Sabrina Bokeya 
We continue with our series of articles on what it’s like to be a teenage writer from a writing club in Fairbairn College, Cape Town, South Africa. Today, Sabrina Bokeya shares her thoughts with us, giving us more insight following Caylin Vermeulen‘s words.
What it’s like writing as a teen in this modern society by Sabrina Bokeya
In a generation where technology is always advancing, and AI has taken over everything, writing can be seen as a waste of time. AI can literally formulate an essay just by you simply asking a question. With that said, why would you still want to write? How would that even benefit you? Isn’t it just a waste of time?
If you think about it, who writes in full sentences anyway? People have found ways to shorten their messages to acronyms like lol, wdym, wud, etc. It’s gotten to the point where a whole sentence consists of an acronym, and you might even need to Google the meaning.
Even though this way of sending messages can be convenient when you need to send a message in a hurry, it does come with its downsides. People don’t even know how to spell properly or the difference between formal and informal language. This is something that is essential to know, especially when you’re in a formal setting and not just chilling with your friends at school. Writing is more than just using big words that nobody understands.
I started writing about two years ago. I have always loved reading and poetry but never really thought I could ever write anything great. One day, I was bored in one of my classes and thought it would be cool to attempt to write a poem. I wrote that poem and never stopped writing since. Writing is my way of expressing myself. I’m not one who likes to talk about anything, but I will 100% write about it. I believe that sometimes it’s difficult to fully express ourselves verbally because of the pressure to say it all in that one moment. With writing, you can take your time and give a more in-depth perspective on what you actually want to say.
However, writing is not something that I talk to people about. Normally, when I do tell people I write, they’d usually ask what I write about. A crush? My feelings? School-related things? I usually don’t have an answer because I don’t write about anything specific, and that’s another thing I love about writing. You’re not restricted to any rules or have limitations on how or what you should write. You have all the control as the author, and it’s up to everyone else to decide what your writing means to them.
Another great thing about writing is that you can write for a specific audience. In the same way that listening to a song when you’re sad can comfort you, writing can do that, too. There are so many books written that can make you feel seen, and as a writer, it inspires me to write more.
People always say you should follow a career path that aligns with your interests, but sometimes that specific career might not be seen as a “real job”. In a world where maths and science are often seen as the only way to succeed, following your passions can be difficult. As someone who does maths and science, I wouldn’t mind going into such a field, but I wouldn’t want to leave writing out of the picture. It’s difficult to focus on writing and improving your writing skills when you simultaneously have to work on something that will actually benefit you.
Sometimes, you don’t even have time to write because you’re too focused on school. Some even drift away from their passion simply because they are not able to showcase it, and it feels as if their talent is going to be wasted. People don’t necessarily encourage the youth and teens to write and do things that they think are not beneficial to them and their future. But there are so many talented people who will succeed simply because of their talents, such as being able to write. But they do not know that because they don’t get an opportunity or have support to follow their dreams.
Society needs to encourage teens to follow their passion no matter what it is. Writing is an art that needs to be showcased more especially amongst teens. There are so many creative minds with skills that will help them to achieve great things in life. Writing is truly something that should be appreciated more. I love writing and would love to put my writing out there one day. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll write a book and possibly publish it. We’ll just have to see what the future of writing holds for teens, including myself.
