Creating teens' own space

Myspace lives up to its name, providing each of its members with plenty of their own space to express themselves, create an image and easily access a variety of online services such as instant messaging or e-mail.

One of the main attractions is the "comment" feature. This enables people to leave an array of comments for one another about anything from the person's pictures or profile, to their outing together last night.

Misleading features

Unfortunately, this is also the leading cause of the most severe symptom, egoism, as Myspace members can most often be found eagerly awaiting for their next friend request, message or comment, which displays to the world who's mind they are on and how they are viewed.

Myspace also has the tendency to create a false sense of friendship for many add people to their profile as "friends" when they do not even know each other. In fact, when anyone first becomes a member of Myspace, they are automatically placed as friends with Tom, one of the site's creators.

Being that Myspace has over 18.5 million members, this would make Tom one popular guy. Many go so far to believe if he were to run for president, he could nab enough "friend" votes to win. Only time will tell how influential this networking system will be and if it is just a fad.

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High school is becoming a chore. Students find themselves loathing the system and dreading each hour dictated by a bell.

Academic overload

The heightened competition to get into a good college is to blame.

Between Advanced Placement courses, volunteer work, standardized test scores and myriad activities that make each college application look like it took a giant dose of steroids, where will it stop?

We students are only human and we all have breaking points.

Whatever happened to high school being the most enjoyable time of one's adolescence?

A place to find peace

When students aren't struggling with school work or after-school responsibilities such as sports, volunteer work or part-time employment - students are faced with the pressures of college applications and personal issues.

We are humans with emotional needs and - despite all the outside pressure to do otherwise - friendships are still an integral part of high school students' lives.

Without this sanctuary we would all be declared clinically insane. Perhaps we can find solace on Myspace.

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Back-to-school fashion trends come and go quickly so let's hope autumn's trends are no exception.

Somewhere along the road, clothing designers decided it would be a good idea to reproduce trends once worn simply because they were the "anti," simply because they were in direct competition with cookie-cutter manufacturing - hippie style, if it could be called a style then, prided itself on the homespun look and "groovy" subversive outfits inspired by the earth and various ethnic societies.

Now, walk into any chain store to find a multitude of flowery dresses, chiffon skirts and flower-child inspired garments.

Hippie style has now become hippie chic, with everything from a rust-colored tunic for $9.99 to an elegant, boho-inspired evening gown for $365. One can only hope that some of the hippies' political agenda and motivation will rub off on today's youth as easily as their "inspirational" style has.

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Today teens are loaded with various responsibilities creating jam-packed schedules leaving little time to play catch up on current events, let alone unwind.

Besides the sheer difficulty of keeping up with all the ongoing political advancements, most news does not seem to be of any direct importance to teen related issues.

The recent death of U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's retirement leaves two gaping vacancies on the highest court in the land.

As teens, we must realize their replacements will be making vital decisions for the next 40 years and will directly affect our lives. Some of the vital issues are abortion, euthanasia, gay marriage, legalization of marijuana and many more.

We must pay attention.

Teen News is a weekly column written by Marie Franco and Mara Burger. Franco attends Burlingame High School and Burger attends Terra Nova High School in Pacifica. You can contact them at Teennews650@hotmail.com.