Stereotypes

      Due to my expiriences the past few years I have seen the world in a new way.  After being back at school I realized something I feel strongly against. 

Our society revolves around stereotypes.

I see this as something that negatively affects our self esteem. We are classified into a certain group and believed to act and look like everyone else in that group. Maybe we know that we don't act like the group we look like, but thanks to what our generation has been taught,we conform to act like something we are not. 

       I have seen prime examples of my new belief everywhere. My sisters "be smart against drugs" day is called "Nerd day" people automatically think the word "nerd" when we hear "smart." But is every smart person the cliche knee socks, big glasses, and suspenders geek? No. A group of 20 kids in my school agreed that someone who self harms is emo. Am I the all black wearing and side bang punk girl? No. Is the boy who comes in late to school everyday and  like he doesn't care a druggie? No. We are put into stereotypes based off multiple categories: How we dress, where we live, our report card, music we listen to, sports we play, the friends we have, your mental disorders, your size, and so many more. But do any of those things decide who we are? No.   People stereotype one another without knowing our background and why we dress, act, or listen to this or that. We cant change how every person in our society acts and thinks, but we can change ourselves. So next time you get a new partner in class dont place them into a clique they look like. Accept them, learn about them, because they may be someone completley different than you expected.