What are the parents of those teenagers in the picture galleries thinking? There seemed to be very young people getting wasted very often. I am just curious about this. Is it only in Prince Rupert? Another question is why? I don’t want to preach, I just want to understand why young people feel the need to get pissed and do all the other things that come after. I am an adult and yes I do drink occasionnally. But the drinking I do, even if it is excessive sometimes, isn’t the focus of the social occasion. It seems to me that the drinking in the picture is the main focus of the gatherings. In other words, are these young people together just for the drinking?
I hope some teenagers will reply to this in a mature way. My intent isn’t to criticize, just to understand. As a parent of younger kids, I am a bit worry about the future so I want to be a bit prepared.
as a rupert teen who drinks very rarely (mabye 5 times in my entire life, not joking, im finishing G12) i have many friends who get wasted twice a week, ie both weekend nights, or more if possible. i don’t think its that they don’t know what it does to them, but at this point in their life they could care less. i think the problem is more in getting teens to relate to the rest of their life, its really hard for most people to really think beyond their teenage years, i mean people do think about it but it is to surreal to really allow them to relate too. drugs can also be put in the same catagory really. i remember discussing with my friends about how much they spend on alchohol/drugs a week, it was something near $40. thats $2080 a year, not including “special” occasions such as birthdays, new years, may long, etc when even more is spent. these are the same people who always complain they have no money, but back to the main topic. I really can’t say how to stop teen drinking, the best thing iv seen as a parent is to really discuss it with your kids an whatever you do don’t let them drink at home or give them alchohol, this totally says that its okay. i mean as i said at the beggining i have on occasion had something to drink, but i didn’t find it the most interesting thing, i haven’t made it an integral part of my life. The real danger of drinking is the people who do it regularly, i think their is in someways their is a lack of education about alchohol in school, this is a bit off topic but i really don’t think that it is the schools responsibility to educate people about everything in life parents have a job as the primary educator, anyways, it is possible to avoid alchohol, mostly, or completely allthough i know very few people who never drink, most teens who drink seem to drink regularly, well i guess thats my rant
I’m going to posit that the parent posters observations and concerns are pretty valid, but you have to be objective about how much of the time the camera is actually out…
It’s basically ngillis’s gallery that’s filled with drunk teenagers, which probably is a reflection of her more than a reflection of teenagers in general. But there’s hope – no alcohol in sight on her latest gallery. But is this how she wants the world to remember her? Her life is just a drunk after another? Or worse, it’s just her taking pictures of one drunk party after another?
If you look at the other galleries on there, you won’t see nearly as much. Take Tin’s gallery for example – a big load of pictures, and none of them of drunk teens. Just teenagerss having fun.
I think kids are pretty smart, but there are those of us who aren’t smart. Don’t lump us all together.
Most teenagers are going to drink. Especially since Prince Rupert is such a small town. Everyone parties together so there are older kids who will buy alcohol for the younger ones. As long as the kids aren’t out snorting cocaine or shooting heroine, I think they are doing fine. In highschool most of my friends drank and partied and were smart enough to not let it turn into a problem. Everyone went on with their lives (still have the occasional party session) and are on their way to becoming pharmacists, chiropractors, engineers, doctors etc. As far as I’m concerned you can’t be over protective otherwise your kids will rebel and become worse. These kids aren’t as stupid as you think they are. They’re just out trying to have a good time.
There are other ways to have a good time other than going out and drinking multiple times a week.
On a related note, has anyone been downtown after 11pm since school has been over? There are kids as young as grade 8 hanging around downtown until the wee hours of the night. For some of them, this has been a usual weekend, and sometimes weekday occurance throughout the year, but now that school is over, the crowds have tripled or even quadrupled.
So it could be a Prince Rupert thing. Unless the difference is the teens in Edmonton are a bit more shy about showing pictures of their parties. But even that could say something about the way both communities differ in the tolerance/acceptance of teen drinking. I would like to see a comparison between other northern communities.
To answer Dave, it is obvious that talking to your kids is a good thing but I don’t think it works as well as people think. I mean, we are talking the teenage years here where communication itself is difficult between the parents and the kids. So how likely is it to have a parent and a teen having an open and honest discussion about the effect of drinking and have the teen leaving the discussion totally convinced by the parent? Might work in a Disney movie but in real life?
