My friends are fans of this boy band. They watch their videos everyday and talk about the guys as if they’re dating them. They’ve become obsessed with everything about them. To who they’re dating, what they like and don’t like, etc. And if I say anything about the member who is their bias, they get angry at me and say I don’t appreciate the band. Don’t get me wrong, I am a fan of this band too, but they take it way overboard. It’s really getting out of hand. I am tired of looking at them on television every day and hearing about them from sun up to sun down. They have basically taken over their lives. We live together but I don’t know if I can take this anymore. What should I do? Is there anything I can do to help them?
CONSIDER THIS:
- Living with people who seem to value “untouchables” over everyday reality can make you feel frustrated and confused. You are smart for seeing the situation for what it is and trying to solve the problem.
- If you need someone to talk to, you can head to the Teen Central website and click the Help tab to call a hotline or textline. You may also click the other tabs called Stories, Learn, Tools and Help.
- Some people live meaningless lives and don’t realize that life could be a lot better. You can kindly, and without judgment, suggest that you do a more meaningful activity, such as volunteering. You can find volunteer opportunities online and in your area by visiting websites like Volunteermatch.
- If your friends don’t want to take their minds off the boy band, you might want to find better friends who are on your level. A real friend will genuinely care about you as a person, let you be yourself and won’t try to change you, has real goals and a positive mindset about life.
- You can find meaningful activities to do on your own. This may be doing creative hobbies, using spiritual techniques like prayer, meditation or yoga, or doing a fun volunteer opportunity. You can also read an inspiring book, or join a school club or sports team.
- You can try to encourage your friends all you want to about what’s really important in life, but in the end people make their own decisions no matter how much it might ruin their lives. Luckily, you have the power to use your own time wisely by doing the right thing and making smart decisions that will lead to a better future for yourself. In order to live the life you really want, you need to get away from the people who bring you down because they can affect you in ways you don’t even realize.
HELP YOURSELF:
- How can taking too much time to help people who don’t want to change their lives for the better become a waste of time?
- In what ways can having friends who share your opinions, beliefs and goals change your life for the better?
- How can focusing on helping others through volunteering be a healthier, more worthwhile way to spend your time on people?
- What are some things you can learn from observing the foolish lives your friends live by obsessing over a silly boy band? In what ways can you be better than this?
