By Kelly Brown

Staff Writer

    It’s seven p.m. on a Friday, and you are in R.J. Reynolds’s new football stadium, The Crater. Everyone has a place in the crowd, and everyone has their own circle, except for you. Putting yourself out there can be intimidating, but missing out on meaningful friendships and experiences could be even worse. Making an effort to interact and connect with your peers opens up a multitude of possibilities for new experiences and connections. 

     With teenagers, a simple interaction can feel like a performance, whether it’s from you or the other person; you are often left wondering if it was a genuine connection. I think we lack connection because we go into interactions with expectations or assumptions of the other person, impacting our interaction.. Additionally, concerns about what people think of you can prevent us entirely from reaching out.  

    In my experience, finding people you can stick with is a necessity, regardless of whether we are alike. I can connect with people different from me because I am not seeking relatability as much as I’m seeking understanding. 

   In a time when everyone is on their phones, it is crucial to step out of your comfort zone and interact with the people around you. Who knows, the person you reach out to could feel just as isolated as you. 

    High school is a time of change: in yourself, the environment, and the people around you. Everyone is trying to grasp some sort of individuality while still trying to fit in with the rest of the crowd. Often, we make assumptions about what the people around us might be thinking. We fear they could be judging our character, our fashion, or even our worth. Being concerned about what others think of us is a common reason for not putting yourself out there. There is a multitude of things that play a part in holding us back from interacting with others, whether it is fear of rejection or feeling uncomfortable with the idea of things not going the way you planned. Yet, what we don’t realize is that everyone else is worried about the same exact thing. 

   We are searching for community, and instead of building it, we wait for it. Teens often form cliques and circles, creating boundaries for forming friendships with others. We should challenge ourselves to reach out to new people and match their efforts. It’s easy to put people unlike you in boxes and hold yourself back from ever interacting with them. Teens often find themselves lacking social skills because they stick with what is comfortable. Everyone may not be for you, but it is crucial to appreciate that some things aren’t meant to be permanent. You can think of some failed connections as a lesson in what you stand for and in recognizing your boundaries. Taking others’ feelings and situations into perspective can help you form a connection with them simply by acknowledging what they are going through.

    Despite these groups, people must look outside of the boxes they put themselves and others into. If they ditch these imaginary restrictions, then they will have the chance to create more meaningful relationships and escape social isolation entirely.