Lack of Media Coverage: Harmful Words

Harmful Words

The media fails to cover the way America's youth uses their words. Teens use words very lightly, usually unaware of the effect they can have on others. Being a teen myself, I often hear my peers refer to something as being "gay", "retarded", or "queer", or playfully calling a classmate a "fag". Earlier in my adolescence, I had fallen under the influence of my peers and even used some of these words myself. I then realized the flaw in my ways and am now opposed to the use of such remarks. These words are offensive and I think the problem is that the teens who use them don't realize that these words can hurt someone's feelings. I also think that part of the issue is that these kids don't care if they're hurting someone's feelings. If they are not close friends with someone who is homosexual or has special needs, then they think "I'm not hurting anyone by saying this," but in actuality, they may have a friend who is gay but is afraid to come out because they hear their friends using these words in a negative fashion. Also, when one person uses the words, then the rest of their friends begin to say them too, and then all kinds of people are aying them and ultimately these words will offend someone even if the speaker believes they're not hurting anyone.

I feel that the media is somewhat oblivious to this issue. You never see a newscast about teens using harmful words. Personally, I think this issue should be covered in the news. I think it could be just the reality check that some teens need to get their speech in order. However, a simple newscast would not be enough to change the view of all teens guilty of using these harmful words. I believe that teens who oppose such language would need to ban together and start a campaign to stop the use of hurtful utterances and possibly that would get the media's attention enough for something to actually be done about this problem in our society.


Blogs that discuss this issue:
http://atticfantasist.blogspot.com/2008/03/gays-not-word-or-maybe-it-is.html
In this blog, Zoe Williams discusses the use of the word "gay" in today's society and how the meaning has changed from "homosexual" to "strange".

http://beetqueen.wordpress.com/2008/03/20/the-insult-of-the-day/
This blog is written by a high school teacher who often hears students use the word "gay" to describe assignments. She says that since she is not aware of how to "combat this problem" that she is just planning on waiting until the word goes out of fashion.


http://www.landofsavages.com/2008/03/gay-most-common-insult-amongst-children.html
This blog discusses the fact that "gay" could be the most common word used among teens. It also says how teachers are having trouble controlling the use of the word.


http://ahudenglish102.blogspot.com/2008/03/transformation-of-word-retard_12.html
The author of this blog talks about how the word "retard" has evolved over the years. She talks about the history of the word and how it has been used over the years.

This video has two people talking about words used frequently in our society and their appropriateness, particularly the use of the word "retarded":

Girls Playing "Boy" Sports

I have played Ice Hockey since I was four years old. Being a female in a male dominated sport has never been easy. When I started when I was four, I played in an initiation program with mostly boys. Then I played on "co-ed" teams until I was ten, but "co-ed" is not the right term. Usually, it was all boys and me. Sometimes there was one other girl on the team, but usually I had to try to fit in as "one of the guys".

When you're younger it doens't really matter. You're just kids, you don't think about it as much. But as you start to get older, there begins to be the stereotype of hockey being a "boy" sport. It's true that it is a very male-dominated sport but that doesn't mean that only boys are allowed to play it. Many times I have met boys who play hockey and when I tell them that I play hockey too, the say "But you're a girl." You don't know how much that bugs me. So what if I'm a girl? That doesn't make me any less able to play hockey.

When I turned ten, I decided that it was time for me to start playing on an all-girls team. Luckily, there was a program nearby with an all-girls team. Now if you think being an individual girl playing hockey gets you negative attention with boys, imagine having a whole TEAM full of hockey playing girls. Whenever we share ice with a boys' team during practices or something, they constantly emitt an attitude that they are better than we are. Sometimes we will scrimmage against a boys' team and they always come across as cocky and that they'll beat a team of "sissies" with ease. Then if a girl on my team knocks them down or beats them to the puck or scores on them then all the other boys will be like "HAHA you got beat by a girl!!!!" or something along those lines. As a girl, it makes you feel inadequate sometimes. Other times it makes you feel stronger, like you want to go out and show these boys exactly what you're made of, that you're strong and powerful.

But soon they'll see. Girls' hockey is growing at a rapid rate, and maybe in the future hockey will be as much of a "girl" sport as it is a "boy" sport. And boys, if you think girls can't play hockey, I have news for you: Yes, I'm a girl, and yes, I CAN and WILL kick your butt.

Girls who play sports in society are often looked down upon and are considered to not be as physically capable as boys. In past times, girls were not even allowed to play sports but now that they are allowed to play, girls sports are growing rapidly. So if you're a girl who plays sports and you feel like you're not being respected, stand up for yourself. You ARE strong.

Webster Youth Hockey Girl's Program (where I play):
http://webstergirlshockey.tripod.com/

A Poem I Wrote in Creative Writing Class

Remembering August

The pants travel
from city to city,
continent to continent,
connecting those who have
seen better days, and
who have lived sixteen summers
together
until this one.
I pause and look up
from the page,
connecting the Traveling Pants
to my own life,
reminiscing of past
scalding August afternoons, and
long distance phone calls
to missed companions vacationing
on warm beaches on the
opposite side of the country,
and scorching days sitting
alone,
staring into the sun, waiting
for August to end.

Writing For Publication

I am a student and in a Creative Writing program at my school. For my class entitled Writing for Publication, we have been assigned to start our own blog on this website. I am interested to see where this endeavor will take me in my writing and in my discovery of myself as a person. I hope to learn more about the technology of blogging and to enjoy the process of writing on the Internet. :]