Throughout my years of middle school and high school I have noticed a habit that many of my peers have. This habit is indeed cringe-worthy and an embarrassment to all teenagers. This would be the habit of labeling oneself by means of where you stand on the political scale or religion when you don’t understand the meaning behind these labels. Most teens hear these words from their parents and then figure, “well, if my parents agree then I must too.”

Do you know where each political party stands on certain issues? If not, I wouldn’t be too quick in labeling yourself as a Democrat or Republican. In a science class in eighth grade we were supposed to complete a quiz to see which side of the political spectrum we stand on. This happened in my Civics class freshman year as well.

I noticed a lot of people being quick to deem themselves a Republican. Afterwards, I saw some of them shocked to see their results leaning toward liberal. Please, if you don’t know the difference between conservative and liberal or can’t name one other political party besides Democrat or Republican, then first, don’t label yourself as one, and second, educate yourself. The U.S. could always use more educated voters, so look up issues and decide your stance.

Another thing teens tend to mislabel themselves with is religion. Some people label themselves because their parents tell them to and then neglect to practice the religion. If you’re going to call yourself religious then you should practice that religion and make sure you know enough about it to actually believe in it.

I believe all religions and beliefs should be respected, unless there’s no reason or knowledge behind these beliefs. I challenge all teens to question their beliefs. Delve deeper into the topics and stories. Do your research and know why you stand for whatever you do.