Ate, Pragathay Krishnan

keyword of Asexuality will help us understand the experiences of young people and benefit youth’s development and health because it will validate an underrepresented identity. Who knows, perhaps in the same way that there are suddenly more people identifying with being LGBTQ+ (of which Asexuality is a member of, hence the plus sign), more adults in future will feel comfortable with identifying themselves as Graysexual, Asexual, etc. There is actually a stigma around men who identify as being Ace (short term for Asexual), in that some sexists deem these men as being inherintly less masculine. This is of course untrue. It is for these reasons, among many others, that I believe Asexuality needs more representation, and have thus chosen it as my keyword.

Works Cited

The gray area, sex and related discussions. Asexual Visibility and Education Network. (n.d.). Retrieved November 1, 2022, from https://www.asexuality.org/en/forum/72-the-gray-area-sexand-related-discussions/ Non-academic source (website for the Asexual community)

Copulsky, D., & Hammack, P. L. (2021, December 17). Asexuality, Graysexuality, and demisexuality: Distinctions in desire, behavior, and identity. Asexuality, Graysexuality, and Demisexuality: Distinctions in Desire, Behavior, and Identity. Retrieved November 2, 2022, from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00224499.2021.2012113 Academic source (published article from The Journal of Sex Research)

Ate

Pragathay Krishnan

Link to video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NkafRMeUDs1V5NTTQwQ8SN77Rso9bokC/view?usp=share_ link

Bangtan Sonyeondan/ Beyond the Scene (BTS) Aaliyah Balkaran

BTS is a South Korean boy band that debuted on June 13, 2013. The group consists of seven members, RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook. The meaning behind the group’s name Bangtan Sonyeondan literally translates to “Bulletproof Boy Scouts”, but it signifies “to block out stereotypes, criticism, and expectations that aim at adolescents like bullets” (J-Hope). In 2017 they broke into the international scene and rebranded as Beyond the Scene to represent growth from adolescents to now “adults opening the doors that are facing to go forward” (RM). BTS is a group that represents to the fans that everyone should be accepted regardless of societal barriers. BTS is important to the study of adolescents and health because the group aims to promote the struggles of youths, whether that be through personal life, school life, or figuring out who they are as individuals. They focus on representing youths through their music as a way to communicate with their fans on a personal level and convey a positive message. Their fans are called ARMY which stands for Adorable Representative MC for Youths. They give their fans a voice, which many youths are afraid to have, they speak their mind for those who cannot. They are sincere in their music to their fans appreciating them and giving them an outlet to turn to when they feel the world is against them. BTS helps us understand the experience of young people because those that listen to their music have similar situations of understanding what it means to stand out. BTS’ music covers topics such as mental health, they share their own experiences with their fans. They normalize and destigmatize society's outlook on mental health, showing the fans that nothing is wrong with them even if they struggle with it. We can understand the young people that listen to BTS through the music that it portrayed, and through the messages that resonate with them. BTS has strived to be the connecting point for youth and their struggles, helping them to cope with accepting themselves and their differences. BTS relates to youth’s health and well-being through the messages that they present to their fans, to love yourself and be yourself no matter what may set you apart from others. No one is the same, everyone is unique in their own way and their music reflects that in a positive manner. Although BTS is a boy band they are a group of individuals that listen to the worries, struggles, and hardships of youths, giving them a welcoming environment to go to when they have no one or nowhere to go. They have created music for healing, identity, and well-being that connects

fans to themselves on a deeper and personal degree. ARMY (fans) can better understand who they are as an individual through the music that represents them. BTS speak for many youths that have no way to express how they feel, they give them a medium that is the fans, where they can appreciate all that life has given them and accept themselves.

Sources: Blady. (2021). BTS from “N.O” to “ON” and BEyond: Innovation in Effective Mental Health Messaging and Modelling. ASIA MARKETING JOURNAL, 22(4), 117–149. https://doi.org/10.15830/amj.2020.22.4.117 BTS. (2018, August 24). LOVE MYSELF. YouTube. BIGHIT MUSIC. Retrieved November 4, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mwRYgMmSGE

Based

Caroline Santos

Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76a0x_Za5bs

Basic

Diana Mirceta

The word “basic” has a completely different meaning to adolescent’s today. Traditionally, we’d used the word “basic” as an adjective to describe something that is fundamental, essential, or primary. Adolescents today hold a completely new meaning for the word “basic”. The term has gained traction among youth, where popular culture has heavily influenced it’s use, and social media has provided the platform for which we see it so often thrown around. To an adolescent, this is a label no one wants to be associated with. The word “basic” now refers to an individual who is ordinary or bland and prefers mainstream products. If you’re basic, you’re a person with no unique qualities; simply a sheep among a massive flock, following every trend. A racial and gender stereotype has evolved from the word “basic”, where the phrases “basic white girl” and “basic bitch” are predominately being used in conversation. A female’s taste in clothing, products, or interests, that conforms to the most ordinary stereotypes or trends is labelled a “basic bitch”. Consequently, the word has typically been associated with insulting teenage girls. “Basic white girls” are girls that drink pumpkin spice lattes, wear Ugg boots, and take selfies. During my high school experience – nearly 10 years ago – I can recall this word being tossed around, and honestly the aversion to the word still remains prevalent in my mind. I can see how one simple word can mean so much to an adolescent, as I myself have found it affected my decisions back when I was younger. It’s hard to filter through the influence of pop culture, and even the micro culture of an individual high school, as the environment an adolescent is surrounded by will ultimately affected their mental well-being. So what’s so bad about being ordinary? To an adolescent, it may mean everything. It might mean the difference between happiness and depression. The whirlwind of emotions a developing adolescent experiences is heavily influenced by what they see in the media and the interactions