I'm 17 | Kate Simonds | TEDxBoise

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences.
Kate Simonds, senior at Timberline High School, is 17. Take a deep breath and a quick inventory of what feelings come to mind when you consider a 17 year old. Now watch this talk and prepare to have your thoughts flipped inside out.

[@anyamckercher2408]

Teenage years: When everyone treats you like a child and expects you to be an adult

[@mhazg6621]

So true

[@spotandjake1008]

You said it

[@marciaosullivan3200]

Not true when are we expected to pay rent ect

[@thegamingchicken9613]

Marcia that’s the most dumbest point I’ve ever heard

[@commonsense9173]

Because you have zero real world experience and the people who do have it are preparing you for it?

[@djdom8048]

I'm 15. I'm too old for anyone to find me cute and too young for anyone to take me seriously...

[@Speed001]

I highly doubt that is true.

[@GummyDinosaursify]

If people can call a 70 year old couple "cute" then age is no excuse.

[@spacepooakabigbadapple6677]

+speed great minds think alike (i dont think we are great minds but u r probably thinking the same as you are reading this )

[@firebreathingfirebreather4042]

DJ dom with that stupid-ass attitude u best bet people will not take you seriously.

[@amywinn3301]

Same, it's such an awkward age

[@23iamelvis23]

She should have ended it with "But what do I know, I'm only 17"

[@baddie_dar]

Haha

[@dcmtalwar]

Jason Hathaway I swear every comment section has one person with a danganronpa pfp

[@mylie6181]

Mayank Talwar i wouldnt have recognized second game byakuya unless you pointed that out lmao

[@3lietechhack646]

This would have gotten even cringier than this whole TED talk

[@purplebea501]

@@3lietechhack646 speaking for the right for you voice to be heard isn't cringe

[@hafsahtahir]

"students have been made fun of for answering too many question" AMEN

[@MusicSounds]

And that's me

[@ryanmarshall4741]

I"m 33 now. I was one of those kids who got made fun of for being a teacher's pet for raising my hand too much. Haters!

[@commonsense9173]

By other students...

[@ayphil7512]

Personally, I raise my hand all the time to ask question and nobody ever bothered me about it

[@camillevitoria4107]

​@@ryanmarshall4741 ikr? people ignore your value...

[@northlander6152]

She is way more mature than many adults.

[@akaededeval374]

true story

[@sohinidutta97]

Yup

[@slugface322]

+aka Utopian yup 'like' way moar

[@popcornfilms1]

In many ways

[@ruofanyu6699]

+aka Utopian and there are lots of kids and other teens with humility who are way more mature than her.

[@aimifarhanaa]

i am 22 and i have no idea what i am doing in life.

[@GummyDinosaursify]

28 here and I probably will never know or be able to know.

[@pangaia_permaculture]

Whаt Мen REALLY Wаnt => twitter.com/7b3c9fb14125d6cd5/status/804693412402241537 I m 17 Kate Simonds TЕEDхBoise

[@mimiangelilimimi5149]

18 and just like you

[@RodolffoTeles]

I'm gonna cry

[@reverendendrever8103]

I am 90 and I had sex with 72 virgins, learnt internet, my wife is 29, barely a third of my age and I am no Christian, Muslim or Jew. I am just a liar =).

[@sajpar9765]

This is like saying "ok boomer" in a long extended speech

[@My0ldFr13nd]

@@vrl. Found the boomer.

[@gabrielbauer5595]

*FACT*

[@acanadianpumpkin]

@@vrl. ok BOOMER

[@karspostema2762]

LMFAO true

[@amelie-3429]

@@vrl. KO boomer

[@rachelkingston1539]

At 13 I was artistic, passionate about books and reading. I ran sometimes competitively and was actually ok. I wrote stories extremely often. This was before I started secondary school. Now at 17 I cant remember the last time I went for a run or picked up a pen or a paintbrush. Now all I can think or more stress about is what course I will be doing in two years time because it is drilled into me by my teachers. Do I have any clue what I want to do? NO.And why don’t I? Because the last 4 years of my life have been spent sitting down hour after hour making sure I know my essays off by heart or learning how to use Pythagoras theorem. When teachers ask me why I don’t know what I want to do with my life. How can I answer. Pointless hours of school and unnecessary subjects have prevented me from developing more hobbies and finding my real talents. Now I panic to find an answer when people ask me what I really like to do. The school system is all wrong and needs to be changed. But young people’s voices are being ignored, completely ignored. This needs to change

[@rachelkingston1539]

Sarah Luna the whole school system needs to be reformed

[@beccametz4365]

I know what you mean. I used to be so energetic and I loved trying new things and doing stuff. I would write, draw,sing, dance, bake, you name it. Now I have time for maybe 2 activities and I don't have to time to try out anything I'm interested in. My parents don't listen to me when I say I don't want to do sciences and they are making me take two using up the time I could be using to do stuff I'm interested in. I'm learning nothing useful in school and even the programs they do have for students with ideas they want to explore teachers and councillors actively tell students they shouldn't be taking them. It needs to change soon.

[@annaemmons3490]

Agreed, and next time they ask you why, tell them what you just wrote down about unnecessary subjects and hours of school. They way not get too mad even, as I know some teachers agree with it, but how can they speak out, because it’s their one job, pays their bills and they too scared/can’t afford to get fired.

[@josephikrakowski3939]

Pythagorean*

[@shaunbarnett2972]

Yeah good points made. I found a similar experience way back in the early 90s when in high school. It seemed that the whole purpose of school was to 'get you ready for the real world and a career' and yet, I remember clearly that, in 5 years of high schooll, we had only a single 2 hour session with a bunch of career counsellors who could help us make a decision about what we would best be suited doing after school. I never learnt anything about budgeting, renting a property, organising anything, travelling, workplace issues, just nothing whatsoever about real life. I learnt trigonometry, calculus, proper english grammar/spelling etc, the function of the human heart etc etc. But apart from that single 2 hour session in all my 12 years of schooling, I never learnt anything about real life. It's like you're just expected to figure out the most important things in life on your own. If you don't have close relationships with your parents or your parents are not educated smart professionals who can really point you in the right direction, then you're really quite screwed because you have no one to learn from. It's absolutely bizarre. And then you have people give you strange looks when you've finished school and you say you don't know what you want to do with your life. How can you just magically figure this out when you're so busy studying maths and english and preparing for quite difficult exams. When you think that the vast majority of what you learn in school you genuinely NEVER EVER use in the real world, It's a ridiculous system.

[@KaraCamilleDelonas]

I'm 23 and still not being taken seriously. And I'm beginning to realize that my seniors will never take me seriously. When I'm 50 I will be belittled by 75 year olds. This is just how it is, and this girl is fucking brilliant to shed light on this issue. Young minds are fresh, creative minds.

[@therightchick]

exactly!

[@playerofmartin]

+Kara Camille Delonas Yep, other than 907 thousand people on youtube, people don't listen. Adults don't listen to kids, kids don't listen to adults. Kids don't listen, adults don't listen, seniors don't listen. That is the way it is. It's not a adults don't listen to kids problem. Instead of complaining we should think of ideas to change it, make it better...it would be better if people listened....I listened and didn't hear any good ideas on changing things.

[@jimkeller3868]

If you wanna know what it's like to not be taken seriously...become 62 or 70. The whole culture is built around pleasing, placating, marketing to and understanding people of your age group. Just look at what's showing in theaters. You are expressing personal sentiment. We are in fact a youth oriented culture. People of my age are as relevant as a phone booth. I am no longer treated with nearly the respect that I used to get.

