Teenagers: Don’t Succumb to Cheating, It’s Not Cool

Cherish Kalilikane
31 OCT 11
RD3
Teenagers: Don’t Succumb to Cheating, It’s Not Cool

From the beginning of a child’s education they are taught honesty as the best policy. People are deemed unethical if they use unorthodox ways to get their way such as lying or cheating. Teenagers cheating on their tests are greatly increasing every year.  These teens believe they are safe from getting caught and lead impulsively.  “It is very easy to point fingers at media, celebrities, divorced or single parents, working mothers, and "liberal" attitudes toward things like sex, drugs and alcohol. Much too easy. But the things that disenfranchise youth and lead them astray are rarely that simple. In fact, the tactic of laying blame at convenient targets usually only makes the problem worse. “(Teen advice, p.2) [THESIS] A teenager’s choice to lie will be greatly detrimental to their future and will carry through their lives. [THESIS]

Teenagers fail to realize that cheating on a test or lying about something can greatly impact their future. If they are successful in not getting caught, teenagers have a feeling of empowerment and tend to lie and cheat more often because they feel they can get away with it.  In Mundell’s reading it states,”Still, shame may not put the brakes on fibbing as deadlines loom. According to Ferrari, when asked 'would you stop lying?' even the most guilt-ridden excuse-makers said, "No, I feel guilty, but I'd do it again."(Mundell, p.1) As quoted by a lying student they will even agree that since it is easy to cheat they are willing to do so even if there is a little residual guilt.  Teenagers that lie and get away with it grow to be college students that make fibs to receive lenience towards late homework.  The negative attitude that is formed as a teenager slowly becomes a personality trait of the person. This attitude makes it acceptable in their eyes to lie about other facets of their lives. Personal lives are greatly affected by lies and can breakup relationships as well as cause problems in a person’s career.

As college students finish school and become career-oriented their school ethic transitions to their work ethic. Telling a boss an excuse as to why you couldn’t meet quota on time will not get you a free pass, it will lead you to finding a new job. The long-term consequences of lying in our personal and working relationships are like the story of A Boy Who Cried Wolf. The boy kept yelling wolf while there was no wolf around and as the story goes, when there was a real wolf by him no one believed him. A person can’t lie and get away with it all the time eventually they will get caught.  Once a person gets caught in a lie they are immediately looked at in a different light and it takes a lot for that light to change back into a positive one. It’s true that when someone lies it takes a hundred truths to make themselves believable again. Lie isn’t only what you say it is also what you don’t say. Lying by omission is a very debatable subject, one that I strongly believe is true. As Robert Gornichec says, “I think following the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," is always the best way to respond in most situations.” If there is something you are holding back from a person that could possibly help their situation I believe you acting unethical and you are lying. If it is questionable that you are lying or not you can answer the problem by asking yourself, “if the roles were reversed would I want to know the information?”

Long-term consequences of lying start to become more evident as a liar goes through life. Lying to people makes them not trust you and makes anything you say unbelievable. By lying you are making it known to everyone that you are untrustworthy and people aren’t going to come to you for any kind of help or advice. It is important to be honest as a teenager because it sets you up for success in the long run. Being honest in you tests and quizzes allows you to know where you are in the learning process and helps you realize the areas you need to study more. As you gain more knowledge and continue to college being honest will help you become trustworthy to your teachers and allow them to be a favorable terms with you so they can help you if you’re struggling. Consequences of being honest in our personal and working relationships are, in my opinion, all positive outcomes. If someone is honest they are also trustworthy because they will “tell you like it is”. I would rather have an honest friend that is brutal about their statement but true, then a lying friend that is willing to throw me “under the bus” to support their own opportunities.

Being able to be honest throughout your life will set you up for successful consequences. As one would assume the word consequences seem to have negative connotations, I believe that in the case of honesty consequences of being honest has a positive connotation. Teenagers who feel empowered by getting away with lying only grow to college students who feel a need to make little fibs to vie for extra time on their work. These college students transition to their careers and feel as though they can get away with lying in the workplace. Eventually these liars are weeded out of the workplace because liars will never be perfect in their lying. It’s hard to remember a lie; it’s easy to remember the truth.  Honesty in our personal and working relationships lead to positive consequences such as having true friends you can count on and not be lied to. Indeed it is true, honesty is the best policy.

Works Cited

Mundell, E.J. "Professors Beware: College Kids Lying 70 Percent of Time." _Reuters Health_. Filippo A. Salustri Webpage. Ryerson University. 19 June 2003 <http://deed.megan.ryerson.ca/~fil/t/articles/cheaters03.html>.

"TEEN ADVICE." Teen Advice - Advice and Community For Teens. Web. 31 OCT 2011. <http://teenadvice.about.com/library/weekly/aa012501a.htm>.

Gornichec, Robert. "Laulima." Laulima. 21 Oct. 2011. Web. 31 OCT. 2011. <https://laulima.hawaii.edu/portal/tool/e24f70fd-6ce1-4c3b-8cb9-78e4e4cff63d/posts/list/410566.page>.