Our teens today have evolved from what they used to be ten or twenty years ago. What defines our teens today is our trendy fashions, social networks and advanced technology, and how exposed we are to diversity and different cultures.

If you were to go to a public school today the very first thing you’d point out is the trendiness of the Jordans being worn by students. Jordans have been around for decades, and are still booming in the footwear game. However, nowadays both teen females and males prefer to wear tighter clothing rather than baggy. Females prefer tighter jeans that are low rise and will show their figure off better than baggier or slacker jeans. Males today prefer a tighter shirt because it shapes out their bodies more than the big T’s that used to be worn in the 90’s and early 2000’s. The most commonly shopped stores for teens today are Abercrombie, Hollister, Foot locker, H&M, and American Eagle. Aeropostale used to be a common choice, but teens now seem to feel as if it isn’t what it used to be.

Twenty years ago, who would have thought that social networks and advanced technology today would have been such a big success? Most technologies and social networks are used more by teens than any other age group. The most popular social network used by teens is Twitter. Its 140 character posts tell followers what’s on a user’s mind, and retweets share thoughtful ideas and disagreements.

Another popular social network that’s growing rapidly , even in foreign countries, is Snapchat. Snapchat lets users take a “Flicks” and ten second videos that can be shared with all followers, or a particular follower the user chooses to send it to. The idea of Snapchat has made it easier to communicate with close friends just to capture moments they don’t want others to miss.

Lastly, the one social network that has been around for years that still is growing worldwide is Facebook. Facebook’s objectives include staying connected with family and friends, sharing photos, posting statuses, and keeping us aware of things in our proximity- or even out of our area.  Facebook and Twitter relate to one another, as the main reason why teens use social networks today is to stay communicated and connected with one another- even though it can be a big distraction to us.

In this generation, teens are more integrated than any other generation has been. Teens nowadays have been exposed to other cultures, which have taught us more than the same thing traditional things we see in everyday life. Eating different foods and learning what makes the food taste so wonderful can be very fascinating, and even beneficial to our diets; different styles can also be fascinating because they can inspire ideas and to be more creative.

Some people from the older generations may look at us teens as being  too vulgar or not good role models for future generations, but they don’t take the time to see the things we’re capable of and our creativity. We’re a unique type of generation; we’ve been introduced to more things than any other. And that’s what defines teens today.