Teen Talk: Staples of Popular Culture That Should Disappear ASAP

March 14, 2014 Adam Stone

By Andrea Reino

Now that a year has come and gone and we’ve had some time to reflect, let’s revisit some of the trends from 2013 that should really cease to exist by the end of 2014.

1. YOLO. As an acronym for “you only live once,” YOLO was first used by rapper Mac Dre, but was popularized by Drake. It implies that one should take risks and enjoy life. However, teenagers today take YOLO to be an explanation for doing anything dumb. I overheard someone say, “I’m going to spit over this ledge. YOLO!” I’m not saying taking risks is a bad thing; I’m just saying people should start coming up with a better excuse than “YOLO.”

2. Hashtag. Really just the name for the number sign (#), the hashtag was overused by the teen population in 2013. Hashtags are commonly used on social networking sites (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, etc.) to tag keywords or topics and make the post easier to find. Facebook says, “Hashtags turn topics and phrases into clickable links in your posts on your personal Timeline or Page.” They seem pretty useful, don’t they? Well, they are…until teens step over the line and start hashtagging random topics (specifically #YOLO).

3. ILY. This is the acronym for “I love you,” because nothing sounds more sincere than “ih-lee,” right? Nine out of ten Instagram posts will have “ILY” in the comments. Surprisingly, ILY actually comes from the informal sign for “I love you” in American Sign Language, but it was moved into the mainstream when teens saw it’s potential. I think this abbreviation should be erased from our slang vocabulary list by the end of 2014, seeing as “ih-lee” is highly irritating and completely insincere.

4. OMG. The acronym for “oh my God” was not introduced in 2013, but it was definitely overused. Some people use it as an abbreviation for “oh my gosh,” and my pediatrician, Dr. Pete, uses it as an acronym for “old man glasses.” Either way, OMG turned into a cliché in 2013, even though its use was simply to save time instead of writing every word out. All these acronyms prove that teenagers are getting lazy. Although abbreviating helps you in the moment, in the long run it actually instills bad habits when you find yourself writing a paper pockmarked with acronyms.

5. Twerking. This is a type of dance that is meant to be sexually provocative. Wikipedia says twerking involves “thrusting hip movements and a low squatting stance.” Twerking was popularized mainly by Miley Cyrus at the MTV VMAs, and has since then become a world phenomenon. After the VMAs, people starting posting videos and photos of themselves twerking online. Now, you can find everything from How To’s to Twerking Fails. Personally, I think people need to get back into hobbies or go for a run or something; anything but twerking!

6. Disdain for Miley Cyrus. It’s almost a crime to mention twerking and not say anything about Miley Cyrus. Desperate to be known as anything other than “Hannah Montana, the pop star engaged in a provocative performance with Robin Thicke at the 2013 MTV VMAs. Although the media seems to love criticizing Miley for her recent behavior, I think the disapproving scribes should back off. For most of her life, Miley Cyrus was known as Hannah Montana, a good girl. Who are we to criticize the fact that she wanted to change? All she’s doing is what makes her happy. Miley Cyrus is very brave to be showing her true colors, even though she knows the media tracks her every move.

The trends listed above are some of the major ones from 2013; however, they were not the only ones. None of them are truly horrible, but we should all keep in mind that, like food, the trends above should be used safely and in moderation.

Andrea Reino is a sophomore at Fox Lane High School and enjoys writing, reading, traveling and meeting new people. She believes natural beauty can be found in everything, embraces diversity and likes to run, serve her community and spend time with her family.

Adam Stone

Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.