Ben Jones - 14, Australia
Ben lives in Australia but has travelled to Mongolia and other foreign places. He considers himself a "nerd" and talks about fitting in, school pressure and other daily concerns of teenagers.
As a teen, what’s important to you? What stresses you out?
As a teen, the things that stress me the most are…succeeding, being me, making friends, girls, and work.
What kind of things do you like doing in your free time? What do you consider interesting?
I do lots of stuff in my free time. I walk, cycle, paint, listen to music, chat with mates. I do a lot of stuff... things that I think are important are succeeding, engineering, science, and of course, friends and girls.
How have your relationships with other people your age changed as you became a teenager?
I have a lot more friends, but I have fewer good friends. Relationships don’t really become more superficial, things start to blur between the greys. Peer pressure has not affected me at all, I am a nerd – we don’t give in to peer pressure.
I haven’t been in contact with anyone I knew as a kid, but the one person with who I have has become mean and dumb…I see teenagers as the new generation and we are the one who will make the future. So to tell you the truth, I am rather disappointed. There are a few people who will make the world a better place, but most are just not quite mature enough.
Do you think more about your future? Does it scare you?
I am really thinking about my future and I enjoy it.. it is a daunting task, but with the right preparation and organisation, I think I will succeed. I want to get into uni.
What’s different about being a teenager in Mongolia compared to a teenager in Australia? Which one do you like best?
There are more teens here that I can interact with. But the people I knew in Mongolia were some of the nicest I have ever met. Both countries had their bad sides, but it’s best to view the good ones. And I prefer Australia. Just cause I like pie.
Any last thoughts on adolescence?
I hate hormones... those stupid things that buzz around in my head.
Jones, Ben. Personal interview. 09 November 2009.
Snowy day out in Mongolia. 2009. Facebook. 10 Nov 2009 <"http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/photo.php?pid=30803518&id=1198786319">
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