‘The teenage years are the best years of one’s life.’

It is true that many feel that their teenage years were the most enjoyable period of time in their lives. However it is also true that everyone has different opinions and perspectives on what enjoyment is. I for one believe that the teenage years are the best year in our lives because we get to enjoy more freedom and independence than when we were children, yet we do not have to worry about the problems, such as work-related issues, that adults face.

Some teenagers today though, have different ideas on how best their teenage years should be enjoyed. These teenagers go to great lengths just to follow the latest fashion trends or styles, and in my opinion they sometimes go overboard. For example, an increasing number of teens today are getting influenced by the recent ‘emo’ trend, which encourages teens to dress up somewhat like halloween trick-or-treaters, with hair covering half their face. I have nothing against the way these teenagers dress but the ‘emo’ trend also encourages self-mutilation and cutting your own wrist just to express your emotions and that is something I have to disagree that anyone should do.

There are other avenues to which one can use to express his or her emotions, for example music. I see no reason why one should cut his own wrist just to express himself and in my opinion one would be foolish to do so. I believe that teens who do cut their wrists will grow up to regret doing so, and they’ll look back at on their teenage years knowing that it may not have been the best period in their lives.

Thus we can see that self-mutilation and following fashion trends may seem to some like the best way to live out their teenage years. As for me, I think hanging out with friends, enjoying their company and enjoying the freedom my parents give me would certainly make my teenage years the best time of my life.