😘😊

Ooo I feel the same...My teen years were "boring and sad". So when I finally left for college and just started catching up on the things I felt that I have missed out on.. Covid hit hard and boom two years went by and now I feel like I missed out again. So I guess, do not let your age stop you from trying out new things, finding yourself and have fun. 24 or any age for that matter is not "too old"🥲

I'm almost 26 Leonardo Dicrapio would see me as ancient 😅 and losing 2 years from 24 makes me feel like I've lost my twenties 😳

I am 27, been feeling like you since 25. It is getting better tho. At 26, my mindset shifted suddenly and now I do whatever I want to do with my life even if I am deemed too 'old' for it. Starting a new major, going to piano classes while studying with kids and I am thinking about starting dance classes. It gets easier once you understand that you were brainwashed to believe that life ends at 25 and that you still can do a lot of things after that age))

Yepppp

Never too late! Hope your 30's and up are all you want them to be.

Living in America, I never once experienced those giant house parties you always see in movies. The only parties I went to were comparatively small, and usually resulted in a couple people sitting at a table and talking about their grades.

You need to watch "Do Teens Really act like this?" by Not Even Emily! The video comments there are enlightening too.

I live in America and my life is nothing like the movies.Not only me I’m pretty sure other people are like me too

@@A98765 I think the generic parties we saw in teen movies have begun to fade out. Many adults have become aware of the bad things that happens at such ragers and as such forbid teens from attending. Heck, there are parents who despise prom/school dance due to similar issues! The pandemic certainly didn't help either.

Yeah I’m in high school right now and I focus way to much on my grades and doing well in school but I’m okay with sacrificing my teen years so I can do week later on and I think having some what of a smaller friend group is better than a huge one because then you tend to not be close with some of them.

Same exact story here dude, 21 and going to collage, have never dated or had sex, too busy with keeping good grades too do that stuff, plus being kind of shy. I'm not doing online dating though. (I'm ace, and gray-aro). My friend group was small but close-knit. And I feel like I got my future ahead of me.

Same ❤

​@@Shadowonwater yea

I can relate to this so much. I was 16 when the pandemic started and 18 when I returned back to school :/ I feel like I missed out so much social development

i can relate to this so much

I hated school so much. I wanted to be homeschooled but my school wouldn't let me leave. We suggested working from home, doing less classes, coming to school later but they wouldn't hear any of it. I was 15 when I sropped out and 6 years later, the pandemic happens and now everyone is doing it online from their home. I feel stupid to say it but it's so unfair.

Plus if you wanna do those sort of things you can always do it anytime in your life! I know so many people who discovered their wild party sides in their late 20s and they're having a great time. Get a good education now if you're enjoying it!

Yeah, I've heard that in small towns one is less likely to have the teen experience shown in movies.

Same here

this comment is a BLESSING

Holy shit, are you me??? Except I'm 28, divorced and have 2 kids

i’m still a teenager and all I want from the teenage dream is to be financially independent. I don’t want to have to care about what my parents or siblings think, I just want to have my own house and live my own life, but that won’t happen until my teenage years fly by me in a whirlwind of missed opportunities that somehow goes too slow and too fast at the same time.

As a trans guy, I thought almost the same when I was younger, but it was more depressing. Dreaming is for straight cis people, being happy and safe isn't for me, nothing is for me. I envied the other boys for doing "boy's stuff" with other boys, I envied them for being capable of having fun without having horrible consequences, I felt my life was a waste. I don't hear a lot of other LGBTQ+ people talking about this, I wonder if this is a common feeling...

@@lordarthur2165 I suspect it is. Especially for trans people who couldn’t be themselves as teens.

@@ravenwolfkittyface1802 I thought about it, but I think I heard just a few people talking about this before.

Same. They seem to put emphasis on teen boys and teen girls dating especially in proms and homecomings which made me think having fun as a teenager is more of a straight/allo people thing than anything else. Any other type of fun is either childish or too adulty.

Same here I'm in my 30s and I honestly didn't think I'd live past 21

I'm a few years younger but probably had a similar experience, grew up in a small town in an Eastern European country where I was bullied. At that time no one had internet connection available all the time like now, I could only use the internet during the last 2 years of high school in my living room, and talking to strangers online was considered very weird back then. Therefore, I had no awareness that there are other people like me, no online friends or connections and I assumed everyone hated me like school bullies. It took a decade to get past it, because coming out of high school, I had no social experience and talked to people like a shy prepubescent girl. I didn't know what to say and was just weird, which was the reason gossiping and more hidden bullying continued outside the school. Because of that, I'm often acting like someone younger, experiencing the same phase of my life that other people did in their late teens and early 20s. It isn't exactly the same, because of physical differences and I've never cared about mainstream teen activities like drinking and popularity anyway, but similar. I'm still discovering myself. The good thing is that I'm much more confident now that I would have been in my 20s. I've felt how my brain has changed with age, being less emotional and impulsive and I was really happy for the first time only in my 20s. I don't think there is too late for anything.

