Rumination, Gianluca Gardiman

Rumination

Gianluca Gardiman

A keyword that is central to the study of adolescence and health is rumination. According to Merriam Webster, one way in which rumination can be defined as is, “obsessive thinking about an idea, situation, or choice especially when it interferes with normal mental functioning” (Merriam-Webster, n.d.). The term’s origin appears in a ground-breaking paper in 1991 where researcher, Susan Nolen-Hoeksema presented the response style theory related to rumination (Lewis & Joorman, 2018). Nolen-Hoeksema considered rumination as a “passive and repetitive style of responding to negative mood that prolongs negative mood and increases the likelihood for depressive symptoms” (Lewis & Joorman, 2018). Rumination is a complex term and while it may not be a common word mentioned by many young children and youth on a daily basis, there is a probability that they have undergone this feeling. The way rumination effects an individual varies, as some people may find they are aware of these thoughts and can manage them while others may react differently and can take a toll on them physically, mentally, and emotionally. Rumination is challenging when it comes to trying to understand the experiences of young people. Many children and youth keep their thoughts to themselves and may struggle to speak to someone, whether that is a friend, parent/guardian, teacher, coach or trained professional (e.g., doctor, counsellor, therapist) because they may feel ashamed of what they have to share. I personally have experienced rumination and did get to a point in my life where I needed to see a therapist to seek help for this problem that I had. It really affected me in school, where I would fear failing classes, even though I did extremely well throughout my entire education. However, in speaking to a therapist who has helped me cope with this problem, I have seen significant improvements over the years now and learned how to manage moments

where I am suffering from rumination. I understand now these are just purely thoughts that I am experiencing, will eventually fade away and are not in control of me. Rumination is a word that relates to youth’s health and well-being because it can cause distress in their life and affect them socially as well as throughout their journey in the education system. It is common that people that suffer from rumination share the following characteristics, faced a history of trauma, believe they have ongoing intense stress, show personalities focused on perfectionism, neuroticism, and extreme relational focus. (Law, 2005). Having read, Jim Harrison’s poem Rumination, there is one specific part that resonated with me (Harrison, 2019). “In this world of dreams

don’t let the clock cut up

your life in pieces

(Harrison, 2019).”

I believe everyone that suffers from rumination should seek help immediately. Life is an extraordinary gift because we are not here forever. We should not have to spend time worrying about unnecessary ideas/things but rather live and enjoy life to the fullest without suffering. Rumination should be discussed more amongst children and youth, so that society can end the stigma of being afraid to seek help and assistance on the negative obsessive thoughts that hurt us. References:

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Rumination. In Merriam-Webster.com medical dictionary. Retrieved from, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/rumination Harrison, J. (2019). Parting words: Rumination by Jim Harrison. Tricycle. Retrieved from, https://tricycle.org/magazine/jim-harrisons-rumination/ Law, B. M. (2005). Probing the depression-rumination cycle. Monitor on

Psychology, 36(10). Retrieved from, https://www.apa.org/monitor/nov05/cycle Lewis, Elizabeth J., & Joorman, Jutta (2018). Rumination. obo in Psychology. Retrieved from, https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199828340/obo9780199828340-0206.xml

Salty

Elise Bondi

Salty. A word used to describe something that tastes salty or contains a lot of salt (Cambridge

Dictionary, 2022). But what if the term is now used to describe something entirely different. In

today’s world of pop culture and mainstream media, the slang

term “salty” is used when “describing somebody’s emotional

condition” (Slangwall, 2022). It is used amongst adolescents to

describe a person who is bitter, “annoyed or upset, especially

when,” something or someone is being unreasonable or taking

up time (Cambridge Dictionary, 2022). It can be a particular

situation that makes you or someone else seem irritated or not in

a good mood. Salty, along with so many other slang terms can help create bonds with friends in real

life and through social media. Pop culture is a great outlet in generating slang for teenagers and is the

best platform for it to be used amongst youth. It is something that most adults do not understand, and

it has become a secret language shared and communicated between teens alike.

The origin of the term “salty” dates back to the middle of the 15th century according to the

Oxford English dictionary. It was not until the mid-1860s that the formation of its slang form was

recorded, and it was at this point in history that it was

defined or used to “mean racy or piquant”

(KnowYourMeme, 2015). By the late 30s, the sense of

the slang term “salty” was first attested and by 2007

“an entry on the term was submitted to urban

dictionary” (KnowYourMeme, 2015). Looking at most

websites, it explains that “salty” originated from

Philadelphia as a means of “looking stupid,” however, the word dates back “eight decades in

African-American usage” (WSJ, Ben Zimmer, 2015). During the 1930s the term emerged in the

African-American communities and was expressed as “jump salty” which referred to someone

becoming angry or annoyed suddenly. After this, the word continued to evolve and the “jump” part

was dropped making “salty” the new slang word which continued to persist “as urban slang in cities

like Philadelphia” (WSJ, Ben Zimmer, 2015).

Although the term has been around for decades with its meaning evolving, the word “salty" that

we know today, is becoming a popular slang term again. This means that at one point in time it

stopped being popular until someone brought it back

into the slang world. The word “salty" helps us

understand the experiences of young people because it

allows us to pinpoint when somebody is annoyed,

bitter or just upset. It also helps us understand why

someone, such as a teenager, may use the term "salty"

in situations to describe when and why they are annoyed or upset. This is not the only case though,

"salty" can be used to defuse situations in which it can be taken in a joking manner or to lighten up

the mood/situation. However, the word can also be used to describe someone else’s mood or

character negatively which in turn could lead to someone else's “saltiness.” For example, telling

someone that they are acting salty for no reason, could be a way to annoy or upset a person more if

you describe their character as “salty”. It is important to note the contexts in which the word "salty"

is used as it can indicate whether an adolescent is using it as a joke or in a negative light. Slang

vocabulary can be exceptionally difficult for adolescents who are English language learners or ESL

students, as they can misunderstand or use the term in the wrong context, leading to potentially

difficult situations (e.g., fights).

In the end, the word "salty" can be very relatable to youth's health and well-being as it describes

a mood that adolescents feel fairly often. At this stage of their life and development, teenagers are

often described as "moody" beings, so applying this word in their everyday conversations often helps

them describe themselves or others. It is no question that teen slang is used as “coded language as an

expression of independence," as well as "a way to create an identity separate from parents"(TODAY,

YouTube, 2016). A lot of slang terms tend to "get hot fast and burns out even faster" (TODAY,

YouTube, 2016). Who is to say that "salty" will not go out of style today OR continue to evolve like

it has been for centuries?

Work Cited

Salty. Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved November 6, 2022, from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/salty Grey , E. (2022, October 5). Salty. Know Your Meme. Retrieved November 6, 2022, from https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/salty Salty. Slangwall. (2022). Retrieved November 6, 2022, from https://sites.pitt.edu/~emk4/comp2/salty3.html Images, G. (2015, January 18). A 'salty' word with a promising future. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 6, 2022, from https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-salty-word-with-apromising-future-1421427784 Teens Tell All About Slang Like ‘Lit,’ 'Salty,’ ‘Down In The DMs’ And More | Today. (2016). YouTube. Retrieved November 6, 2022, from https://youtu.be/wZO1daK1PN0. 1862 - Don't Get Salty about this New English Slang. (2022). YouTube. Retrieved November 6, 2022, from https://youtu.be/wlp9KnXuyjc.