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Cell Phones Control Teens

By Benjamin Hacker

Who tends to be on their phones when they are not supposed to? Well if you said students then you were correct. Students are distracted and 57% said that social media distracts them from doing their homework. 29% of students said that texts or even other notifications wake them up at night. This shows that cell phones distract kids not only in school but outside of school too.

Students are not only distracted from social media but are also distracted by things such as gaming and even x-rated adult films that are not age-appropriate. Certain results show that ringing cell phones in clashes were the most commonly reported electronic external distractors for 68% of students. Banning student phone usage ultimately leads to better student-academic performance.

Recent studies show that social media affects and interferes with visual but not auditory learning in college students. Undergraduate students are reported using their phones for non-school reasons an average of 11.7 times a day. Studies say that every 100-minutes that a student uses their phones that student drops 6.3 places in their academic school ranking.

The biggest problem with cell phone use for students is that cell phones affect not only school but it stops students from playing sports, socializing, and more. Cell phones are overall used not only as a tool but for students, it is mainly used as a place where students use their free time.

Overall cell phones are over-used by students. Cell phones greatly distract kids from academics and hobbies. Cell phones are not only a disadvantage when kids are using their cell phones, but outside of academic activities, cell phones can dominate social skills.

Left Behind

By Shira Hoffman

What was it like not going on the 7th-grade trip? Well, it was not quite boring as you might expect. We did not really do much at all. Mostly it was just movies in every class. Basically, everyone was absent, and there were a bunch of free periods. I do not regret not going on the trip at all.

We had all our classes to do missed work and catch up because nobody was at school and we could not start any new units without everyone to learn them, so basically it was the best week of school because there was like no homework and no tests, and everyone had a chance to catch up on missing work.

Other than that, some downsides were that all my friends went and only one of them stayed so I kind of had no one for a full week. Would I go next time though? My answer is maybe. Actually probably, because every year all my friends go and always say how fun it is and you get to be excused from all work, and besides you have to go at least once in middle school.

Well, you do not have to but it is an experience and something you will always remember. Now you will learn the good sides of going on the trip. Adriana says that “Trying out new things and getting out of your comfort zone was great and really fun to hang out with your friends.” Some bad things Adriana said are, “ The heat was draining and the water over there is sink water and not filtered so when I came back I was dehydrated, other than that I had a great time.” I will probably go on the 8th- grade trip so I will see you there!

The End to COVID is in Sight

By Shira Hoffman

Is COVID finally coming to an end? Well, that is a great question. The answer from me is kind of. As we all know we do not have to wear masks as much anymore (now it is by choice), we do not really need to social distance as much, and people are meeting again with less fear of getting sick.

Now, this is all fantastic, but could we rise in cases again? I do not want that to happen. LA Times says that last Monday, Apr 11, 2022 Coronavirus cases are once again on the rise in Los Angeles County. Data shows that for the seven-day period that ended Monday, an average of 960 new cases were reported daily countywide, which equates to sixty-seven cases a week for every 100,000 residents. That is up 23% from the previous week when L.A. County reported an average of 783 cases a day. Now, this might be alarming but this is all last week is news, what about this week? As most of us know Coachella is going on right now which is all exciting and I wish I was there, but people might cause COVID cases to rise because of these kinds of things.

The NY Times says the pandemic has made the last couple of years especially rough for the concert business, and for musicians, who often rely on touring as their largest source of income. After making a partial return last year, concerts are now roaring back, with industry predictions that, if all goes well, 2022 could eclipse 2019 as a record year for ticket sales. Even if we risk getting sick when we go out to concerts, they have not been going on for almost three years and you can not live your life always scared of what will happen.

The Pitfalls of Social Media

By Gabriella Broumandi

While many of us have apps like TikTok, Snapchat, or even Instagram we do not realize that these simple apps are taking over everything we do in a day. A study says that the average person goes on Social Media, for two and a half hours every day. To put this in perspective, you could go to a basketball game, and play a game of bowling! While we might not realize that we are on our phones longer than two minutes to see what our friends are posting on their stories then you might decide to post a picture of what you are doing. This later continues when you go on TikTok and see all your friends' latest posts. Then you go on your “For You Page” and scroll and scroll. You later realize that you have been spending over an hour scrolling and scrolling on TikTok.

There are some reasonable arguments on why you should have social media. One is that you can communicate with your friends through Social Media. This can be accomplished without Social Media. You can text or call your friends with a few clicks of a button.

Not only is social media bad in the ways that you waste time on it, but you can also get bullied, or even feel left out. Let us say, you were at home on a Friday night and you had nothing to do so you went on your phone. You start by going on Snapchat and doing your streaks. Then you look at people’s stories. You are seeing many send-its on people rating each other. Alice, one of your close friends, gets rated as a three! Then you continue hoping that Alice does not see this story. Then you continue, only to find that someone was rating you! You get a score of five out of ten. You are so disappointed that someone would do this. To help yourself feel better you decided to go on TikTok and watch some videos of your friends. You realize that Alice, Marissa, and Jessica are hanging out at the pier without you. Would you feel left out if this happened to you? I know that I would. Many people do not realize that everything they say or do can have an impact on anyone.

Overall Social Media is worse than you think, so if you want to reduce stress, press that delete button right away.

Preventing Teen Suicide

By Aylin Akdag

Every year, about 5.5k to 6.8k teens die from suicide. It is hard to figure out why so many people take their lives but from a suicidal person's perspective, they feel negative most of the time and think of the darkest way out. A suicidal person usually self-loathes, feels as if they are helpless, and feels lonely and lost. Even though they want to die, they are usually conflicted because they know they are leaving those who love them behind. Sadly, they can only think of suicide as the solution.

