In modern day society, the behavior put  into the world by teenagers is seemingly normalized by trends and opinions.Toxic behaviors and opinions are dangerously normalized in society today. As a community it is easy to adapt to ideas quickly, and in numerous cases, people are unaware that adapting to an environment of others opinions is a toxic trait. Here are a few concepts  society has normalized that produce a manipulative environment for the teenage mind. 

As teenagers attending school five days a week for seven hours a day, it is inevitable that rumors and gossip will occur. People cannot be ignorant to addressing situations that will occur in the school setting, whether that means inside or outside of school. With that said, that does not mean it is necessarily the most healthy conversation to be having, especially in school . How students react and respond to gossip is the most toxic part. As a whole, society has fed into the idea of gossiping as a normal high school thing; in theory this is correct. Gossiping can put added stress on students who already have so much on their minds, and can create an exposed and vulnerable environment at school. 

Likewise, as young teens it is easy to unintentionally invalidate the feelings of others in vulnerable situations. Whether it is intentional or not, invalidating one’s feelings allows for insecurities and self-doubt to increase in one’s mind. It is often that these events happen when making a “joke” about a situation one is trying to bring light to. This can ultimately lead to one not being able to open up to others about their personal feelings, and can come between friendships and relationships. When trying to approach this in a more considerate way, allow others to express themselves without judgment and sympathize with what they are feeling. 

As teenagers, there is so much pressure surrounding life after high school, specifically figuring out what one wants to do with their lives at seventeen and eighteen years old. There is an expectation around being able to figure life out and making the decision of one’s job and major for college at such a young age. This idea is a toxic normality in terms of pressuring students to make a life altering decision. As teenagers in high school, there is still so much in life that has not been learned. The expectations should be lessened to allow students to figure everything out when the time feels right and they are ready to make a decision. 

Normalizing stereotypes and behavior stigmas has become more of an increasing problem to the pressure of students and teenagers. Society adapts to these behaviors and poses them as normal.