Generation Me By Julia O'Gallagher

Let's face it, our generation is way more selfish than the one before us. What happened to spending time with family and taking pictures just for souvenirs? 30 years ago the concept of a selfie didn't exist, today that's all we hear about. Some of the products we use these days seem to suggest being self-centered. Being self-centered doesn't lead anywhere, it only shuts you out from reality.

You might think I'm crazy for saying this but, kids these days have it made. Teenagers especially, are often way too caught up in there own lives to care about others and what goes on around them. You'll notice that lots of people our age don't pay attention to what goes on around them. They're too busy updating their Facebook status or checking how many likes their picture got on Instagram. The most common devices around us also seem to have an effect on us: iPods, iPads, iPhones, etc. The name says it all. Even songs we listen to have lyrics are less and less inclusive. They have been studied and they contain more "I" and "me" in them than "you" and "us". If these facts don't say selfish, what does?

The next thing I want to talk about is our generation's attitude towards others. We don't say thank you to bus drivers, cashiers or teachers. We don't hold the door for the person behind us and we act without thinking about how it will affect others. I have seen this so many times since I have been at school: "But, I have the right to do this" students say this all the time to teachers or other adults when they get in trouble. You might have the right to do something stupid but, you really don't have to. Not saying "thank you" can make you look too self-centered to care anything or anyone besides yourself. Not holding the door for the next person can also give people around you the feeling that you don't care. What do you do? Do you ignore others or do you thank them for what they have done for you?

To finish off, our generation is selfish, rude and can be ungrateful. Instead of the "I" in iPod, why not use "we"? All I want to say is to take off your earphones and look up from your phones. Share a smile and say "thanks". Just that could make someone's day.

Our big obsession by Alicia Avery

Are we too obsessed with celebrities? They are just normal people who need attention. Many children want to look like them but are we really obsessed? Whenever I hear today's music, I figured that they only talk about drugs, sex or cars. Now, I know that not everyone likes Celine Dion but she is one of the artists who always has a deep meaning in her songs. So, are we too obsessed with all this celebrity thing?

I always ask myself why people care about things like beauty, popularity and if you are thin or not. I have better things to do such as doing my work in school and pursuing my dream of becoming a singer. I want to become a singer simply because I really enjoy singing and I want to do what I love everyday. Not because of fame. Why is our society obsessed with celebrities? My opinion is that people wish they had the "celebrity life", a life where they can have anything they could ever want, popularity throughout the globe and the most expensive things money can buy.

Teenagers are being affected even though they don't know it. I've heard many girls saying that they are too fat and wish they were skinny like Paris Hilton and others who have lost a lot of weight and who are now really slim. Teens all over the world are influenced by actors, singers and models. They want to dress, talk and act like them even though they don't admit it. Some would be ready to do anything to look like their favorite celebrity including plastic surgery. When you get plastic surgery, there's about 85% chance of you regretting to have done it.

One thing that really bothers me is this magazine called star. It only shows stories about celebrities! They never show or write the lives of everyday people and the problems they go through. It is as if celebrities were the only ones to have hard lives. To this magazine, they think that fashion and how you look is the most important thing. They judge artists on how they dressed, they comment on their faces and compare their dress to another
by saying mean things about it. They comment on non-important things of everyday life but we still read this magazine and love it. We give ourselves permission to judge people we don't even know and that we have never even spoken to.

My answer is yes, we are too obsessed about celebrities, people who care only about themselves and will never do anything to help the people in need and less fortunate. Of course, there are some exceptions such as Angelina Jolie who does contribute her time to help the people in need around the world. So, instead of trying to know more about celebrities` lives, spend your time in your community to make our world a better place. Instead of caring about them, be a celebrity in your own community.

Technology Crisis! By: Jade Dupuis

Of course technology is extremely important for research's and discoveries, but what about the social aspect of it? Modern culture is ruining our generation and generations to come because it causes trouble, it takes away social life, and hides true identities.

Firstly, modern culture causes trouble in numerous ways, but the most important one would be bullying. People do not even have the courage to intimidate other people face to face, instead they hide behind their electronic device. Hiding, this leads to an other problem. Teens are so used to interact with text messages that when it is time to talk to someone or are faced with a problem , they do not even know what to do. Now, of course there are a lot more but those would probably be the most important ones.

Secondly, it ruins the social life of teenagers. Ever heard your parents say: " when I was your age, we would...." of course you have, and they are totally right! Our parents used to go outside all the time and play a sport or a game with their friends. Now , teens are simply isolated from all this and are constantly on their electronic devices as if life depended on it.

Thirdly, it hides true identities. Yes, it has become that bad! Some people become so addicted that it's as if they are not even in the real world, they are somehow creating a virtual life by hiding behind some screen. This suddenly becomes their life, and once they are drained into it, it's very hard to stop.

In conclusion, modern technology is ruining our generation and many more to come since it creates
trouble, it takes away social life, and it hides identities. It's not ruining us entirely but we need to do something before it's too late!