[@KaraCamilleDelonas]

Maybe you aren't taken seriously because you are so bitter.

[@Commievn]

i noticed that most girls are bitter about this issue. The seniors ain't listen to you NOT because you're young. They're aint listen to you because you're a dumb bitch!

[@andrasfogarasi5014]

Hi 17, I'm Andrew.

[@bruhbroham8760]

I'm surprised nobody replied to this dad joke in 2 years

[@merey7695]

@@bruhbroham8760 LMAO

[@skylovermc2146]

András Fogarasi thank you for making me funny! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@brianisme6498]

hi Andrew, I’m dad

[@valeriofabrizi3497]

Hi andrew

[@SethGardnerVlogs]

I think that nobody raises their hand in class because very few are curious anymore. How could a student be curious when we are taught to regurgitate information we may rarely use, and then forget it?

[@JohnsGuineaPigs]

Exactly

[@Noemie112]

The only way to be curious is to hope and be patient until university; cause it's the place where there is hope about studying what you are really interested in. Also, it's where the teachers are not there to just read you a book but are actually professionals about their subject and are always happy to learn you more if you want to. The thing is... i was patient enough. But my curiosity began to sleep and i'm still trying to wake it up now that's it's time for it to be around :/

[@meliazeaman2772]

I try not to raise my hand because I already know the answer if I answer I question I feel I'm stealing the experience from the other students and If I ask a question Im asking a question no one else understands.

[@mubbashertayyab8784]

@@meliazeaman2772 that's means you are incredibly intelligent

[@rozzie652]

In my case, i don’t raise my hand in class anymore because I used to get mocked for always asking questions in class and stuff...

[@lcr1313]

She really didn’t know what was coming when she said “cured an epidemic”

[@nikitasharma8664]

lol i just was thinking that!

[@dishitasharma9532]

but it's a pandemic

[@MrRSCNL]

If she would cure this pandemic

[@vickyf1254]

LOL I WAS THINKING THAT

[@okboomer5880]

Hahahahah my thoughts though hahahahaha

[@brandonfreiberg779]

When I was in fifth grade, I used the word "monoculture" in an essay about agriculture. I did not find this word online and I actually knew it before. I used it correctly without grammatical errors, but my teacher accused me of plagiarism and took off points even though I had worked super hard on that essay. She told me there was no way I knew a word that she didn't know since I was only in fifth grade. I'm sick of teachers assuming that kids don't know anything.

[@mleah7409]

Wow... just wow. (Usually in my school teachers check if person knows definition of that word from memory and, if student knows then they more likely to believe it's not copied)

[@miah1172]

IKR

[@anyperin4921]

This happens all the time with me, just because I had a large vocabulary, differently from my classmates.

[@RenaGoss]

I agree with you, an there's alot of discouraging teachers out there an there not doing any good

[@arcalter6075]

teachers be like: "how dare you have an above average knowledge for children your age?"

[@jessl1631]

I'm 17 and I know how to eat and sleep.

[@Speed001]

To that girl in the video: FYI, all your assumptions of what my assumptions would be are wrong. I had no assumptions, other than that you are a girl, have something to say, will be 'professional', you are wearing clothes, that you are 17, and more... But, I had no assumptions that you have done anything noteworthy, that you were a child genius or anything like that. I just came here to hear you say something.

[@MariaSilva-rg2sx]

Kid r

[@stellaspeacegh]

Kid Jess same

[@madisynhider5242]

almen

[@eeyorepiglet3131]

I know how to think and how to act and I can wait until someone is done screaming before screaming back. I have the feeling no one else can, and still adults pretend to listen to me. We have that teacher who is just terribly ate teaching, screams at us when he thinks we're not doing the work though we do. We went to our mentor and some other important people. They listen to us and make notes, sometimes they tell us they might be able to do something about it, and we never hear from it again. I chose to stay home for a few weeks, because almost all of the teachers let us talk in class and it made me too frustrated to even try to concentrate. There is no discipline, I may sound old now, but try to do a listening test for yourself to understand if you get it, when people literally scream the answers in your ear. I'm seventeen and I'm an adult, though I don't know how to eat and sleep (food addiction and sleeping problems).

[@biplabdas2408]

Now she is 21. *_Thank you KZbin algorithm_*

[@acroissant3721]

? I don't get it

[@Helena-sl1ox]

This vid was published in 2015, so she must be 22 or 23.

[@evanescence9041]

NO SHE'S 22

[@nonamea9177]

bruhاحمد عصام احم

[@pryzifyy4282]

22

[@__keeraa]

I don’t know why, but she reminds me of Hermione Granger In other words, she’s awesome.

[@riti184]

Yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes

[@jessicaghosh5952]

Yes

[@blackpantsog]

OMG Yes!!!!

[@dhanvibhavsar4983]

lmaoooo i was gonna comment thatttt

[@iamgorgeous]

I also thought like that!! Omg

[@ana-sofiavelasco1784]

Wow, so many of these comments are just proving her point! "I wouldn't talk to a 17 year old about serious subjects", "You don't need to worry about being listened to", "Her problem's not a real problem". Don't you see? You're stifling her voice, a voice which might very well be a hugely influential voice of the future. As a 16 year old, I have never been told outright that my opinion doesn't matter, but some adults are so dismissive, it doesn't even cross their minds that we might have an opinion. So much so that I'm pleasantly surprised when an adult seems genuinely interested in my opinion. Adults should be validating and expanding teenagers' knowledge. If I don't know something - educate me!

[@schmodedo]

Well said. As someone who is almost 50, I think alot of us forget that we were also that age, once. Part of the problem; however, is that many teens aren't as engaged as you are, or she is, in the choices that directly affect them. They are busy being teenagers, and we as adults are content to sit back and say "That's what they do.". And teens are also content to sit back and complain about the choices made on there behalf, but do nothing about them. Because we're adults and "We just don't get it.". The future will be bright with more voices like yours.

[@natattacc99]

Preach!

[@aini9528]

Also, I'm not sure how common but many adults might find the 'new kids' opinions radical or new and might not want to hear such ideas and are content on suppressing these 'new ideas' the way they see fit. I've personally encountered this which is born out of uncertainty, insecurity etc. Or just plain hard day and not looking to engage in a debate with a much younger person. Anyway I can't say how common it is but it has also happened.

[@amityisprecious1334]

Ana-Sofia Velasco God bless your soul you.

[@julieberney9435]

Ana-Sofia Velasco completely right

[@exlibrisas]

People think if you`re young, you know jack shit. But in reality, older people live biased lives with ideology fitting only for their time. It`s mostly not about life experience. It`s about your perception.

[@wiiitch]

exlibrisas damn right

[@TheItalianoAssassino]

Only people without life experience deem it worthless.

[@Kiwinnit]

very true

[@officerjenkins6097]

exlibrisas | Agreed

[@alexg.1707]

exlibrisas plus older people know nothing about technology and that's really important right now

[@dharvell]

When our children were entering their teen years, my wife and I had a discussion as to how to approach the coming, dreaded years. After a lot of thinking about how we wished WE were raised, we decided that we would extend our children more and more freedom of decisions, input of ideas that concerned the entire family, but yet hold them responsible for mistakes. But that's the thing... we ENCOURAGED them to screw up. The bigger the screw up, the better (as long as it wasn't life-altering, we warned). And screw up, they did. But that's where the amazing things started to happen. They learned, they grew, the realized that their actions had an impact - for better or for worse. What came of all of this: three strong, independent daughters who are amazingly in tune with themselves, what they want, where they want to go, and what they wish to accomplish. When you listen to teen's voices, it empowers them in the best ways possible. It's something I recommend, wholeheartedly.

