Roaming the halls of a high school, students feel negativity fill the air and sit here wondering if it has always been this way. According to some students and teachers, positivity has been declining in teens especially when it comes to school.
“ I think my peers are more negative than positive because lots of kids don’t care what happens,” Haley Haminton, sophomore, said.
Haminton says the students don’t care about school or if they receive good grades or not. However, it depends on the type of person someone is. Some students believe there’s a lack of positivity inside and out of schools.
“I believe our peers are more negative not only about school, but about everything. It always seems to be a battle of who’s failing which classes or who’s more depressed,” John Holman, senior, said.
Holman says people have fixed mindsets where if something detrimental happens and stress arises, students drop everything and give up, saying there’s no point. Some students also are aware of the negativity and try to keep their positivity flowing.
“Whenever I think of something negative, I try to stop myself and think of all the good outcomes and good things I have in my life so I can appreciate them more,” Mia Pustz, junior, said.
Pustz says she tries to look to the brighter side of things but that doesn’t mean all the negativity is gone. Even though some students see more negativity, some see it as an even balance between the two.
“I feel like a lot of people in school are very neutral; like any little thing can change their mood to be very positive or very negative at the same time,” Laura Loredo, junior, said.
Loredo says she always tries to be a natural positive, no matter where she is. She likes to have a positive mindset because students have so many opportunities that they start to become seen as privileges, so she tries to avoid that. People say there are coping mechanisms to being more positive.
“I try to offer incentives [for students] such as treats, costumes, going to the park, mediation, etc.,” Bridget Taylor, dance instructor, said.
Taylor says she thinks having interaction is important but is difficult and doesn’t always work. Some other teachers use different ways to stay positive, but it always helps them get through the day.
“I tend to look for the flip side of everything. I believe the greatest lessons I’ve learned were from my mistakes,” Nicole Walker, physics teacher, said.
Walker says if students don’t make several mistakes throughout the day, they aren’t going to grow because they need to take more risks to step out of their fixed mindset.
“A lack of positivity will affect future generations,” Walker said.