Don't Get Trashy, Get Classy

After a highly anticipated and much-needed weekend, the hallways at any given school are filled with stories about the 'crazy weekend' that has come and gone. "Dude, I got so high, and ran from the cops! It was awesome!" is one thing you may hear, or "Wow, I was so drunk! I don't even remember what happened, but I sure did have a good time!" Maybe you'll even hear something like, "Oh my gosh, we hooked up Saturday night, and it was amazing." Or maybe you're not even hearing about it at school, but instead your newsfeed on Facebook or Twitter gets clogged like a toilet with pointless status' (crap) bragging about how "tight" the past weekend was. Either way, your mind is filled with pointless garbage that you could care less about.

I myself have had my ears and eyes poisoned with people's annoying, pointless, and trashy bragging.

While there are some that disagree with many people's choices, it is usually understood that everybody has the right to do what they please. Some may smoke, drink or sleep around because of emotional pain, for the 'fun' of it, or because they want to fit in. Whatever the reason, each person in this world is entitled to his/her own right to make decisions for his/herself. Though individuals have the choice of what activities they participate in, inncoent eyes and ears don't always have the the choice of whether or not they must be bombarded with the tales of the racy exploits people expose themselves to.

Yes, on Facebook you can block someone's posts, or delete them as friends, but why should that even have to be an option? And in school, it's not as easy to escape the storm of weekend tales. If people just kept their personal lives to themselves, or only revealed certain aspects of life to the people that care, there wouldn't be an issue. What makes people think that it's okay to 'brag' about their lives anyway?

As a result of a person bragging about their exploits, the person is degraded and gains a negative reputation (such as being trashy). Ask yourself this, would you enjoy being known as a pothead, whore, or alcholic? Would anyone? By bragging about racy escapades, a person is putting a bad label on not only themselves, but also the teenage generation (that already has a negative label). Some argue that they don't care what people say about them or how they're labeled, but why then, are these same people stooping to the levels of bragging about the racy and controversial activities they partake in? It all seems quite hypocritical. Plus, some may say that they don't care what other people think, but there are many braggers who believe what they do will make them 'fit in'.

"But I want to seem cool! This will make me fit in!" is what's often argued. No, no. Stories about a 'crazy' lifestyle aren't cool...they're trashy. Getting arrested for smoking an illegal substance? Oh yeah, that's really cool. Not remembering what the heck happened last night? Yeah, sounds like a blast! Contracting an STD or getting pregnant? Well, many people can attest to just how fun that really is. On top of that, most people think bragging makes a person less cool. Individuals are usually doing the things they do because it's what they enjoy and what they want, not because they desire to be 'cool'. Therefore, when someone brags about the 'crazy' things they've done they're usually viewed as annoying--quite the opposite of 'cool', and the people who don't participate in the activities that the person brags about often view the bragger as not only annoying, but also trashy--is that what they want their lives to be?

"It's my life, so I can do what I want!" is the most popular argument. Yes, it is your life, so please, do us all a favor and keep it to yourself. Hearing about how high someone was, how crazy they acted at a party, or how many guys someone has had sex with isn't entertaining--it's unnecessary and annoying. Do people want to hear about how sober I was over the weekend and how great it was? I don't think so. In the same sense, people don't want to hear about the crazy, alcohol, sex, and drug-filled weekend that someone experienced. Do what you want with your life, but keep the details locked up in your closet that you call life because honestly, nobody cares.

With that said, I realize that it's the American way and right for citizens to have the freedom of what activities he or she chooses to participate in, but it doesn't mean that certain activities need to be publicized. Let's face it, outting yourself as a participant in one of these three activities (or other similar ones) doesn't make you look cool, nor does it make people like you anymore. For the individuals that are constantly hearing these pointless stories, next time it happens, open your mouth and tell the people to shut up. Enough is enough, and the cycle of bragging is never going to end if people aren't made aware of the social 'crime' they're committing. To the people who feel the need to expose themselves, let it be understood that your 'enemies' know that you may do what you please, but for the sake of the annoyed, and for the sake of yourself, keep the stories private...the entire world doesn't need to know what exploits you've exposed yourself to. Stay classy.