[@R3DPandaLP]

you have done the world the greatest good. thank you

[@laundrybasket5613]

Thank you for being an amazing person for the next generation.

[@MrRock-pt8ne]

that's a good idea, i will start doing it with my kids in the future

[@jessiemarie636]

Love this

[@skysmindgarden]

I wish you were my parent.

[@elizabethgrey6040]

And you shouldn't have to be a seventeen year old who has an impressive vocabulary or be outstanding in academics. You shouldn't need to study what most adults don't even know much about, like astrophysics or extremely complex math or really any sort of subject that is "above your age level". To be taken seriously and respected as a HUMAN BEING, a teenager doesn't have to be extraordinary. As a legitimate individual, we deserve to be treated as such and not expected to be "impressive" just to convince you that we're worth listening to.

[@Liantic02]

PREACH

[@annaceciliaolgado6398]

Amen to that!

[@frieda670]

Yass 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾

[@sayyamluhadiya7869]

Let me screenshot this comment!!

[@libbyyylibbyyy]

Factsssss

[@goaway7964]

I honestly hate when people say, that you don't 'live in the real world' like…ummm…WHAT DO YOU MEAN? AM I NOT HERE WITH YOU RIGHT NOW?

[@mahamnasir7904]

My mum say that to me

[@necrago]

@@mahamnasir7904 Same🙁

[@commonsense9173]

You live a very sheltered life if you confuse the term "real world" with "physical reality"

[@sadomi6657]

I'm very sorry you can't understand what a metaphor is you probably weren't taught that in school.

[@necrago]

@@sadomi6657 *taught

[@kayladelight4559]

It's cool she's only 17 and is able to speak in public like this. I just don't like how she started her talk and pretty much based the whole thing off the assumption of what we're all thinking about her. She accuses her audience and tells them what they're thinking. I'm 19 and I got excited to watch this because she's 17, not because I assumed she was a millionaire or cured disease. She quickly lost my attention. :(

[@meganbright94]

+Kayla Delight That's exactly how I felt too!

[@onion8542]

+Kayla Delight but she was right; most adults in the room probably DID think this. i realise you're 19, but let's be honest, adults don't consider someone an adult until they're at least 20,22. so theoretically, you fall in the teen bracket, and it makes sense that you would respect her because she is 17.

[@onion8542]

+Kayla Delight i'm not good at explaining myself but i hope you didn't find my comment patronising; it wasn't intended to be

[@laikynvictoria]

+Kayla Delight Yeah, these people in the audience are adult intellectuals. Being 19, you relate to her because you are so close to her age. Most any adults you ask WOULD hold this assumption.

[@ashleyashleym2969]

+Kayla Delight Well of course not everyone was thinking that but I know I was and I know others were as well.

[@starbunny7301]

Teenage years: Having to sit at the kiddie table at Christmas parties and then later being asked what I want to do with my life

[@RosesGreen]

YEP!

[@sadflows2]

more time at the kiddie table

[@breelynn8810]

"I shouldn't have to cure an epidemic to be respected" me, a 17 year old in 2020: 👀

[@chxhxhxjxss6894]

same haha

[@nadiyashirin462]

Related

[@melih6766]

Did you cure?

[@theknight4095]

yay me too

[@Totallyfine29_]

same :)

[@TheFuktastic]

That's one bright young lady.

[@hillbillieeilish]

She's nothing special. She's average. That's her whole point of the TED talk! Teenagers ARE this smart, if we treat them with any modicum of respect, or give them a real chance to earn it.

[@CourtneyAmberXx]

+Madison Ray yessss

[@timcook3410]

TheFuktastic so respectful, huh? but i guess not irl!

[@acryingfan9324]

tim cook y did u have to make something positive into something negative tf what's ur problem m8

[@timcook3410]

ACryingFan i meant that we all like women sexually rather than knowledge-wise. I never said this is negative.

[@ismaillamrabet7829]

I'm 20 years old, which means I am no longer a teenager, but anyway I appreciate the way this girl defends her idea. Because when I was her age or even younger, my thoughts were meaningless to adults and thus I was facing the same difficulty.

[@couch_philosoph3325]

Ismail Lamrabet technically we, the 20 year olds are adults. However, most adults don't see us as real adults yet. More than teens, but not the same as a 30 year old. "how do you know, you're not out of college yet" i have heard this. I think this topic affects all of us. There is always someone who says "oh you cant know, because...." even thought they themselves don't contribute more to solving the problem either.

[@lizasaakadze5411]

She is probably 21-22 and super successful, open minded women right now

[@Wauly]

I was 17 in 2015 and I can confirm that is our age range

[@colecollett9517]

Paul Foster 😂

[@Blade_of_Tomoe]

Yes, quite possibly

[@michaelatorn8380]

Or a meth head, we dont know. Look her up.

[@joker57]

I think shes dancing for $'s

[@iclaimthisname9767]

In elementary school, I was seen as the smart kid. I was happy to learn and was eager to answer the questions my teachers asked. Any time I answered a question incorrectly, I was made fun of. I slowly began to stop raising my hand when the teacher asked a question, until I don't voluntarily answer any questions my teachers ask anymore. Even if I'm completely sure that my answer is right. I've lost the motivation to learn. The only thing that can keep my attention is art, and even that is hard sometimes because I feel like I constantly need to prove myself and if I don't, people will ridicule me like they have always done.

[@nightmare4254]

In middle school even some friends made fun of me for being a nerd simply because I got good grades, paid attention in class, and didn't miss homework, it got so annoying, I'm glad I got new friends that don't make fun of me anymore, but I also lost a lot of motivation to learn.

[@ilovemagic4291]

Same thing here...

[@dur2598]

Same thing....

[@hori_miya_]

Wow I felt like my exact situation has been written here

[@WolvesLoveMusicals]

When I was 17, I graduated high school and went straight into college. I took Oral Communications that summer just to get my feet wet for college life. I held a solid A the whole semester, getting a few Bs on some assignments. On my final speech, I talked about the necessity to reform public schools. Remember, I had just graduated high school and this was very important to me. I was nervous, so I went over my time by a few seconds. The class clapped at the end and said I did very well. My professor gave me a D on the speech, dropping my whole grade to a B for the semester. When I challenged him on it, he said I went over time, was unprepared, and my topic was not relevant to my college student audience. I was devastated and ever since I have been very cautious on what I write, what I say, and how I react to my professors and classmates. It's a sad world out there....

[@hendrujoshuatannga4021]

i feel it too

[@TheGoldenRiolu123]

how is the public school system not relevant to a college student audience?? public education decisions affect public and even some private universities. there are standardized state curriculums for classes like college mathematics.

[@saarahcareem9198]

game freak wannabe non.

[@arcanebinding]

I am 15 years old and I have always had big ideas, right now I'm working on building an exo-suit and I'm trying to create a water powered engine. I am an doing things like this often, and the whole time people have told me that I can't because of my age, but I have never let that slow me down and when I feel like I can't work anymore I just think about how I will be able to look them in there eyes and tell them that they were wrong. I would like to hear other people's experiences with this problem.

[@arcanebinding]

Their eyes*

[@riseupstudios8197]

Dude that sounds awesome. As an electrical engineer in college, I would love to see what you are working on. I totally respect what you are doing

[@juveriya2622]

Mr. go get ur idea to the top I am so happy so so so u know why I just think about the same idea about making an engine that works on water... oh my god u get that so happy and I'm 13

[@arcanebinding]

+javeria hameed If your going to act like that, then why don't you tell me how it works? It's actually not that hard in theory, and the same method be applied to make gas been more efficiently (there's a hint).

