Home, school then where?

The lack of third places in modern society leaves a vortex for teens

by Nyla Weathersby opinions writer

“Whyare you always at home?” This is a question that my mother can’t seem to shake. It’s not like I want to be trapped in my room all day unless I’m at school. I also know I am free to go anywhere I may. There are no bars hindering my flight. But where would I even go? Unlike my mother, I don’t have a surplus of places to go. When she was younger she would go to the mall, roller skating and anywhere else she might have found herself. But in today’s society there are a limited number of recreational spaces, these are called third places. The first two places are your home (the first place) and your work (the second place). Third places provide opportunities to meet and socialize, and could be anywhere from a coffee shop to a park.

The importance of third places

The need for third places are heavily overlooked by policymakers, health officials and researchers. After all of our time locked inside of our homes, we all need an out. Third spaces are crucial to combat loneliness, alienation and stress, while also supporting the growth of comradery within the community as well as individual growth. The pandemic only exacerbated the problem, making it harder to ignore. If you’ve talked to a middle schooler or elementary aged child you can clearly tell they missed their time in the sun to properly develop their social skills. A lot of the kids don’t have empathy that they would have obtained in an ordinary childhood. With multiple studies supporting that children are suffering developmentally because of the isolation tactics used to combat COVID-19 and are significantly behind compared to prior children. How do we as a community come together to help them?

How can third place be saved

Social media platforms like Tiktok and Instagram have adopted the role of a digital third place. A digital forum is not the most effective way to form connections. To lessen the necessity of digital forms of third places there needs to be a systemic change to the way we both handle and treat third places. Third places have been sabotaged by low cost meeting spaces being hijacked with higher rent prices, making them harder to sustain. On top of already dysfunctional zoning, the suburbs in particular are at high risk. Considering current zoning laws enable single-use zoning, only allowing one type of use for our purposes housing, which inadvertently intensifies this dire situation. It would be best to remove these laws and allow for multi-use zoning and not separate housing from third places. Making third places all around more accessible to the greatest number of people. Third spaces can level the playing field and provide everyone with great opportunities, but that’s only if we keep them alive.

Gilded Goals

Weighing the pros and cons of goal setting

A

Pros

Goals can be useful motivators. By dangling the taste of success above our heads, we prod ourselves to chase faster, get closer, work harder. We start to crave the taste of success that we know will come with achievement. This desperation can reveal what we are truly capable of, reaching and even exceeding the original goals we set for ourselves.

Additionally, when we give ourselves a clear vision of the desired outcome, it can help reveal the steps we need to take to get there. We become more organized and efficient in our attempts, determining exactly what needs to be done to get us where we want to go. Goals can help us channel our efforts in the right direction, pulling us towards our success even more quickly.

Having a clear idea of our priorities is undeniably crucial if we want to accomplish the things that are important to us.

by SYlvia Hanes copy editor

what are you PROUD OF celebrate?

Students reflect on their proudest accomplishments s students, as athletes, as humans with ambition, we are taught that goals are the best ways to chase our dreams. That without defining our expectations and ambitions, we are incapable of achieving what we want. We are taught that success is a linear path with checkpoints and that failure sends us right back to where we started. However, these strict goals and checklists have their downsides.“An accomplishment I’m proud of is amassing 600 hours of volunteering service. I celebrate my achievements by going out for a meal with my parents or friends.”

CONS

The problem occurs when goals are prioritized above all else, because they can trick us into linking our worth with our success. We start to build our identity around our proficiency and progress towards this lofty ambition, which means that even our own sense of self can revolve around our success in this one area. The Bhagavad Gita, a Hindu scripture, says that people “motivated only by desire for the fruits of action are miserable, for they are constantly anxious about the results of what they do.”

This can be devastating for our self-esteem and mental health when we encounter what we perceive as failure. In reality, failure is beautiful and valuable, and it can be hugely helpful in our journey to our goal. It illuminates areas for improvement, as well as leading us to the next steps forward. Failure and success are not opposites, rather they are intertwined.

Shauna Prasad, 12

“My proudest accomplishments include achieving Eagle Scout rank and becoming a diving state placer. I often go out to eat with family and friends to celebrate.”

David Ciorba, 12

“An accomplishment I’m proud of is starting my own coffee business. I celebrate this accomplishment by working hard for it every day.”

Noah Temple, 10

“One of my favorite achievements was making the volleyball team this year and I celebrated by going to get ice cream.”

Eva Vonallmen, 9