An original speech, written by our student Siah Mittal.

Siah is 13 years old, a young orator from Gurugram. We are proud to have her as a student of the Little Kathakar Program, an Online Public Speaking through Applied Storytelling & Theatre Program under the mentorship of Trainer Khusshbo Chokhaani. We congratulate Siah for this exemplary true self-expression.

Why Can’t Teenagers Make Good Friends For Life?

Have you ever had a friend whom you trust but suddenly, one fine day they break it? Well, one of the reasons why teenagers can’t make good friends for life is because at this stage many teenagers want to be popular and as soon as they get the opportunity of being friends with popular kids or even a larger group of friends, they grab it. Teenagers suffer from “Attention-Grabbing Syndrome” which makes them unaware of the healthy and unhealthy friendships available around them. They choose to be with the glamorous ones. Teens don’t value the friends they already have until they lose them.

This happened with my best friend Meera. We have been friends since playgroup, as in 10 years. Recently she started to become good friends with this popular girl in the school named Dhea. They both became best friends. I was happy for Meera. But on her birthday Dhea didn’t wish her, and she felt angry and gloomy at the same time. She realized that Dhea never really cared about her much. Meera would mostly come up to Dhea and talk to her. If she didn’t, Dhea wasn’t bothered. I then explained to her that since you were so naïve, Dhea could easily gain your trust. She also realized that when she went to gain the attention of this popular friend she started losing me. You should never be so gullible that you give another person so much power that they can easily break your trust.

My dear fellow teenagers, I understand that the teenage period is hard and tumultuous, but at this juncture, robust friendship is going to be our strongest pillar of support. Friends are the only cement that will hold us together. We need to trust our friends and not flow with the glamorous part of the world. Friendship is just like a seed that needs constant watering, sun, and air in the form of love, trust, and presence only then it shall bloom. I believe that even if you want to make more friends, never leave the hands of the friends you already have.

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