[@arcanebinding]

+Bound Darkness Sorry, I think I might have read the tone on that wrong.

[@sanyi.a.macska]

Kate: I'm 17 3,5 million people: *interesting*

[@r.a2059]

They should be interested 😂🤷🏻‍♀️ because she is very smart and has a great ideas to share it at this young age

[@Ahmad_Salameh]

in the 600's kids of 12 and 14 years old used to lead armies, launch attacks and have strategic plans to win. let that sink in for a moment.

[@NSEasternShoreChemist]

Carolus Rex of Sweden was crowned in 1697. He was 15 and became king, and three years later, he was on the front lines of battle, defending his country from invading armies that often vastly outnumbered his own.

[@nanmiki7472]

When I was 11 I would speak my mind and have opinions about loads of different stuff, valid ones. But now I'm 13 and all of that has gone away. We'll take that raising your hand thing as an example, I used to always raise my hand when asked a question in class. But I was the only one, so I stopped. Because my thoughts don't matter to me anymore. I may be writing this right now but I honestly think no one gives a shit.

[@lucygram5778]

Hey, same here! I also think younger people are a lot more open-minded about stuff.... and it's funny how some adults think teenagers are incapable of wanting to learn - I have a lot of teachers that doesn't even make an effort to make the learning interesting. We're supposed to do that ourselves, which we could if they had teached us to. I don't raise my hand because of the fear of being made fun of, even when I know the correct answer. Sigh. PS. I give a shit.

[@hendrujoshuatannga4021]

i give a shit

[@maxebanana6143]

hey OP, I give all the shits on this comment! don't let what anyone thinks about your opinion keep you from speaking out. @ Incorrect Grammar: also to add that when adults think teenagers are incapable of wanting to learn, they forget that at this age in our life is when we learn the most.

[@Kiwinnit]

I'm 16 and still raise my hand, I probably answer (or attempt to) answer 75% of the questions. It honestly doesn't matter if you're right or wrong, it is a good skill to learn if you can deal with mini failures, and being wrong. Plus you learn when you participate, nothing to lose unless you're mad c00l kid that is going so far in life that you can't lose your mad reputation!

[@teaartist6455]

I'm still (or again?) here raising my hand everytime a question is asked at school at 15. I stopped for a while because it didn't seem to matter, then started it again since I'm not allowed to read my books or draw in class so I'd just be even more bored and I realised it DOES matter-it will determine what grade you get for participating in class. The problem with that is that that is quite literally it, I won't change anything by giving the correct answer to a question asked in school, and the good grades soon stop really mattering-except if I where to stop and get worse grades I'd feel awful because I knew could do it and just choose not to, nevermind the fact that I'm, too, just about the only one in my class that does this and most of the others just fail so badly that they can answer only in the rarest of cases, and that paying attention and trying to pretty much solely answer the teachers questions, combined with the absolute lunacy and zombie like behaviour of our class (art class, if you don't expect much your expectations are too high) can really start wearing you down after a while. I just want one day in school not having to be the one doing the whole stupid question-answer game with a teacher that probably knows that I know the answer because I've already answered the question whenever it was asked since it was taught to us, usually to a backdrop of the others having a merry conversation about weed. I've brought this (this being the total ineptitude as well as impossible behaviour of my class) up on several occasions and in 8th grade my responses where mostly "oh, come on, you're just being oversensible" and "oh, they'll grow out of it". One year later and guess who's doing panicking that over 70% are failing the class (spectacularly in some cases) and quite a few are a short way from getting thrown out of school (which is quite a feat here I might add).

[@FidaAifiya]

She has just said what I always wanted to say to adults around me. Being 17 doesn't make you the stereotype 17.

[@dennisreynolds1341]

+Fida Aifiya Yes it does. Now go back to school.

[@louisehope3810]

+Dennis Reynolds what do you mean?

[@FidaAifiya]

Sarcasm, obviously. I mean this is KZbin.

[@JupiterGuy3]

Yeah everyone is unique, age is just one variable :)

[@clarabrarurerr2065]

+Fida Aifiya the Thing all of us suffer from is adultism . this Video hit me so hard

[@sarahbautista7893]

As a 17 year old, I’m forever grateful for her Talk. Everything she said is extremely true, and her ability to use her voice in an effective and eye-opening way REGARDLESS of her age is worthy of respect.

[@olivercoleman3974]

"Reach for the stars" they say, but when you do your told to come back down to earth

[@memespdf]

"always pay attention in school so you can grow up and 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓵𝓭" "hey maybe we should stop conditioning teens around the world to just work, follow orders and ignore their own feelings" "no, not likle that."

[@veverickastromova]

THIS.

[@aye428]

this is an amazing quote

[@grace-dc4wh]

this kinda adds up with "how school makes kids less intelligent" how students aren't interested as how they were used to be. Equality is very very important, not just with male and women, but children and adults.

[@HiyaItsRed]

High schools need to have classes on taxes, finance & economics, and other shit that we will actually use in real life.

[@kerbonautics5217]

Wait they don't? Im in highschool in the middle east and we have economics and statistics classes.

[@bayesian0.0]

They do have those classes most of the time

[@bayesian0.0]

Mitzi Salcedo there is so many important subjects though. Is that one important enough?

[@bayesian0.0]

Mitzi Salcedo well obviously teaching something at school wont significantly improve everyone s opinion about going to greater lenghts to help the earth. It might worsen things off. Thats my argument

[@bayesian0.0]

Mitzi Salcedo you seem to see it as if school is better than it really is. If you teach liberalism in school, people wont just become liberals. If you teach environement stuff as school, people will just do the work for the end mark. They wont change their habits.

[@hunterofendermen367]

Ask teenagers about gun control and LISTEN to them, because with all of the past school shootings, I can guarantee you that they will have ideas, questions, and solutions. Ask teenagers about standardized testing and LISTEN to them, because with all of the ridiculous questions on standardized tests, I guarantee you that they will have ideas, questions, and solutions. Ask teenagers about anything and LISTEN to them, because I can guarantee you that they will have ideas, questions, and solutions.

[@relic4948]

Hunter Of Endermen please ask us because WE ARE THE PEOPLE GETTING SHOT AT

[@wowassault]

Yeah, sounds like a great plan to have half educated infants tell the grown ups what they should do, and how they should run the world. Sounds like a fantastic plan. Why are we even educating them to think more like "us" if they already got all the "correct" answers?

[@ib3287]

I’m 16 and support guns🤷‍♂️

[@akmonra]

I have. And most lacked a basic understanding of the Constitution, statistics, and current policies.

[@marciaosullivan3200]

Teenager's aren't professionals

[@ziskaspahn3892]

5:58 or D they know the answer but have no motivation to raise their hand

[@emmahendrick147]

Ziska Spahn that is me

[@reallaurenmiller]

90% of the kids in my classes

[@shrutisinha7]

True

[@koottoncandie]

or E they have social anxiety like me

[@kuebrastic1219]

or F they are introverts and love to listen more and need to think more but really love to do presentations

[@e.l.a5455]

i dont know why she reminds me of emma watson

[@VarsshaC]

Esra or DJ Tanner

[@gozdeo.5590]

Esra It's because of the knowledge and those ironic laughters.I remembered her too! :D

[@teungamed1495]

lol

[@awakeningdawn6747]

Or Ariel Winters

[@alicenightingale3758]

Exactly what I was thinking.

