Smile Now, Cry Later

By: Bryan Pantoja 

Most teens today are drained from scrolling through social media and from working all day at school. Yet, many teens will put on a face in front of their friends and others around them to pretend that everything is okay. They will only let out the real feelings in private, instead of in public. Most aren't comfortable with letting their true emotions feelings out with those around them.

I know this from personal experience.  I have acted differently around my friends, and then in private I’ve let everything out that I had been holding in for the day. For example, when my girlfriend and I broke up this year, I acted like it wasn’t a big deal around my friends, but when I was alone, I let out all the sadness I had that I had been holding in. I’ve seen people around me do this same thing: pretend they’re happy and put on a face all day, hiding the fact that they’re hurting until they are on their own.

Most of us grow up too fast because we feel like we have to act like everyone around us. This makes it difficult to take the time needed to truly process what we are feeling and experiencing. In many cases, teens will seek new friendships that cause them to lose sight of their own identity. Most have too much to deal with outside their friendships, so the pressure makes it even harder to know how to fully be themselves.It doesn’t help that teenage years are unpredictable as it is. 

When people say  "smile now, cry later," it refers to teens putting on a face to appear like they are enjoying the moment, even though they might actually be struggling with something emotional. Teens do this to fit in with those around them. To cope they will often pursue new experiences, like going out and partying, or doing stuff outside their comfort zone, depending on who they are around.

A teenager's life is filled with happiness, joy, and laughter, but it’s also filled with sadness and isolation, especially in today’s world, when everyone feels like they have to show their “perfect” life online. Most people will only post happy stuff on their social media and not their true feelings that they're dealing with, like stress, anxiety or anything that is personal to them. Seeing constant highlight reels This is a reminder how complicated a teen’s life can be while growing up to be an adult. 

This is why it’s so important for teens to find meaningful friendships in which they can be more comfortable opening up.  It really helps talking about your feelings and being your authentic self, instead of staying shut off.

Project by Abigail Artiaga

Time

By: Kaydance Murray

A door that remains eternally shut 

As if you were still here, fragments of your life are frozen in time.

A knocked over medicine bottle 

Untouched, frozen in time

A drink that nobody has found the strength to clean or remove

Everything perfectly in place, frozen in time

Attire that you planned on wearing

Mementos of your life-

And Me 

Bereaved

Lost

Stuck 

Frozen in Time

And yet- my clock still ticks

Being a teen is already scary and difficult. When you lose someone important to you, it can feel especially overwhelming. Sometimes it feels like I am walking blind through a tornado and I never know what will happen next. Emotions feel fragile and volatile, like a volcano or a bomb that could blow up at any  time. I’m trying to work within other people's timelines of what grief should look like,  wondering why my chest feels so heavy all the time. Being a teen who has always been independent and not needed extra help makes it harder to ask for guidance. Struggling makes me feel like I’m failing. I try navigating emotions I’ve never felt, while studying for things like SATs and finishing school projects, which feel unimportant in the bigger picture. This is what it's like to be a teen.