Does the eighteenth birthday herald a sudden change in our thinking to make us ‘ADULTS’?

There are discrete stages in the life cycles of organisms and it is truly fascinating to study in detail the changes that we go through as we adapt to the various challenges life throws at us. While I was thinking about this article, I looked back through my teen years. The struggles, the arguments, the fun, the enthusiasm, the joys and the pains just flashed through my mind faster than I’m typing this. And it all boiled down to the one fact: every single experience that I went through made me the person I am today. For example, convincing my parents to send me to church camp after school, taught me how to sell an idea and how to stay firm till I convinced the other person. Secret crushes and the inevitable heartbreak when I found they were dating someone, taught me how to be careful about what I feel for people. Fun times with friends taught me how important it was to take breaks and just enjoy life. And finally when I started typing this out, I realised that the change, the transition, the metamorphosis of a teen into an adult is really a complex and a dynamic process.

As teens we have a very different outlook and certainly very different responsibilities. “What responsibility?” you hear some parents say. But I know that as a teen I took my responsibilities seriously. So, for example, planning a friend’s eighteenth birthday party became a huge event and a lot of details would need to be worked out before the whole thing fell into place. But for our parents, who were dealing with really complex issues like financial worries, family strain or even health issues, our parties seemed like a silly deal. And the effort we threw into it also seemed equally silly to them. To top it all, we would get the dreaded ‘Once you have your own family, you’ll understand’ talk. That got me thinking. Does the eighteenth birthday herald a sudden change in our thinking to make us ‘ADULTS’?

Sadly, as you will come to realize there is no abrupt transformation into adulthood. As teens, we already have our character traits which are gradually getting crystallized into our core personality. Over time we learn to trim aspects of our behaviour which do not prove helpful. For example, Kristy was always particular about being on time. But since she joined her new workplace, she realised that she was always the first one in and by default would be the one doing most of the work. Gradually, she herself decided to disregard punctuality and this behaviour became part of her routine even outside of work. Or say, Brian was always a last minute study kind of a guy, but once he joined engineering college, with the threat of KT’s and project submission deadlines, he started finishing off his work regularly so as to avoid a big pile at the end of the semester.

What I’m trying to convey here is simple. There is no shortcut to adulthood.

Read the full article by subscribing to the print magazine or the digital edition.

The post The Adultamorphosis appeared first on The Teenager Today.

When I saw Isla Fisher’s portrayal of a hopelessly out-of-control shopaholic in the 2009 movie Confessions Of A Shopaholic, I was like, “Seriously???? Come on! No one’s that dumb!” But that was before the advent of the wondrous world of e-shopping. At that time I was just out of college, so even regular shopping trips involved saving up for a couple of months and shopping online was most definitely not an option. But since then, with the launch of several websites solely catering to the tech-savvy populace, the advent of smartphones and high-speed internet connections and the variety of payment options offered, shopping has not remained a necessary task but has transformed into a worldwide pastime. So whether it’s that new skirt you’ve been eyeing or the bag you need for your laptop, all you have to do is pick up the phone or tablet, find what you like and click, click, click, your shipment is on its way and you need not pay a rupee till you get it at your doorstep.

Don’t get me wrong. I think some aspects of online shopping are way cooler than the actual physical activity. For example, some websites actually have amazing deals on products and the biggest advantage you have as a buyer is you can comfortably browse through various options till you find the one you like best. You can compare competitor prices, check for bargains and discount coupons and get the best possible deal for yourself. Many of the online stores are able to offer these attractive discounts because they do not need to spend any money on the actual store. So, if you walk into say a Forever21 at your nearest mall, imagine the owner has to spend for the rentals, the electricity, the display and the staff of the store even before he manages to sell one tiny item.All of this is factored into the costing of the products on their shelves. Online stores however do not have any such requirements. So they can offer good prices. Then again, there is the convenience of getting things delivered home without moving an inch. These stores are open 24×7 and usually have prompt return and replace policies. Also, some offer an option of an online shopping assistant on a live chat feed to help you make a decision.

With all this happening on the online shopping front, is it surprising that so many of us now find it difficult to control ourselves. How many times have you impulsively bought something, thinking “I really, really need this right now!” and then kept it in your cupboard for months together before finally getting it out? How many times have you clicked on the ‘add to shopping cart’ button only to find yourself cringing when the order finally arrives on your doorstep?

Read the full article by subscribing to the print magazine or the digital edition.

The post Are you an online shopaholic? appeared first on The Teenager Today.