A boy leaning against a bike, dressed in ripped jeans, with a cigarette in one hand and a costly gadget in another – speaking in a rude and insensitive manner – is the present description of a cool adolescent.

In modern society, this has become the definition of being trendy. The farther a youth is away from normal society, the more popular they become in the eyes of their peers. Blindly imbibing this MTV culture has led to this drastic decline in our natural inherent ethos. The most striking point is that when we are busy following the trends of the west, people there are giving more importance and gravity to our own down to earth culture.

If one thinks using an iPhone, other branded commodities, or wearing torn jeans is going to make them adored and favoured in the eyes of all, then one needs to think again. Such a gesture might only buy one petty applaud from people like them, but eventually they will be disgraced and looked down upon.

It really doesn’t matter if some of our friends in school or college regard us as fabulous enough by judging our outward appearances. If one learns to imbibe positive traits and a pleasant demeanour early in life, it is going to serve one well over a long time. Shunning our own heritage or criticising the same doesn’t make anyone sensational – but foolish!

However, being successful in life or being praised by all doesn’t require that one needs to be forced into the boring world of academics and regime. Participating in various co-curricular activities and indulging in social and cultural engagements also helps us to become well-loved. One can get involved in NGO work, or help educate the needy, even make new inventions, or be a student reporter and cater to the needs of the society.

The satisfaction that one will eventually derive after such productivity is priceless and helps them gain much in the long run. Coolness gets reflected from doing something outstanding in life, something which makes us stand out amongst friends. This should never be in a bad way, but should rather be something creative, something challenging you to do and be better.

Coordinator, Class XI, St Thomas Boys School