[@mollyjamin9011]

I love this. Ageism is real and people need to realize this.

[@noscopesallowed8128]

Nice to see that I'm not the only person on this damn planet that sees that..

[@pallenda]

As long as we also remember/realize that it can happen both ways.

[@noscopesallowed8128]

pallenda Absolutely. And it does.

[@WackyOctopus]

Everyone always has to find a way to victimize themselves.

[@lisaryplanski4921]

Molly Jamin p

[@gc6929]

I love how she laughs WITH the audience. That is authenticity and confidence, without sacrificing proffesionalism. This girl is going places!

[@peehusharma9977]

Clicked on it cause I'm 17, and I'm glad i did. This is so relatable!

[@sarahoestereicher486]

My teacher has this quote I really like that goes along with this topic: "Your informed opinion matters"

[@finbees]

Philip Fry Sounds like an uninformed opinion, and i dont think it matters :) why you gotta be a jerk dude?

[@btssuejibae8130]

whenever I speak up about politics or economy, I think my mother is the only person who listens to me. I'm 15, my friends don't really care, my teachers just seam to nod and nod during my class report, I don't really think that they're digesting what I'm trying to say. They don't take my ideas seriously. And we have a cycle parts business, most of our customers are guys and adults. Whenever I'm the one attending them, they'd be like "Are you sure you know this?" "Is this right?" "Just call you parents please" or like, "Isn't there any guy salesperson?". When actually, I know what I'm doing. It just sucks because I'm often underestimated just because I'm a highschool student and a girl.

[@jeskvell3254]

When I turned 14, I am interested in learning about the government in our country but then adults tells me to just sit down because I am too young to know about democracy or martial law or etc. and so I lost my interest and care for this topic and have an excessive idea of not caring even if a world war 3 is going to happen but then again, I realized, I can be the one who will believe in myself no matter what other people think of me, I believe in myself, even if I'm 17 and stand at the height of 4'9''.

[@user-oj5jf1ll2p]

My favorite thing is how adults always make us feel like our feelings and beliefs aren't valid because "it's just our hormones" or "it's just a phase." It's unfair that we're belittled and treated the way we are when we really do have feelings and we really do have ideas and opinions that aren't just stemming from all the teenage stereotypes adults have

[@insertname1857]

K exactly! just tell them "your feelings are just hormones. every emotion of every person regardless of age is merely a combination of chemicals in the brain. how is that less valid? isn't it more valid, since there is a physical creation of a feeling?"

[@otakumangastudios3617]

diddo

[@amileahcastillo4380]

This is exact to my beliefs, very well said. What is said on this stage is exactly what I've been trying to tell people for years. ...Except I'm 14 and no one listens to me...

[@your-regina]

I'm 15 and everyone ignores me :'v

[@newbooksmell4163]

I'm 17 and i physically cringe at the things i said/thought when i was around 13; don't be too quick to promote your beliefs. I'm still having my views changed!

[@narin1810]

Amileah Castillo that's a bless -_- ..

[@bansmoth]

I'm 18 now and my beliefs have been pretty much the same since I started at high school. Converted out of christianity to atheism and agnosticism at about the age of 14 and I've never looked back. Somehow i find religion to have been my main philosophy obstacle in my life, which is part of the reason why I genuinely disadvice to follow rules because of some plausible doom which 'if you don't think this way, then you're gonna suffer'. One of the reasons I find religion to be some kind of philosophy test on people, to realize social constructs to be manipulating and the religious counter aguement being 'what if it's true though?' Ultimately people should end up with 'this shouldn't affect my perception on things and alter my original thought' as the rational end conclution. I consider anyone who is still religious to not have been questioning their religion to the point of faith depletion. Look at Islam, no tolerance to questioning faith, rules or anything nor apostasy.. wonder how those barbaric and patriarchial morals still stands today.....

[@your-regina]

P3ndu1uM I became an atheist when I was just 13 years old, and i actually suffered a lot, because until the day I realized that god didn't exist, I prayed almost all the time. But now I'm pretty sure it was the best thing I did at that age

[@jenbrocklehurst8574]

I wonder how she will feel in a few years time when she faces the realization that, even as an adult, respect can be pretty difficult to obtain. Instead of being 'a teenager' she'll be 'a woman', or 'an American', or, funnily enough 'a young adult' or even 'too old'. It's just as hard throughout life to gain respect as it is as a teenager; the goal posts continually shift. :(

[@ScheherazOdd]

So true.

[@tonybeadle8392]

Jan, I have to disagree in part to your statement, getting respect from anyone is down to you, what you say, how you act and the decisions that you make and the way that you convey your thoughts, the goal posts dont move, but if we do not learn from our mistakes then ,it will seem like they do, some men think they can gain respect by power or position others by the very nature of their humanity and their deeds, we are all judged differently by everyone we meet, it is also quite often a two way thing, show respect to gain respect, i have a 17 year old daughter who shows me complete respect and trust, not because i am her father but because i listen to her and respect her opinion, yet she shows little respect to those who did not reciprocate.

[@jenbrocklehurst8574]

Hi Tony, in an ideal world you are completely right, and I'm pleased that you have such a good relationship with your daughter, however, the fact remains that many people hold some form of prejudice. It is not always ones actions which lead to judgement. Each of us go through life facing negative views based on our appearance/gender/nationality/race etc etc. And as the world is so varied, this girl will continue to face these issues throughout; as the saying goes, you can't please all of the people all of the time. Unfortunately, in many instances, just the way a person dresses or their hair colour brings judgement from others.

[@tonybeadle8392]

+Jen Brocklehurst yes you are right. we are constantly facing judgement based on our appearance or views. and yes you are right there will always be new obstacles to navigate as we go through life. and I can only talk from my own experiences. but if you treat others how you wish to be treated then generally speaking you will be shown some respect. I think the single most important thing if a person wants respect then you have to not tolerate other people's demands. I personally am very outdpoken and won't tolerate anything that I feel is unjust or unfair and will say so. and I believe that people will often show respect to those who will not allow themselves to be treated poorly. maybe its all about attitude or strengh of character. but we are all different people and some people are reasonable and others not do much. but ultimately we are the ones who decide if others treat us with respect or value our opinion.

[@Gailsla10]

This is heartbreakingly true. Its a problem for all ages more often than not, but that just makes it all the more necessary to find a solution. Shes going off of the experience she has, so the solution she presented is specific, but we can take it and apply it to the issue of disrespect in general. Right now there are so many people who want to be heard and not enough willing to listen. So here it is: you and I, along with anyone else who sees the problem have to start listening... to our peers, to those older than each of us and to those younger than each of us. Great ideas come from everywhere, and its time we start letting them. Seek first to understand, then to be understood. - S.R.C.

[@graywarden8340]

She 'gained '😉 my respect at "There was an inherent paradigm of doubt" 3:04 Had me scrounging for my dictionary😂 Great talk: Confidence, rich vocabulary, clarity of speech and logical expounding of your idea gained my respect.

[@lucaseverett3540]

At age 9 I questioned the reason for the way the educational system was run and set up and how it was destroying the things that make people unique and controlling the way people and societies think. I still feel the same way, and everything I thought of at age 9 has been proven extensively true throughout my middle school and highschool experience. At age 9, I was looked at as if i was a nut, a bit crazy, some estranged 9-year old. At age 17, the age of this girl, not much has changed, and we still get told by adults today that "we just don't understand" and that "it just seems like it" but I think the adults forget that we do in fact understand, and the only reason people in life say that we "don't understand' is because all these adults learn to discredit their own ideas and take other mainstream conforming ideas as true and ideal. One can see it all over society, and whoever is on top, whoever is the most "educated" and "in charge" are the only ones controlling it. Its time we do something about this because the world is seeing the product of this and its pain and confusion. Our future depends on it.

