High school is one of the most anticipated times for a teen. It is a time where you live care free, hang out with friends, and come to discover your path in life. That is what the majority of teens actually experience. There is another side a high school life, a dark side of high school, where teens experience some of the most unpleasant and unmentionable situations that scar them mentally for the rest of their lives.
Prisonworld LIVE, a motivational speaking tour that speaks to middle and high schools, DRUG COURTS, juvenile facilities, group homes, families in crisis, and non-profit organizations alike about the teen experience and the importance of making better decisions. “As adults, we have all had the teen experience. My high school experience was good and bad. I shared that with my three boys 17, 19 and 21 in hopes to make their experiences the best possible. I did not give in to peer pressure like smoking and drinking, but I was bullied. I had to make hard choices to stay away from people who called themselves my friends. Being a cheerleader made me popular. Being smart made me disliked. Being small made me a target. Who better to give advice than someone who has endured it all? Once I tell my story and how I got through it, it really inspires the kids to keep their heads up.” says Jenny Triplett, co-producer of Prisonworld LIVE.
Natasha MacBryde, a 15 year old who committed suicide by walking in front of a train after a relentless campaign of cyberbullying, is just one of numerous teens who are succumbing to the torture that teens are enduring on a daily basis. In the new age of technology, kids are finding ways to push buttons of those who are just trying to live their lives and exist on a daily basis.
Sex drugs and rock-n-roll was a phrase that defined a generation. Sexting will now be a defining term of teens in the new millennium. Exposing your body parts to the opposite sex, or even the same sex, is a new phenomenon that has rejuvenated and brought satisfaction to raging hormones. Reports of unwanted sexual advances have increased as well as reports of teens actually having sex in class and those who have made pregnancy pacts.
“I come from a home with six boys. Our hormones were off the chain but these teens have taken things to a whole new level. We never exposed ourselves in any way to girls and they may have wanted to be touched but we did that with caution. It just seems that these teens are so wild and free and are just letting it all hang out. They are worse than the seventies, eighties and nineties put together. I remember when coming to school pregnant use to be an embarrassment. When the school found out, you would have to leave and go to a special school. Now it’s so common that some schools come with daycares. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and all of these other social networks needs better monitoring by parents. Parents have a responsibility to guide and protect. As adults, we have to start the conversation, open the conversation, and keep the conversation going. That is what we did with our three boys and I am proud to say that I have no “baby daddies” for sons.” says Rufus Triplett, co-producer of Prisonworld LIVE.
In 2008, teens took to YOUTUBE to rally other teens to get involved with a pregnancy pact. Eight teens in Boston made national news by becoming pregnant at the same time. Their high profile coverage resulted in appearances on several national talk shows and eventually spawned the show Teen Mom on MTV. The conversation was started and opened to teens to express their feelings as to prevent another such happening. In 2010, another pregnancy pact made national news when seven teenage girls decided to get pregnant all at the same time. The work is far from over. Prisonworld LIVE continues the conversation.
Rufus and Jenny Triplett are co-Editors-in-Chief of Prisonworld Magazine, which is published by Dawah International, LLC, a multimedia company. The magazine is printed on a bi-monthly basis and has a yearly readership of 350,000. They are co-hosts and co-producers of the weekly radio show the Prisonworld Radio Hour. The Triplett’s are co-authors of their soon to be released publication – Have You Seen My Innocence – A Story of Teenage Life, Love & Lust. It is schedule to be released the end of this month and will be available on their website and Amazon.com. For more information about Prisonworld LIVE log onto www.dawahinc.com.For booking please contact Jenny Triplett – 678-233-8286 or send a request with all of the details of your event to [email protected].