Thank you ❤

that’s exactly my life goal, thank you ❤️

thank you.

@@Man-ej6uv you're welcome 💖💕

Oh my! That's...very descriptive. Hope you are recovering now.

i'm so sorry you had to go through that (i went through similar experiences myself. kind of still am). i hope you're feeling better now. and if you're not, don't lose hope- it will get better.

I'm glad you felt brave enough to share but consider adding a trigger warning if you're gonna go into graphic detail

I honestly relate to this too much. I’ve thought about disowning my mom in my last words and traumatizing her with my death as revenge for her traumatizing me. I hope I can keep going through adulthood and that this weird time will be behind me haha

I've had that dream before,, where you feel yourself decay. I'm surprised somebody else has,, it makes me feel a little better about it, thank you. I hope your life is better now

This was really encouraging for me as an 18 year old. Thanks :)

i was 26 last year when everything felt like it was falling apart. ..honestly i still wonder why i’m here and everything you said down to picturing another 60 years really resonates

Not just live forever, rather people want to look young forever. I love learning new stuff so I wasn't popular in middle and high school. I was focused on doing well in education and now I'm in my early 20s hoping to find a job within my career. I am still holding out on hope.

I'm 46 and I'm happier than I've ever been. Left a lot of that crap I used to care too much, behind. It feels really good

Because older people constantly tell you that are a lot of bad things that are unavoidable at a certain age. (in my experience, this age is always pushed back. First it's 18, then 20, then 23, then 25... I'm 29 and things still haven't gone to shit yet lol) That the second you turn 30 or whatever, you'll have no energy and you'll be out of shape and you won't be able to handle doing fun things, and you'll be tied down with marriage and kids and shit, and it will be too late to follow any passions you might have. Really, I think a lot of that shit is just a self-fulfilling prophecy. You don't develop healthy habits, and it catches up to you at some point. You get married and have kids just because it's what you're "supposed" to do and you never thought very hard on whether you actually wanted that. And you don't follow any passions or dreams because you've internalized that idea that only young people can do that, but really, there's no outside force stopping you from taking an art class when you're 35.

@@StarlightPrism I was told by 25 I’d be out of my prime by family members so to enjoy it now. By 30 I’d be dead weight to myself, my looks will have faded and my energy gone. All the good men/women will be taken by then, so to hurry up and have that fun teenage romance so I could get married. That once you have kids say goodbye to a social/fun life. That if I didn’t have kids and be tied down I’d be one of those bitter women who sip wine all day and reminisce on better times. Very depressing out look and that’s the way many of us have been raised to see aging.

The teenage dream is a lie, though. Don't fall for it! Life begins after high school.

How old are you mate? Trust me- I just turned 22 and still feel like a baby. You have SO much life to live! When you reach my (very young) age, you'll realize just how young you really were!

ur still young

I agree I'm about to turn 20 soon and I feel like no matter how I act or whatever I do I can never connect with other young people I just feel so out of place

i hope they’re not the best years of my life. i’m 25 and more miserable than ever.

I'm 17 already. this vid felt so especial to me too, I felt seen. I struggle so much with the anxiety and dread of teenagehood and it took a long time to realise that it was normal to feel that way, that most teens felt that way...after you realise that it gets much easier. I hope your seventeenth birthday is great

Yeah, that's why I'm not that bothered by teen love poems....

I’m 14 and I’m terrified of not feeling the teenage dream. I only have three years of high school left (in sophomore year currently), I don’t know how I’m going to be able to live that “High School Experience™️” that everyone wants me to live, and the more time I spend wasting away in my room doing nothing, the more things I’ll regret when I become an adult

@@wren_. to be honest with you, the teenage dream like in the movies doesn't happen really, what I realised after some time is that the teenage dream doesn't exist, I spend a lot of time at home too, due to anxiety and stuff, but I have really close friends around my age and when I'm with them I allow myself to relax and just live. You make your own teenagehood but It's important to remember that the movies are just movies made by old white men and that you are your own unique individual. It is okay to not have your whole life in order and done everything you wanted by 18, and honestly that's quite impossible to do if you aren't rich. Just be yourself and remember that you are really young still, you have a * lot* of time left and you *do not need* to have done everything right at 18.