[@dEViN1887]

It's true it's pretty jarring how much they coddle you in high school & then throw ýou into the real world & expect you to know shit

[@user-hw2bo4kr6u]

Devin Menge Yup. I'm a freshmen in college. I can relate to that

[@dEViN1887]

Gus Mart same

[@ivyvillela7370]

Devin Menge Right??? I didn't need algebra or calculus at 17...but if there was a class on how to maintain an apartment or how to do my taxes, I could've REALLY used that.

[@breannasanchez5362]

Devin Menge i know right? it makes no sense at all. there's no teaching in school about life, at all, and unfortunately parent's go the same route. its so frustrating and not encouraging

[@aslyener9305]

I'm 22 years old and from Turkey. Our current system does not let the young people, espicially in high schools, to express themselves, and unfortunately teachers are not leading students to come up with ideas and solutions about a society they live in. Well, I have come to realise that in some part of life, you are gonna need to do that. University, and being interested about a subject and more importantly find someone who think like you, will gonna give you the freedom. Do not be discouraged if you aren't seen to worth paying attention to. İn one point of your lives, every obstacle you have been is going to pay you back. On the other hand, I still believe that young people can be distracted from time to time. Their creativiy or talents should be couraged by the people around them to overcome their wrongdoings, instead of using authority to suppress their thoughts. Thank you.

[@reginanemo640]

Dude you wrote it like an IELTS essay.

[@aslyener9305]

+Regina Nemo yes, it is like a bit I think. I just wanted to share my thoughts. I wasnt careful with the language 😂😂😂

[@aslyener9305]

+aslı yener and bro,I am not a dude. picture belongs to my favourite actor-yoo ah in 😂😉

[@reginanemo640]

you re really good at writing.In my school kids cant even spell their names.and sorry about the pic Asli from Turkey :)

[@aslyener9305]

Thank you. I took my all classes in English back in the university. It must have helped me. Most of the students are like that here too. No problem about the name. Good night, by the way 😁😁

[@frieda670]

I’m fifteen years old and when I was 14 me and my friends founded a environmental protection club for youth and children in our city. I’m talking a lot to adults about the climate crisis and my future. It often happens that people don’t take us seriously because we are young. When they talk to me they call me cute instead of saying something to the topic. I’m so frustrated. When I’m at events about the climate crisis adults are often surprised how much I know about this topic but no one ever said something positive instead of how cute it is that I’m trying to safe my future or how cute I am. Sorry for my bad English btw I’m from Germany

[@marc_frank]

Moin

[@rhodie339]

It’s fine. It’s great that you’re standing up for the environment! Best wishes from Texas!

[@scoutclapscheeks2203]

Hey guys, I’m seventeen and this is my TED Talk. Thanks, Have a good evening.

[@britneybri]

🤣🤣

[@patcruz6028]

Thank you! You completely disregarded the point of the video!

[@robotragika4861]

I'm going to make Hungarian subtitles for this and show it in class. Everyone must see this. I've had enought judgement because of my age.

[@ferencszabo9271]

supi lenne

[@aishwaryajangir2909]

Same here

[@lmnop00980]

wow that's cool

[@mukhammejan8607]

There is no hungarian subtitles yet.

[@beatrizhg618]

I'm 13. I have many ambitions, but some adults try to shut me up when I talk about them. These ambitions can have nothing to do with each other, and this is one of the reasons that people don't think I'm serious. I want to help people who can't have their own voices, but what can I do if no one listens to mine? I want to be able do achieve big things. I want to be an actress. I want to be a debater. I want to be a lawyer. I want to make people smile. I want to help those in need. I want to be respected for what I know and what I can do. I'm a good student, but as Kate said, I know that many are discouraged to learn because people tell us we're not good enough to do it. I want people to know that they can do anything they set their minds on, no matter what older people think. I'm 13. I agree completely with what Kate said during her speech. I believe I can achieve what I want to do and I dont care if anyone tells me otherwise.

[@lyshing2666]

Things will come true if u r trying to pursue them

[@shaunbarnett2972]

It's not enough to simply believe in yourself, that's just one small part of the equation. You also need to look at the economic demand for your particular chosen field/occupation. I went to university and as part of my science degree, I studied geology. I didn't continue with it, I focused on microbioloy and genetics. A friend of mine continued with geology. A couple of years later I bumped into him and he was unemployed and really really stressed and unhappy. Even though he had studied hard, the geology industry was in a slump. There wasn't much mining going on and he hadn't found a job in over a year. He was totally depressed and if he couldn't find a j ob in the following year, it would be as if he never studied (2 years is about the maximum you can be out of a field before you are considered to have lost all your skills). Meanwhile, the biological research industry was doing fine and I found a job straight away. When you're young all you tend to think about is what you are interested in and what you like but that's not good enough. You need to do research and actually find information on the economy, demand for different occupations, competition for various jobs, salary levels for different jobs, educational requirements for those jobs etc etc. If you arm yourself with all that information about your chosen field, then you can have a truly intelligent conversation with an older person about it. In fact they will probably be blown away by the fact that you've done that research and know all of that stuff. They might actually take you seriously if you've taken the time to learn it all well, and be able to back up your arguments with facts and data.

[@dankie8617]

sbarnett37tiger Barnes Ya

[@merey7695]

++++i have almost the same situation

[@aaronb2181]

Where are you from, girl?

[@basil5574]

my step dad does this. “you’ll get it when you’re older”

[@user-yn7bz5mn5g]

Thats what they say when they don't have any counter arguments or don't want to elaborate.

[@bigreputation2703]

Jay rene in turkey it is a habit to say it.

[@yuniq9gaming930]

And he's correct! You will agree later.

[@wewbie3036]

Oh wow it’s literally the exact same for me, even the fact that’s it’s my stepdad who tells me this

[@justsomemainer1384]

YuniQ9 Gaming [Citation needed]

[@ktoszy5229]

I'm 15 and I needed to hear this. Thank you Kate.

[@NikkiBradleyPublicSpeaker]

I'm 31 and would love to be 17 again because I have been blown away by 17 year olds. They are more focused and driven than I even thought to dream of at that age. I think teens and young adults are the people would should all turn to for advice as you have just as much to bring to the table as my old ass. Keep doing what you are doing young people. Don't worry about those who don't 'respect' you. They are probably just jealous:)

[@sirivechi5292]

Yes, but the fact that adults do not respect us restricts our freedom of speech and our right to feel understood and like a valuable member of society (which we are). As teenagers we constantly need validation, so please respect us. Also, that whole respect thing goes both ways, if adults want us to respect them, they should also respects us AND our opinions, even if they differ from theirs. Thank you!

[@rymc3437]

@@sirivechi5292 are you 17 too ?

[@TheGreatGYROFLUFF]

The new generations are amazing. I can't wait to see a future where we listen to the wisdom of the youth like we are now. They really are amazing, there are still a number of things I'll ask my younger cousin about and I'm in my 4th year of university.

[@mariaaltarejosherrero4647]

Wow! You really Made a strong Impression. Not only through your convincing and gripping speech, but also because I felt like you hit close to home. As teenagers being discard when proposing solutions to the problems you mentioned is something more than normalised. It's pretty sad to see how we are being constantly shut down because we are supposly "careless or lazy". But I also feel relieved when we get to experience to listen to people like you, who truly believe and respect change. It's a privilege to share thoughts with you, congrats!!