And Eso, I am not publicly judging people (even if, honestly, in my mind I am). I am sorry if you understood that from the message. My intent here is to have that open and honest discussion with other people in an anonymous way. Maybe someone will post something that will change my judgement.
I realize that my opening question could be seen as a judgement but it isn’t. It is a genuine question. Are the parents thinking that it is too difficult to raise a teenager? If so what are the reasons?
Thank you to all posters so far.
There are other ways to have a good time other than going out and drinking multiple times a week.
On a related note, has anyone been downtown after 11pm since school has been over? There are kids as young as grade 8 hanging around downtown until the wee hours of the night. For some of them, this has been a usual weekend, and sometimes weekday occurance throughout the year, but now that school is over, the crowds have tripled or even quadrupled.[/quote]
It’s not like these kids are out getting ridiculously smashed every weekend. Hopefully they have some sort of curfew, but I guess from your observations they don’t. Thats sad on the parents part.
[quote=“Anonymous”]It’s basically ngillis’s gallery that’s filled with drunk teenagers, which probably is a reflection of her more than a reflection of teenagers in general. But there’s hope – no alcohol in sight on her latest gallery. But is this how she wants the world to remember her? Her life is just a drunk after another? Or worse, it’s just her taking pictures of one drunk party after another?
[/quote]
You can think whatever you want about me, I know that alcohol isn’t the number one thing in my life, but if you want to think that you can go right ahead and do so. I take pictures of my friends when we’re out at parties. I’m not taking pictures to show people that we drink, I’m taking pictures so we have something to look back upon. Just because we’re holding a beer or whatever doesn’t mean that we are getting absolutly wasted.
yeah and when you’re older it’s WAY less embarassing than having your kids find old party pics of you and yer friends with a nine foot hookah or rolled up bills sticking out of yer nose.
Drinking is a rite of passage for young people as they grow up. Some do it, some don’t. Some of those who do, choose to do it to excess. Some don’t. It’s been this way for generation upon generation.
There certainly isn’t any more or less of it happening here then in any other average community.
The best a parent can do is to talk to thier kids about drinking and teach them to make informed and responsible decisions. That, and support their kids through the decisions once they make them. Even if the parent doesn’t agree.
Alright… well I used to be a VERY heavy drinker/pot smoker etc. this wasnt too long ago. Anyways drinking/partying in your teenage years can actually be a good thing I am currently in college and there are many people going through that phase of their life during their college years and fucking themselves up royally and flunking out.
where as i went through this while i was in highschool sure my grades suffered etc. but now that i am in college i maintain an 80% average while others party and flunk out. Everyone goes through a partying/drinking phase eventually better to get it out of your system before it can really fuck up your life.
As for why they do it i know for me there was 2 major things 1 was there was nothing else for youth to do that didnt cost money or would last as long as a night of social drinking.
If there were more free/cheap interesting things to do ie. not go play pool (which gets old) or go swimming or to the movies, There simply there isnt enough to do and there is no resource in which teens can use to find things to do.
The second reason I was always partying and drinking or doing drugs was to meet people. Social interaction is pretty much the only useful thing you learn in highschool.
So it is important for teens to get out and enjoy their lives while they have no responsibilities. For those of you against teen drinking i will ask this… would you rather your kid pissed their highschool years away drinking and doing drugs, barely making it through then going on to college to become succesful? or would your rather them wait until they hit college leave home and experience their new freedom and piss away their much more important college years?
Drinking and drugs can become a problem and parents have to watch out for that. Thats what it all comes down to is the parents if your kids out having a good time on their weekends and partying let them but dont let it become a problem.
For me it became somewhat of a problem i found myself slowly being surrounded by more and more hardcore drugs etc. ie people trying to push me into doing coke etc. which is what woke me up and made me snap out of it. Unfortunatly it is not the same for many others, many of my good friends are now totally fucked up because it just didnt click with them for some reason. It is a parents job to teach their kids when they are in a situation to stop and think “whoa these guys are doing fucking cocaine what the hell am i doing here” sorry about it being long winded thats just my 2 cents