Observation of teen hang outs

1. Observation of teen hang outs By Jaskirit Khaira

2. There is about 12 guys in a hang out on a Friday night • Usually they are all juniors but sometimes so can be freshmen which symbolizes the fact that some groups that are older are fine with the fact of hanging out with younger kids. People

3. Gamers- The people who play video games the whole night and talk about teen subcultures and gaming • Hanging around- This group is usually the group with the people that had a rough day and they just want to relax and talk • Computer nerds- This group usually is control of the music, so most of the musically interested people usually go here, or it is the people who are just really bored and want to look at something funny, also in some cases some people go on social networking sites which means teens value the fact that they like talking to other people Groupings

4. Gamers- Usually fight about their turn on who gets to play next, and the fact that one person might no do to good in a video game and might get yelled at and thus causing a fight, this also symbolizes the fact that teens take their video games seriously nowadays • Hanging around- Usually don’t have a conflict unless it is about a girl or a “bro promise or solid” which is a value that all guys have that basically defines friendship for guys today • Computer Nerds- Usually fight about who gets to control the music or play something funny on youtube Same group conflicts

5. Gamers- Usually communicate and talk about strategy within the video game they are playing which is an example of technology an an example of a norm because you don’t usually see a bunch of teenagers around a t.v telling them to “shoot that guy” • Hanging around- Usually their interactions are the “bro handshake” which symbolizes good job, or nice going to another guy, or they are just laughing about a story someone tells • Computer nerds- Usually communicate when they are on some kind of social networking site, because they need to talk about how hot a girl might be, other than that computer nerds usually don’t talk. Interactions

6. Gamers- The gamers have many symbolizes, which include the “bro handshake” which I talked about earlier, and sometimes one guy might punch the other guy on the arm to symbolize that you basically suck or the fact that your doing amazing, also another symbol that is always present is “kissing the hand’ which is a symbol that means that when you win a game you basically kiss your control and let whoever is waiting go, and kissing the control supposedly gives good luck to the next game. • Hanging around- A symbol that always stands out to this group is definitely the “bro handshake” and telling your friend to listen up by saying “ ayy bro” which this type of language symbolizes slang used in this group and also the fact that it symbolizes that you are close with that friend when you speak like that Symbols

7. Computer nerds- Symbols in this group are not to common, but one symbol that pops out is the fact that all the friends in this group are usually in a emotional mood which symbolizes the fact that they want to listen to music to forget about their problems which also shows a value in teen culture, and that is music, which has a huge impact on the culture itself Symbols Continued

8. Cell Phones- Have a huge impact during the teen hangouts, because every second someone always has their cell phone out, which also symbolizes and is also considered a value to some teens that, teenagers always need to check their phones because of the technology age we are in that causes this, and the fact that teens value their phones and basically treat it like it is their “life in a box” • Video Games- Which basically runs the teen society, because of the fact that teens today now value the fact of gaming, and love being a nerd when they can, that’s just what this generation is about, and sometimes some hang outs are based on video games, for example, some teens have tournaments or other sorts of gaming events Media

9. Computer- This piece of technology has had a huge impact on teen behavior in groups, because of the fact that a teen for entertainment uses the computer for everything you can think of, and this is a common element for all teens and it is a value that all teens share for the computer and how fast technology is impacting how teens associate with each other Media Continued

10. Gamers- There are many norms present in the gaming group which include the fact that sometimes the use “gamer language”, and examples of that are “raped, pwned, tango down, clipping his head, teabag” These are all examples of a language used my gamers and a norm that is present which is another use of a language, but in a since this language has transferred over to the main culture of teens, because you sometimes do hear teens saying these phrases. Another norm that is present is the fact that some gamers take it to the next level and by this I mean learning about the game they are playing in full depth and applying it to the group. For example, some of the friends in my group speak elf. Now that is a norm present because nobody speaks elf and it goes against the “normality” of teen culture. Norms

11. Computer nerds- There are norms that are shown in this group and that is by the music teens play, and what they look up on the computer. For example, some teens in my group look up “pony videos” now this norm is shown by the subculture that the ponies come from, and they actually watch it and enjoy it. This has no impact on mainstream culture and it is completely out of the ordinary. Another norm that is shown is the music and the way they act. In my friend group when you put on a very catchy song that is related to another subculture, usually they will all start dancing to it. These are about 16 year old boys dancing to weird beats that don’t make sense. This is out of the ordinary and is not mainstream teen culture at all. Norms Continued

12. As a whole the group values a certain amount of aspects. Which include the “bro handshake” which all the guys values because they see it as a close bonding moment for friends. Another value that teens in my group have is the value of “doing a solid” which basically means doing a favor for a bro when he needs it. You see this at usual hang outs when the guys are talking about something, and sometimes they need your help. Are group values that and takes it to heart when you do something good for one another. Values as a whole

13. The End! By, Jaskirit Khaira