You are in a 9th period free on a Monday, so exhausted from the day, that you find yourself watching and judging a girl across the room. Her laugh seems to be so stuffed with “fakeness” that it automatically sends your eyes rolling back, before you can stop to think about anything else.

As teenagers, STA students’ personalities are the most influx that they will ever be. We are at a point in our lives where personalities and ideas are tried out, until we reach more of an understanding of who we are. If this wasn’t happening, then you would find every teenage girl compressed into a perfect mold of the ideas and morals that have been passed down by their parents and society. At this age, we can only grow in our understanding of ourselves if we test the waters of right and wrong, and doing this comes from uncertainty.

Defining someone as “genuine” and “fake,” especially at the age STA girls are at, is next to impossible. We are changing so much that if a certain laugh were to be pinpointed as “fake” one day, the next it might be seen as genuine and sincere. What does it really mean to be genuine, and conversely, to be fake? Although this seems to be a simple question, it becomes the most complex when someone isn’t fully aware of who they are. Defining terms like these and defining who a person is, is unfair when someone’s personality isn’t yet fully developed.

This is also an age where we are easily influenced by many different things, whether it be a podcast or a politician. Sometimes we know where our influences come from, but often they happen beneath the surface, and can’t be traced back to the original source. This is perfectly natural, and people shouldn’t fear being judged over this. Being very influenced doesn’t mean that you aren’t genuine, because you are still trying to figure out the path that’s right for you. Having many perspectives can help clarify where you stand in a situation a little bit better.

Next time you think you hear a “fake” laugh, don’t be so quick to judge that they are a “fake” person. Because like most students at STA, they are probably trying to figure out who they are, and that takes time and courage to not conform to the specific mold that is nicely laid out for us. Or next time you find yourself wondering how authentic you are being, know that the uncertainty is causing the growth into who we will ending up being as a person.