Have you ever heard of that loner in high school who had no friends? Maybe you are imagining the "nerd" who ate lunch in the bathroom or always sat alone. Maybe you were that person. Don't you think that life would've turned out a bit differently for them if they would've had a group of people who stood by them? A group of people with similar passions and interests? If they were given a little push to join a club or to be around people that understood them, maybe they would feel more at home in a scary place like high school. I strongly agree that it should be mandatory for students to participate in extracurricular activities in school. Not only does it provide a safe community for those who might need it most, it also provides people with life long friends, and could lead to a healthier lifestyle.

As sad as it is, sometimes home isn't the best place for kids. People might seem fine, but in reality, they could have a terrible home life. Whether it is abuse, addiction, divorce, or just plain fighting, home could truly be a scary place. Sometimes when things get hard for teenagers, they might turn to drugs, drinking, or partying as a coping mechanism. Behaviors like these are dangerous to the teenagers themselves and people around them. Even though this may seem like an extreme, some kids go as far as joining gangs or running away from home as a way to escape what's truly happening to them. Joining a club could really help kids like this. Having something to look forward to, or having a place to go after school could be very beneficial. Children might discover passions that they never knew they even had. Kids who have been hurt from a young age might think that everyone lets them down or that no one truly cares about them. Having a safe haven with people who push you to succeed and never give up on you, could be the best thing to ever happen to them.

Another benefit of being in an extracurricular activity is making friends. High school can be a terrifying place for people who are perceived as "different." From a young age, you are taught to fit in. Being "weird" or being "special" sets you apart from others. As soon as someone brands you as the "weird kid," you are stuck with that title for a long time. Whether you look different, act different, or are just plain shy, it can be difficult to make genuine friends in a place with people who are artificially perfect. Being around people who you know will accept you and understand you is crucial when growing up. We are still figuring out who we are and who we are going to be. Having people look at you funny can put certain things into question, that they might have ever even noticed before.

Being in a space where everyone shares the same values, and where everyone has the same goal, could be an amazing thing to happen to someone. They will no longer feel like an outcast when everyone starts to see eye to eye. Feeling alone in the world is such a scary thing when you are young. Having a place where they can be themselves, is what every child deserves.

Something that teens have and are still facing to this day is negative body image. Unrealistic standards of beauty are hazardous for young people's mental health. In this day and age, pretty much every teenager is on social media. Teenage brains are still developing and are very impressionable, and all the information that we see is immediately stuck with us for a long time. Seeing models or just thin people on our phones for hours, can be one of the most dangerous things that could happen to someone's well being. Society forces young people, especially young girls, to look a certain way. If they don't fit that mold, they are told that they are ugly, fat, or disgusting. Forcing people to only see one example of what the human body should look like is one of the worst mistakes that we have collectively made as a society.

Pictures, videos, and billboards show one type of person. Skinny. They don't show the reality of it. They don't show what they looked like before. They don't tell you how that person got like that. All they do is show a skinny person smiling trying to sell you products to make you look like them. Whether the product are diet pills, waist trainers, or some type of cleanse, things like these are exactly why so many people fall into eating disorders. So many young people starve themselves or purge to look like the people they see on an everyday basis. People miss out on what it feels like to just be a kid. They shouldn't feel guilty for eating a slice of cake or drinking one can of soda. They shouldn't second guess every eating decision that they make. In a world where both obesity, and unhealthy eating habits are the norm, it is hard to find a medium. Being involved in a sport that you enjoy can help fix problems like these. It is way better for your body to exercise instead of depriving yourself from food. Finding a sport that they love and are good at is important to start leading a healthier lifestyle. Not only will they be able to find people who love it as much as they do, forming a strong bond with people who check up on them can help them heal and get better.

In conclusion, making extracurricular activities mandatory for students could be really beneficial for them. Having a place to feel comfortable is exactly what a kid needs. It helps them to have a safe place to go, make friendships that will last forever, and it could even promote a healthier lifestyle. Piggybacking to my earlier statment, do you feel like life would've been easier for those people who just couldn't seem to properly fit in with the rest, had they been granted the opportunity to be in a place where they could be themselves?