Students Corner
by Daniel Hoyle, CHS Student Writer
What Are The Kids Doing?
What are the kids doing? Where do they go after school or on the weekends? The truth is, nowhere. The Catoctin area is devoid of activities for young people to spend time doing. Most kids (6th through 12th graders) either go to practice for a sport or go home after school. Once they get home, they don’t leave until it’s time to go to school again the next day. On weekends, kids may just stay home all weekend, and most friends they have are just school friends. Why is it like this? The answer is: There is nowhere to go.
Our area is severely lacking in what is known as “Third Places,” a term first coined by Ray Oldenburg in his book, Great Good Place. In essence, a third place is somewhere where people can readily go that isn’t far, is open and welcoming, is not costly, is not supervised by the kid’s parents, encourages belonging, and permits coming and going freely. Unfortunately, Thurmont and Emmitsburg lack places like this. Thurmont, especially, with its larger population of young people, is lacking in opportunities for Gen-Z to gather. Therefore, this creates an environment where kids spend all their time at home, alone and void of social interaction outside of school. The school bathrooms have turned into pseudo-third places, where kids can hang out away from the eyes of teachers.
If kids have nowhere to hang out, they lash out in ways that are often inwardly and outwardly destructive. Kids’ mental health is suffering, and our generation is isolated, contributing greatly to what is known as the “Loneliness Epidemic.” This is a phenomenon that even the Surgeon General himself recognizes as a real national public health issue. Essentially, loneliness is on the rise globally due to various factors, including, but not limited to, lack of gathering places, lack of social interaction, lack of inclusion, and a surge in friendships confined to strictly online interactions. These things lead to mental health issues, but it is not too late to make a change in our community.
If you are a parent, encourage and enable your child to spend time outdoors or with friends. If you are a business owner, look toward attracting younger kids to your business with events such as a small arts and crafts expo, mini concerts, and sponsoring clubs and activities that would allow kids to help and be a part of their community. If you are a kid, invite your friends to go out, find a ride, and enjoy your friendships. Even something as simple as a business or park hosting a venue for small, maybe even student-run, bands to come and perform could encourage a lot of traffic and participation.
The emphasis is less on places and more on activities. If there are activities for kids to enjoy together outside of school, this will encourage community involvement and lead to healthier and more fulfilling relationships. This will not only promote the prosperity of the kids but the future of Catoctin as well.
