Have you ever noticed that teenagers don’t seem to do anything except be on their phones, or sit in their rooms after school? Do you ever wonder why that is? It may have something to do with the lack of out of school activities for teenagers to participate in. Yes there are things like Putt n Play, Skipps Bowling, and going on hikes, but is there something more these teenagers and young adults need?
When it comes to teenagers and activities they are looking for something to do with groups of people and they are also looking for a thrill aspect otherwise things can get boring. Yes technology could be a cause but ever since Covid-19 almost everything has been online. From the graduating classes of 2020-2026 all of these teenagers and young adults may have missed out on the essential communication points in their youth which in the long run will make it difficult for them to express emotions and use social skills. With Covid-19 many businesses closed making it increasingly more difficult to find things to do. In this time period most adults, teenagers, and even kids resorted to scrolling on social media. But now that Covid is predictably over, why are teenagers and young adults not doing anything anymore?
It may have something to do with the lack of activities for teenagers to participate in Stevens Point. People need a sense of community, this can be seen in sports and group activities such as youth groups, or other activities. As stated in the article We Climb Better When We Climb Together; “Many locals who work at Rox start in their teens, . . . RoxFesters explain how climbing together helps them solve problems and overcome obstacles.” (Lawrence) This shows that building that community is essential for teenagers for their future careers and experiences. By helping them solve problems and overcome obstacles this will enhance their life skills and social skills that they’ve missed out on.
After conducting a couple interviews two different people when asked why they think teenagers don’t go out anymore they each stated many potential reasons teenagers don’t go out much anymore Mr Jarosh, a high school English teacher at SPASH had stated that cell phones and anxiety are the two main reasons along with as we were young we were told that the world is a scary and dangerous place causing kids and teenagers not to want to be out in the world. Differently a student had stated that the main reason was because teenagers are seen as a threat and that it is “ no longer socially acceptable to play anymore.” As a result teenagers and young adults sit inside so that they do not feel the pressure of societal norms on their backs. On top of that most teenagers also have jobs, school, and sometimes even have to watch over their younger siblings and or pets.
In their free time some teenagers can’t seem to find anything to do whether it be in groups of people or on their own. Mr. Jarosh had brought up a multitude of ideas that could take place in Stevens Point including; A climbing gym, Arcade, Trampoline park, or a “coffee shop hangout type deal.” A student also stated that a community event, focusing on teens and young adults almost like the Issac Walton league crawfish boil which involves the community and its fun for kids would be something people may participate in. The student also brought up a McDonalds play place but specifically for teens. All of these are great thoughts however what if teenagers find it boring or ‘kiddish’? Mr Jarosh stated that boredom breeds creativity and that teenagers should try not to go right to their phones when bored. Instead try to step out of your comfort zone, try new and exciting things or even build a fort if you’re bored, “ do the fun things”.
A community is a key component in every environment but what is a community, and how do you form one? A community can range anywhere from an entire state or country, to a local business, or school. A community consists of unity, trust, and obviously people, which can be formed from simply joining a class or an extra curricular. Outside of school or work a community can be the people who you surround yourself with such as family and friends with common interests. Yes there are online communities but it does not give you the qualities of in person communities. Online communities are less trustworthy because of the possibility of indecent exposure, catfishing, scams, and hacking. When you’re in person most of those things go away however new issues could arise such as peer pressure or exclusion.
Compared to Wisconsin Rapids and Wausau, Stevens Point is lacking things to do, we have no waterparks, trampoline parks, or even many activities in general. Wisconsin Rapids has a multitude of things to do such as waterparks, trampoline parks, a zoo, and even a museum. Stevens Point has One movie theater which takes at least 5 minutes to drive to from SPASH not including traffic, Putt N’ Play which is a mini golf course in which after playing through once or twice it begins to become boring. We have a bowling alley which can also get boring when you go there constantly. Some people may point out the trails that we have here in Stevens Point, however during the winter months most people will not want to be walking or hiking out in the snowy, slushy weather.
Keeping these things in mind, Stevens Point is lacking things for teenagers to do, and we need to do something about it. So rather than claiming your teenager is constantly on their phone or in their room try to see it from their perspective; there is not a lot to do in Stevens Point. Yes there are a few things to do but they can get boring very quickly. When it comes to teenagers what comes to mind? Someone ‘doom scrolling’ on social media? Or a teenager who is faced with societal norms from which to follow? Although there is no current act to help with the lack of things to do, maybe try doing something like building a fort or something you normally don’t do, step out of your comfort zone for a change. Or maybe even come up with some future ideas to enhance the activities in Stevens Point.