Happy Saturday, and welcome to Inside Voices, a weekly newsletter that features a collection of ideas, perspectives and solutions from across Utah — without any of the vitriol or yelling that’s become all too common on other platforms. Subscribe here.
Young Utahns have been the focus of many recent news stories. We’ve heard about their cell phone usage, their anxiety and their future employment.
We hear what their parents, their teachers and their lawmakers have to say, but — too often — we don’t hear directly from these Utahns.
The Salt Lake Tribune partnered with student journalists at Highland High School in Salt Lake City and asked them to share their own perspectives, their fears, their dreams and their wishes for their communities.
I was blown away by how open and vulnerable these young students were willing to be, and I sincerely hope you’ll read their stories below — and share them with your networks.
I want to spend less time on my phone. Parents and teachers make it impossible.
“Beyond the eyes buried in screens are teenagers itching to make a change to our bad habits, but we just can’t seem to get away from the daily usage of screens,” writes Hillary Kimble. “We are known as the ‘problem,’ and we’re told that we are addicted to our screens, but the problem we should really be considering is how to break the chain of screen time when the world constantly demands we pull out our phones.” Read more.
Embracing diversity in beauty will help girls like me
“I’m a 16-year-old Vietnamese-Mexican girl growing up on Salt Lake City’s east bench. I have black hair and melanated skin. I don’t blend in with my white peers, and I never will,” writes Lien Hoa Torres. I’m not alone in feeling othered — most of the girls I know struggle with or have struggled with body dysmorphia and eating disorders because of the unrealistic expectations of what a Utah girl should look like.” Read more.
The American dream is becoming my generation’s nightmare
“Once a staple of life, this dream is now nothing but the lonely aspirations of a dreary night — primarily because the cost of the American dream has far outpaced the realities of wages,” writes Luca DiGregorio. “Nowhere is this more clear than in the cost of a higher education.” Read more.
Yes, Gen Z is anxious. Can you blame us?
“I believe that part of the reason so many of us young people experience anxiety is our access to information,” writes Naomi Parnell. “We’re hit with all these adult issues constantly without the lived experience, maturity or skills to compartmentalize — we’re not taught how to not obsess over the bad things.” Read more.
At 17, I’m torn between choosing a career for love or money
“I am torn between a major that will propel me toward medical school and one that will satisfy my love of literature,” writes Jane Jardine. “Although it costs more money to go to school longer to become a doctor, it can pay so much more in the long run compared to whatever I do with an English major. With my high school experience coming to a close, and limited time to explore what interests I have, I feel pressured into choosing a career that I love or one that simply pays well. It seems harder than ever to have both.” Read more.
As a non-LDS teen in Utah, I feel disconnected. The solution seems simple.
“I can’t speak for everyone, but I personally have experienced being ghosted and left out from group activities with my Latter-day Saint peers,” writes Anna Moreno. “Most of the kids on my street are Latter-day Saints. When I first moved into my house five years ago, these girls were inclusive, kind and welcoming. But as time went on, it felt like there was an invisible wall separating us.” Read more.
Utah teens shouldn’t have to pick a career so early
“Immaturity thrives in our youth, and students being forced to choose a career to focus on when they are in middle school is leading to disaster,” writes Lucy Smith. “Our minds are constantly changing and developing, they aren’t fully developed until we are about 25. Students shouldn’t have to choose their path before they have figured out who they want to be.” Read more.
Read more about these high schoolers’ perspectives and experiences.
Utah Voices
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) A sign indicates a book for sale at Barnes and Noble that has been banned in Utah public schools in Salt Lake City Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024.
The following excerpts come from letters to the editor recently published in The Tribune.
Why book bans make one Utahn smile
“In this world of screens and entertainment overload designed to only hold your attention for seconds at a time, I kind of have to begrudgingly applaud any move that inspires children to read. Even if it’s the opposite of the intent of our elected leaders’ self-righteous virtue signaling,” writes Matt in Sandy. Read more.
A ‘gnarlier and nastier red snake’ in Big Cottonwood Canyon
“Parking lots are a major known source of water pollution. Solitude’s proposed parking lot, an impervious breeding ground for oil, grease, and chemical runoff, would harm a precious watershed that supplies clean drinking water to millions of Salt Lake Valley residents,” write Alex and Annie in Millcreek. “Additional parking means additional cars. Of what benefit could a gnarlier and nastier ‘red snake’ of traffic possibly be?” Read more.
Why the Utah Jazz need a new CEO
“It’s time for Ryan Smith to fire Danny Ainge,” writes Tim in Torrey. “The fifth-place finish in the NBA lottery was the last straw. This guy’s ideas have gone nowhere. Most depressingly, he has erased the mantra of overachievement that had hung over the Utah Jazz since the Frank Layden days. They were always the small-market team that exceeded expectations.” Read more.
Utah seniors — and pets — ‘need your help’
“[Meals on Wheels] funding sources are diverse,” writes Beth in Salt Lake City. “However, recent reductions have decreased our ability to provide pet food to clients. A small percentage receive a quart sized bag of cat or dog food, once a week.” Read more.
Share Your Perspective
What topics would you like to see covered in The Tribune’s Voices space? Who would you most like to hear from? Let me know!
From Bagley’s Desk
I’m always looking for unique perspectives, ideas and solutions that move our state forward. Learn more about our guidelines for an op-ed, guest essay, letter to the editor and more here, and drop me a note at [email protected].