What are the warning signs that a suicidal person gives? The first is talking about suicide. Saying things like "I wish I were dead" or "I want to die right now" The second sign is seeking out things that can be/or is a weapon. The third sign is talking about death. A common sign is that they always say bad things about themselves/their future, etc. Some more examples are they can start acting antisocial or start doing more dangerous things. And the last warnings are, suddenly wanting to write their will, saying goodbye, and being calm after being severely depressed for the past days/weeks.

How do you confront them? First, make sure that you are mentally prepared. You will have to be calm to help that person. You can not help somebody take care of their mental health if you do not take care of your own. After you are mentally ready you can. Start the sentence telling them your concern. Make sure to go straight to the point while doing so. Then make sure they understand that you care about them. Once they know you care, offer help.

Now that you have confronted them, you should comfort them. Dr. Greg Emanuelson said, "Just being honest about it and being direct can be comforting for someone who is thinking about suicide, Oftentimes, people will approach it in an indirect way." This is a knowledgeable quote. Some other thing is to listen to them thoroughly. Try not to offer advice because it might worsen their state. Make sure to take them seriously. Even if it is a problem that you think could be fixed. Be sympathetic, but at the same time do not say "I pity you". Prioritize safety above all of these. Be non-judgmental. If you judge them they will not trust you. Do not argue with them, It makes them either mad or guilty. Never promise secrecy, because if they become too concerning you will have to tell somebody, which will result in loss of trust.

Now that you listened to them, get help. Try as much as you can to get professional help for them. Things you can do is be proactive, people who want to die do not believe they can become normal again. Encourage positive lifestyle changes so they have a happier life and create a safety plan just in case something that can make those thoughts come back happens. Be sure to support them along their way to healing. Following all these steps and understanding suicide can save lives.

Photo credit: Jesse Glucksman

Identical Twin Perks

By Eva Glucksman

As an identical twin, you have many opportunities to prank people. You can confuse them by switching classes or activities! The problem is that people will expect this since there are many stories out there based on twins switching places. In middle school, when school schedules do not line up, many people ask you if you are going to try switching classes or other activities with your twin which proves to be annoying when you just want to go on with your school day.

When people compare you to your identical twin, it causes you to question their intelligence. This year, for example, an 8th grader commented, "Your sister is hotter than you” but once I pointed out that we were identical, he said that she is still hotter. Not only did he make me question his intelligence, but since he felt she was “hot” he was also calling me “hot”.

Also, when you have a twin, they can help you with all of your schoolwork. If you need someone to help you with your work, a twin can help you (unless they also do not understand your work) since you are both in the same grade.

Having a twin is fun and all, but you can also get into arguments frequently. One example is when I had an argument with my own twin over a water bottle. I know, sounds stupid but it is true. Basically, she asked for a water bottle to drink and I gave it to her, after taking a drink. then she grew angry saying "You would not have drunk the water if I did not ask you for it." (Anya) And so because of that, we had a full-blown argument which resulted in us not talking to each other. Therefore, when having a twin (or any sibling in general) you get into stupid arguments, just make sure that they do not affect your relationship and you should be fine.

Being an identical twin has both advantages and disadvantages. You can have so much fun with them, but sometimes you also wish that you did not look alike. I explained how you can have so much fun with them and why they can be a real pain. In the end, your feelings about having a twin depend on you.

Big Family Anomaly

By Miah Jackson

Have you ever begun to think about having a large family? As a matter of fact, there is a family of 12 living in Paris, France whose household consists of six boys and six girls. In their house food is consumed in large quantities. Whenever their mom cleans up, the next minute there is something to clean up again. Their mom Sara said that she does not believe in buying new clothes for her kids. She would rather have her kids hand down the clothes to their siblings. If the clothes have any holes then she will sew them, and make them look brand new. However when the kids can not fit the hand-me-downs then she would usually donate them. She has always promised that she is not a cheap mom. She just believes that there is no point in wasting money when you can save it

Getting twelve kids ready for school is a full-time job. Even though they have a pretty nice house with five bedrooms, one master, and six bathrooms it still takes a while for them all to get ready. This is how their morning usually plays out. First, everyone wakes up around 4:00 am. Sara rushes downstairs and starts breakfast. She told us that every night before school she makes everyone lunch while she is downstairs making breakfast and finishes packing up the kid’s backpacks. Her husband Sam helps the younger kids get ready while the teens help themselves. After everyone is ready, Sam puts the car seats in their big black van. He slides the door open with the little sliding button on the car and everyone gets in. Usually, they drop off the younger kids first and then they head off to middle school and high school. We interviewed most of the kids and the parents. This is what they had to say “Large families mean no one gets left behind or forgotten”, says Sam and Sara. The kids did not really have much to say, but there was one question that we asked all 12 children. What is one thing that you like about each of your siblings, and in your eyes what is it like having a huge family? We found the sweetest boy in their house. He told us way more than we expected. His name is Shepherd and he is seven years old. His favorite thing to do is make friends. When we asked him what it was like having a huge family he told us that he enjoys the company. We learned that he was one of the foster children. He has a big diamond heart and light blue eyes. “When we saw him in the foster home we knew that he was going to be our forever child” cried Sara as her husband comforted her.

As you have learned, having a big family is a lot of work. It takes a lot of practice and care. You can not have a big family if you can not love one like the other. The more you have the more you adopt or the more you foster you have to always remember that "They might be different from the rest but that is the uniqueness in them".

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