I don't know if this is just me, but I'm constantly being told that I won't 'understand' certain things because I'm just a teenager as if age has everything to do with mental capacity. I know for a fact that I can understand some things just as competently (if not more) than some adults; of course I'm no brainiac but I have a genuine curiosity about the world and I do research all the time about topics that interest me in the world.

It's easy as a teenager to fall into the stereotype that all we need to know is schoolwork and social media, because you -yes you- have the mental capacity to learn so much more. Culturing yourself about topics can be so beneficial to your life, and also make you stand out in an amazing way. Finding topics you enjoy and really researching them will enrich your life so much, and understanding about other parts of the world and other cultures will make you a more rounded person.

Of course having random facts about YouTubers or celebrities can be useful when talking to people, also being able to add things to intellectual conversations is really important and means you can surprise people.

The easiest way I learn about new things is to watch documentaries because they're usually only an hour or so long, and yet packed with interesting information. I also love reading books, so if I'm interested in something I like to read books about them. Don't feel a pressure to like and learn about something because everyone else knows about it, find things you actually want to learn about.

Recently, I've started researching the books I'm reading and gaining a deeper understanding about the books which may sound really nerdy but now I can tell you all about the symbolism in beloved classics as well as motifs etc that aren't usually taught in schools. And isn't that impressive?

So rule twelve of surviving Teenagehood: even if it's just researching Jacob Satorius, try and learn about something new.