This is my sister, Kit.
Age- Thirteen?¢‚Ǩ¬¶ Thirteen. Teen. Teen. Teen.
Height- Shortest in the family, but sure to outgrow poor ol?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ Joan any day now
Hair- Amazing
Hugs- The best
Perfume- Clinique Happy
Known for- Her fear of scary things, her compassion, and her big heart
This picture was taken after she had fallen down on her skis, and got back up to finish the end of the hill. Quite adorable and very resilient of her, if you ask me.
So, does this look like the face of a depressed teenager to you?
If you said no, I totally agree with you.
However, there appears to be a rapidly growing trend in young teenagers, particularly girls, to feign depression.
Depression, you ask? That?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s heavy. How depressed could a thirteen year old really be?
Well, these are the questions I ask myself everyday when I look at Kit, and at her Myspace page.
I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ve been called a ?¢‚Ǩ?ìmusic-elitist?¢‚Ǩ¬ù on many occasions (which I won?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t totally deny), and therefore I am constantly trying to introduce Kit to amazing music that she might not otherwise learn about from her equally musically-ignorant-Hannah-Montana-loving friends.
However, Kit won?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t take my Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, The Clash, or even Otis Redding. She scoffs at the classics, and instead insists that she listens to only ?¢‚Ǩ?ìscreamo,?¢‚Ǩ¬ù a genre of music where the lead singer literally screams overly sappy lyrics, backed by an often equally in-your-face band. Literally, scream and emo, short for emotional. Imagine that infamous belt in The Who?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s 1971 classic, ?¢‚Ǩ?ìWon?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t Get Fooled Again,?¢‚Ǩ¬ù but a lot angrier. Common screamo themes are death, dying, wanting to die, a loved one dying, and killing yourself, both mentally and physically.
Okay, so screamo might not be my first choice of music, but I won?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t totally bash it; a few of my friends are in a screamo-ish band and I think they?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢re quite good.
Here, though, lies the problem: While her passion for screamo is splattered all over her Myspace page, I have not once heard Kit listen to screamo music, nor any music even remotely resembling screamo. And you know I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ve been listening. We share a bathroom, and since I have been home for Winter Break I have not heard one scream, thrash, angry belt, or even yell come from her booming iTunes.
So why would she pretend to be something she?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s not? Could it be the same reason why one teenager I know posts pictures on Myspace where she is strangling herself with a scarf? Or another crying into her hands? Or maybe it?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s the same reason why Kit?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s favorite new saying is ?¢‚Ǩ?ìyou don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t understand me??¢‚Ǩ¬ù
Is depression in fashion? Is it now cool to be depressed?
Some may note Brittany Spears. Her manic tendencies get her attention. I say sure, but I still think that?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s an easy way out.
I hope my sister is not depressed and I hope that my parents will keep a lookout for signs. Depression is serious and should be treated as such. But I have no idea what a teenager would gain from appearing depressed. I don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t see it as something to take lightly. In fact, the boom in improperly diagnosed and mistreated bi-polar disorder in teens and the risks associated with such powerful mind-altering medications make it even less of a joke to me.
This past semster, we got on the topic of teenage depression in a speech and debate class. Every other person speedily raised his or her hand to say essentially the same thing: ?¢‚Ǩ?ìYeah…so?¢‚Ǩ¬¶I really think it?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s like?¢‚Ǩ¬¶ridiculous how like?¢‚Ǩ¬¶everyone?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s trying to act all depressed just for attention?¢‚Ǩ¬¶I mean, I have depression and I see a therapist and I might have to go on an anti-depressant?¢‚Ǩ¬¶and like, it?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s really hard. And it?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s really ridiculous how everyone?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s trying to act all depressed lately, as if they understand what I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢m going through?¢‚Ǩ¬¶because they?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢re not, and they have no idea.?¢‚Ǩ¬ù
I listened to this broken record for a good fifteen minutes and then finally, I broke.
I raised my hand. ?¢‚Ǩ?ìWhat I find most ridiculous is that all of you are so eager to share such personal information with a group of people you barely know. Is this not hypocritical? Depression isn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t something to be ashamed about, but it sure as hell isn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t something I would offer up for attention or empathy the way everyone appears to be doing.?¢‚Ǩ¬ù A few debated, but that essentially shut them all up.
I still wondered: could the majority of my generation be depressed? Could Kit?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s pleas for attention be more than just a costume?
Today Kit and I got into a fight. She whipped out a three-word gun I never expected her to use: ?¢‚Ǩ?ìI hate you.?¢‚Ǩ¬ù She went on, ?¢‚Ǩ?ìI hate you and you don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t understand.?¢‚Ǩ¬ù
I wanted to shake Kit and say, ?¢‚Ǩ?ìKit, this is not a joke. Hate is a very powerful word. And furthermore, I do understand you. You are thirteen, you want more freedoms than you have, you feel awkward and uncomfortable, your hormones are kicking in, and you can?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t help but want to rebel.?¢‚Ǩ¬ù
Everyone who?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s over the age of fourteen was once thirteen. We have all been thirteen. We have all rebelled, or at least dreamed about it.
It seems that nowadays, being in a state of limbo between child and adult automatically means being in a state of depression.
That is, of course, if you want to fit in.
Fitting in means being ?¢‚Ǩ?ìdifferent?¢‚Ǩ¬ù (whatever that means). The fewer the number of people who understand you, the more friends you have. But what?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s scariest to me is that the faster you can mature, the more harmful things you can do to yourself, and the closer you can get to a psych ward, the cooler you are. Negativity brings positive results.
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