[@Yomo_Kontabi]

I'm 20 and my voice has only recently gotten respect. When I was younger I had a lot of good ideas, but never felt comfortable sharing any of them because I knew they'd only fall on deaf ears. Thank you for this TED talk, you did very well.

[@susgra21]

The only thing U.S. high schools prepare kids for is passing standardized tests. There is no transition into adulthood, teens wake up one birthday suddenly deemed adults. My 18-yr old was ill-prepared for college, in spite of my best efforts. I tried; I had him start making independent decisions. He learned to drive, got a part time job, mentored younger students, had to take care of his own Dr. Appts., laundry, etc...but at the same time, his teachers insisted he raise his hand to speak, refused hall passes, made him walk in a line, stifled independent thinking, and never discussed navigating the world after graduation; how to pay bills, vote, wake up when no one cares if you even went to bed, attend a meeting, pay taxes, relate to professors, landlords, and other new authority figures in adult life, not even how to study as an adult (without Cliff's notes and bibliographies). He ended up with a 1.9 gpa his first year, overwhelmed by the newfound freedom. Lest you think it's just him, 70% of his friends at the university, all Gifted & Honor students, dropped out, too. He moved back home where he is thriving with a 3.5 gpa and a full time job, but now feels like a failure, although the system failed him. This young presenter may not have articulated it perfectly, but there is an important message here...recognizing that teens have big ideas (unencumbered by the jaded cynicism of maturity) and helping them transition more gradually into adulthood is an idea worth spreading.

[@Tigerlily15H]

It's sad that schools don't adequately prepare young people for the real world and yes, schools also stifle creativity and critical thinking.

[@supernova4460]

Posting this here 'cause I'm curious: Here in Germany we have to do a compulsory internship in the 9th or 10th grade: in the same year we learn how to write a CV in German and practice job interviews. We then have to seek out the internship spot completely independently and have 2-3 weeks off school to work. Does something like this exist in the US or UK?

[@rousah]

it doesnt in spain

[@heppareppana]

newsflash: THIS is ultra cringe

[@JoesGuy]

+Purla To the max.

[@vexienroe]

+Purla it was news!?

[@TheReaMrBurntSausage]

+Purla eh?

[@coolkid1901901]

+Purla I FULLY AGREE. ITS BECYUASE SHES A WOMAN TOO

[@coolkid1901901]

+Purla I FULLY AGREE. ITS BECYUASE SHES A WOMAN TOO

[@ngockimngan4823]

I'm seventeen now. I'm from Vietnam. This is nearly the same as my life. I love this. It is great.

[@mimineko1019]

Daaaamn, I'm 17 this month and this kid is speaking my mind!

[@letotemius]

I never raised my hand, not because I didn't know the answer or because I didn't want to be made fun of but because the questions were stupid: why should I raise my hand for the opportunity of telling everyone when WW1 happened? That's idiotic, it's written in bold in the textbook and everybody should know it. Maybe if teachers asked questions that require the students to think, like why academics think the assassination of the duke of Austria or wtv (that part of the lecture didn't stick haha) was the starting point of the war. Maybe I'm a cynic, or maybe I'm too much of an optimist, but to me expecting students to obediently raise their hands to answer stupid questions is an insult to their intellect.

[@JohnsGuineaPigs]

@Sloddervozzz lucky

[@huntersmoon7201]

Once a teacher asked us in 10th grade, " What is the name of the planet we live on?". As an "introductory question", I suppose.

[@kackabobkova1718]

Exactly!

[@emiliamazur5039]

Completely agree!

[@FairyCRat]

I'm 15 and I've felt the exact same thing for a very long time

[@mychannel594]

Yeah, of course, all young people feel that way. It's so hilarious you think you're so unique.

[@xKarmaYT]

I am also 17 and it fills me that there are still people in the adolescent stage with this type of thoughts. My respects to this woman.

[@ThaoPhuong-mt2pg]

She is 17 and she can stand there and talk like that .she is very confident

[@alisagarvin7782]

This is one of my favorite ted talks. I teach 3rd grade and basically preach the same thing as you are! I remember as a kid feeling so frustrated because NO one would listen to any of my ideas, thoughts or opinions. So I have promised my students to always listen to their thoughts, goals, dreams, ideas and opinions. Children, teenagers and adults are all people at the end of the day. As a 23 year old teacher I can also relate, a lot of teachers who have been in this profession a long time won't even humor my ideas..

[@rabiaarif4785]

I need my teachers to be like you :(

[@StarSong936]

Everyone who goes on this stage has something to share, no matter what it is. I don't expect anyone to be a genius, or have incredible wit, or even to be experienced. What matters, is you have something to share. For that fact alone, you have my attention. I may agree, or i may not, but you have my respect for the fact that you are willing to put yourself out there.

[@VietnameseDubbedClips]

+Daniel Gable well said. Wouldn't say I'd agree with her. But she deserves some respect to have the courage standing there

[@adiadv10]

+Daniel Gable Well said!

[@confusedsoul1226]

Now she is 22 . Isn't it amazing that she will have such a great memory of her 17s.

[@jacquelinekaiser1958]

5 years later, and this is the exact type of video I need to share with my students. Well done Kate! I can only imagine how much you have accomplished since this Tedx Talk.

[@maisiemclean]

Kate, this is wonderfully constructed. Through humility an poise, you explained your view point. In contrast to many comments, I found that you did not whine or complain or bash adults for what they do, you simply stated what is happening and why it should and can change. You showed strong emotion while remaining calm and collected. Fantastic presence and speech, and I can't wait to see the things you inspire and achieve.

[@Shiegao]

she will not achieve anything. She didn't whine or complain? how does a ignorant child coming in a room saying if we only thought of the children maybe give a little power to them or else its not fair and ill feel sad. This is not the display of maturity but the destruction of it the castration of her self esteem.

[@ashleymaria29]

I am 22 now, but when I was 17 I wasn't taken seriously, in my last years of high school. I have a learning disability so teachers had the worst expectations of myself. They told me that I would never get a job in retail, which I do. I wouldn't be working for cash; Which I am. Also, I wouldn't go to college. I graduated from college with a Makeup artistry certification. I am proving them all wrong. The point I am getting at is that when you're in your teens, grown up think they know your future and what you can do. The reason why Teens are not taken seriously is not because they don't know what they are talking about, but it hard for them to think of you as smarter. You just have to have the confidence in yourself to proof them wrong.

[@beatriznascimento8477]

What this girl says is so necessary!! I'm just 15 and I do believe in the power of my voice. I loved watching this video I've learned a lot from her. Plus I watched it without subtitles and I understood 95% of what she said.

[@darrylsheenan6745]

Thanks Kate, you have been one of the best TEDx Talk's i have heard yet, thank you and please keep pushing on the sides of The Box. Cheers.

[@firstgoldnamelastgoldname6802]

I think this girl just motivated me to start studying really

[@nduta7312]

I am a teacher and I approve this message...mostly

[@katieevans4444]

Why mostly? I'm just wondering what it is that you don't agree with.

[@ayesha6206]

Maybe elaborate on the 'mostly' ?

[@nduta7312]

she is on a TED talk because as a 17 year old,she has done more than just being 17..she has realized something...tried it,and seen that it works...and now..she is trying to spread this to other people.. I am not going o listen to you because you are 17,im not going to listen because you are 17,with something to say. ...and as a high school teacher, this is a good reminder on how i should deal with my students....

