Violating A Social Norm

Being deviant can either be positive or negative. One movie that relates to this concept I feel is Pay It Forward. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwHcS-XoYbc The main boy in the movie has an assignment in class to change something that he doesn't like. I feel this strongly relates to how we just got assigned to performing a positive norm. Something that isn't something we would normally do. In the movie, the main character decides to do extreme acts of kindness that would completely go against the norm. He is clearly demonstrating things that aren't seen around his neighborhood. For instance, he decides to let a homeless sleep in his home because the man has nowhere to go. The only different idea is that once he does something good for one person, that person must pay it forward- continuing the tradition that the young boy started. By being deviant, people may strike you as different ( like the man who had dinner with the man who attempted to attack him). But, I find it rewarding to violate something you normally wouldn't do. From now on, I will work harder to violate norms in a positive way like the boy did in the movie. Because it pays to pay it forward.

Growing Up

Recently we learned what society considers to be the appropriate age that you are independent. It's a scary thought to think that at the age I am right now, 18- there are so many rights I have. I believe that the age of 27 is truly the age where you become independent. That is because once you know how to have a handle on a real job, pay for a house, car, and children-- then your classified as independent. But, at the age I am right now I also feel that I can take on a lesser role of being independent. Because, next year I will be in college- where there will be less dependency for my parents. Yet, I still don't have the availability to completely support myself on my own. There are certain milestones in your life, that once you pass allows you the freedom to do more things. By turning 18 I have the right to vote, and legally buy cigarettes. Although those are minor right of passages in my lifetime, I look forward to seeing what other milestones come my way, and how I will become more independent as I grow up.

Dealing With The Media

At a young age, girls tend to turn to magazines to inspire them on how their look should be. But what is not realized is the overwhelming amount of celebrities and young women who are put into these magazines, yet they are completely airbrushed to look a certain way. Girls who are unhappy with their self-image learn from such magazines such as Seventeen and Cosmopolitan that they should be super skinny. But at our age right now, we already have learned that that is not what the ideal body should be like, and on order to have a healthy state of mind- all we have to do is eat healthy and exercise. What I believe to be the main concern for girls and their body image, is the encounter with people at school. I find that when you see girls walk through the halls, there is a factor of jealousy/judgement about what they look like. You'll hear about what someone wore to school, and judge it and base it according to if you like it. Instead of girls comparing themselves to images in a magazine, which is mainly done in your preteen years- girls at the high school age tend to focus more on who is surrounding them. There are so many types of body images at our school, but that is what makes each person unique.