@@wren_. I would definitely suggest hanging with friends, taking goofy videos and pictures. Dancing in your room.

I would just like to say that I am jealous of your aroace nature. I don’t want to deal with romantic emotions and crushes.

Trust me, it’s not really something to be jealous of. The world is set up for allo people and romantic relationships.

@@laurahamilton8868 well good news for me, I figured out I am at least arogray. And as for your thesis in the comment, I couldn’t agree more.

Could you make up a summary? Sorry im not a natuve english speaker

​@@gustavus0013Use Google translate.

😭 🥲🥺 I feel the same

What you are feeling is very normal. I am decades removed from my late 20s, but I look back on them now and remember all the existential anxiety I was feeling. I remember worrying so much about the fact that I was 29, did not have a degree, did not have a spouse, no kids, and none of the spoils of financial success. I remember being so depressed about it because I honestly felt like some type of "clock" was about to run out on me and and I had squandered the time when I was supposed to have been having the most fun and positioning my future. To be frank, my early 30s were not much better. I never imagined in a million years that I would end up experiencing all the things I thought I had lost out on in my mid to late 40s. But that is exactly what happened. If you were to ask me would I ever want to go back to those years, I would give you a resounding no. I miss some of the energy and physicality of my youth, but there is something to be said about living a life where you're (mostly) healthy, have had a chance to truly mature and work out a lot of your anxieties and insecurities, and have the benefit of years of lived experience to guide your decisions that is missed in the obsession with youth. Again, what you are feeling is very normal. Don't feel bad about it. In a lot of ways, your 20s really are just a slightly better (maybe) extension of your teen years and that is nothing to be ashamed about.

If it helps, I'm 25, married, master's degree, working my dream job and still feel incredibly lost on what comes next. I'm happy with the things I've done and my lovely husband, but when the checklist starts filling up, it's like...what's next? What do I do for the next (hopefully) 60 years? Life is confusing and you never stop having that inclination to measure yourself against others, know that your pace is just right and no one else has it figured out either.

I love you for writing this comment, thank you so much

Oof, your post reminds me of an online story where something similar happened... A girl was lied to that her father was abusive for YEARS. Her mom just left her with the father one day and the girl LEGIT had a culture shock (wait, is that the right term here?) when she realized her mom's claims weren't true.

Meu beeem, seu inglês é maravilhoso e o fato que você consegue se expressar maravilhosamente em mais de um idioma mostra como você é fantástica já aos 12. De ler seu comentário é perceptível que você tem sua própria percepção do mundo, sua própria voz e eu espero muito que as pessoas ao seu redor comecem a reconhecer isso também e a valorizar mais a pessoa que você é.

@@lorotacaradepipoca Aaaaah, obrigada !! Meu rosto tá doendo de tanto sorrir rsrs

I don’t know if I’m allowed to relate to this. What counts as an organize life. I mean, I’ve moved around a bunch and not been able to keep many close friends for more than a year, but I’ve always had the same structure, the same family dynamic. What if my life is organized in the wrong way? Am I still allowed to relate to this? i have no idea

Yup very much so restrictive eating disorder. I wish I could give my younger self a hug but I can at least give myself as I am now- a very warm hug. I hope you can too. That is one of the reasons why my teen years were terrible and every time I thought I actually liked myself Just body dysmorphia came back at me again it is the most depressing isolating thing- at such a young age too. So I absolutely understand and the worst thing is that you talk about, at least I talked about the way I looked constantly, because it was always on my mind. I’m so glad we both made it out of our teenage years. I’m glad we both have a rekindled relationship with food and now we are much much happier. I hope you have a wonderful, blessed day love💖😋🥰

Hey there! I kinda knew before hitting my teen years that it wouldn't be like the movies. I did wonder about things like concerts and prom though. Nowadays I wouldn't attend a concert because I've learned that I'm uneasy when I'm in a loud room and can't hear conversations.

^^ i think having ideal milestones is a must but people shouldnt feel guilty for failing/not doing it

I'm 15 and in recovery from illness after three years. All of this is on point! And I'm still grappling with "how to be a teen" because I missed so much. You have given me hope. Thank you xxx

I’ve never read a comment this relatable before.

I also feel the need to stress that a lot of the teenage dream experiences, including ones I or my friends have had, didn’t come from having a happy childhood. There often needs to be a lot of neglect and sometimes full on abuse in a child’s life to get them to the point of doing a lot of the things that are romanticized as the ideal teen experiences.

Depends on whatever schedule I give myself! From a week to a month. Trying to post more frequently so I’ve been giving myself a little under two weeks ❤️

ik its so good