[@Mikhanator]

Cardboard cutting people's minds. Systematic oldschool teaching lol.

[@jessicaschreier1193]

She isn't alone in realizing this. It's not a groundbreaking discovery. It's a fact of life that people have been dismissing for a long time. Miss Simonds is simply giving voice to what many people feel or have felt as teenagers. The whole point of this talk is to encourage us to recognize that ALL teenagers are far more capable and intelligent and creative than society gives them credit for. You kinda missed the boat on this one.

[@illumi9044]

It feels great to have someone the same age as you giving ted talks while you struggle to do your homework everyday.

[@siennaordonez2381]

MOOD

[@racheld1082]

I'm 17 and I'm doing bad at school, I have exams in less than 20 days, I can't drive, I have assignments due next week that I've barly started, I don't have my license. I've experienced love, I've experienced hate, I've experienced heartbreak and pain. I'm trying to save the planet and I'm human Hi other humans 👋

[@fintanwatson8137]

It always disappointed me how less emphasis is based upon imagination and creativity as the grades rise...why is imagination considered a childish thing? Since it is so dismissed in this day and age, I find myself, frankly, shocked at the low level of creativity among my classmates. Even in English and the Arts, creativity and DEFINITELY originality are not valued at all; the teachers oft assume we have not developed our own creative styles at all. Instead of allowing my already expanded artistic ability to flourish and create meaningful artwork, I am constantly forced to copy other artists in a gruelling and dull process. What is the point of this? Has the modern education system discarded imagination to such a degree that they assume nothing can form from within ourselves? That we have no natural talent?

[@iclaimthisname9767]

I notice this too. In my art class, people who copy other artists' work create more 'impressive' artworks (because they copied it, of course. Not because of their skills) than the people who have original ideas but a poorer excecution because there is no picture that they can copy. The people that copy get higher grades than the people that are original and try to improve.

[@mrs.spoonchicken1505]

I have been experiencing this lately. For the start of the new school year one of my teachers had us make a "all about me" presentation. At my grade level everyone has caved into the cookie cutter mold of the public school system, and it pisses me off. Every single one of these presentations were the same thing. No one was different from someone else. This year I am striving for individually. I made my presentation completely different from everyone else's. This year for PSSA's (because I'm in cyber school, this is the only time I ever see my classmates) I'm going to show up in the most crazy ambitious outfits that'll make everyone question my sanity.

[@michaelatorn8380]

Actually copying is very good to learn, but i think teachers are using it the wrong way. I don't really care.

[@passengerprincesspodcast]

Ageism is real. Try getting an entry level job at 18. Even thought young people want to work and have energy to work hard, people don't hire them.

[@sgtsaudiarabia6393]

Moriah Green no

[@rhinoavocado1569]

Ew this is why adults think the youth is foolish

[@clem5005]

not to say about 16 or less, i've had a really hard time despite being motivated and willing to spend the rest of my energy to work

[@mija6116]

there are sooooo many young, motivated teachers that really want to teach and that have the energy to, but they don‘t get a job because of the even more older teachers that have to work until their retirement and can‘t leave but can‘t teach properly anymore because they don‘t have the energy or the motivation nor do they understand the students as good as someone closer to their age would .... and it‘s not fair to the students or the teachers

[@racrav7351]

True!

[@architectMd]

Oh goodness! Fabulous! High spirited! That’s the generation who is seeking accountability from its former! Will have to wake up to this thundering call of consciousness from our teens worldwide. Oh systematically the immense opportunities to them have been kept on being destroyed that they are demanding answers and hold on to responsibilities that earlier generation have failed, miserably! Lively Lovely Stunning Speech of awakening, through the topic, I am 17, by Kaye Simond ! Grand Salute to such dynamic teens, children, students, around the world who are desperately struggling to get creative concepts on board, that is the need of the hour, every Government in the world must qualify to meet and accomplish to prove their worthiness! God Almighty Bless!

[@henrypaige8841]

Yes!!!! Thank you so much! I can’t identify myself much with the problem, I’m supposing because this isn’t such a big problem in my country , but I can imagine it’s been helpful for quite a few of those people that feel that their voice must be heard. I’m so happy that you’ve been able to have this opportunity, as I’m supposing that sometime in you’re life you’ve also felt that you weren’t been heard or listened, but here you were able to go on stage in front of millions of people to say what you think. I’m sure you’ve inspired a lot of people and hopefully we’ll have more people like Greta or you in the world! Thanks!!!

[@hausofdeville]

wow she did a GREAT job and spoke with so much truth, I am proud of this girl

[@wangfluenza]

I'm a 17 year old and have always been very curious and opinionated, however as my opinions have been questioned just because of my age I've also got to the point where I don't value them and am not confident about what I know, which lead me to stop trying hard and being insecure of my intelligence.

[@thelifestorian]

Kate, I LOVE the conviction you brought to this talk. I'm 32 and feeling self-conscious about being tapped for a TEDx talk because I'm so young and haven't invented or discovered anything, who wants to listen to me? Thank you for giving me the courage to speak my convictions.

[@dr.tariko]

It's the best Ted Talks, I have ever listened.

[@potatonessyasss6666]

This is the most inspirational Ted talk I have ever seen congratulations Kate, I love you, keep spreading this message

[@mateatodorovski5892]

I’d been called ‘know-it-all’ so many times, just because I would raise my hand and answer the questions correctly or say my opinion about something. Why aren’t politicians called ‘know-it-all’s? I mean they seem like they know everything....

[@megaparsec7910]

Matea Todorovski, it is a good thing you are being engaged and learning. As the the political question, it is because they seem to have a louder voice. It’s a good thing that you rise above your peers! Keep learning, it really pays off!

[@nads9298]

Matea Todorovski same thing happens to me. Just because I know things that aren't taught in school, they call WHAT I SAY is a buff even after I tell that I learned that from a highly researched organisation like TED-ED and NASA.

[@joemenendez8030]

I genuinely promise you, you were not called a know it all for politely raising your hand and answering questions It was almost certainly your smug, arrogant attitude

[@k.c.2339]

I'm 15 and I love psychology, politics, and philosophy, I find it annoying when I get asked how did you know about all of that. Like I'm so special, like I'm so unique. And I also get told I am smart by other students in a way that says, I could never be like that. It's a shame not enough people are aware of this problem.

[@raquelemralino6641]

I love this one, thats why I always encourage my sister to be creative and don't listen too much to toxic society that making acountless of people self destructive. And I definitely relate to this.

[@jaydean796]

That was SO POWERFUL that it literally brought me to tears...and I am 42 years old. This could not have been said any better or more clear. Thank you for sharing your idea...it was heard! :)

[@spearmint4093]

Im so impressed by this girl! WOW. im 10 years older but i feel she is more mature than me...

[@abbie2174]

JE ENN obviously she is more matture if yor only 10 she been on this earth 7 years longer

[@camelopardalis84]

"older", not "old"

[@sanquiem324]

when people either dont read or aren't english but still try to correct people

[@himanshurijal6708]

Hahaha.

[@Prokomeni]

Aren't English

[@hannahperkins9886]

This is brilliant. So many teens have self doubt but just know that you have the power to achieve what you once thought was impossible. IF YOU CAN DREAM IT, YOU CAN DO IT.

[@suksinlavigne7716]

What a brilliant teen..saluuut up student. I gained priceless ideas from you as a teacher for my 13 years old students that I should listen them up, I should believe them, I should respect them as they are. Thanks kid