Seventeen Magazine
12-06
Are you addicted to attention?
When you're going to a party, you always:
O. arrive on time. You think it's rude to be late
O. come an hour late. You want to make sure everyone sees your entrance.
O. arrive 15 minutes late. You want to make sure at least some people are there
to see you arrive.
When you get dressed for school in the morning, how do you pick out your
outfit?
O. You choose something different that will make you stand out from everyone
else at school.
O. You choose an outfit based on the weather and how comfortable you'll feel
wearing it.
O. You choose something that matches the current trends at your school.
You're walking in the hallway at school when someone runs into you and
knocks your books out of your arms. You:
O. scream at them and tell them to get out of your face.
O. say "Hey, watch it" and move on.
O. pick up your books and keep on walking.
You're at your friend's house and her parents go out for the night. She
opens the fridge to offer you a beer. How do you react?
O. You drink as much as you can until your friend worries you might be too
drunk.
O. You drink a little, but try to stay in control. What would people say if you got in
trouble for drinking?
O. You take a beer and pretend to drink it, but don't actually take a sip.
Dyeing your hair hot pink:
O. doesn't appeal to you.
O. seems a bit over the top. You'd love to dye your hair a more natural color.
O. sounds like a great way to get noticed!
How often do you scream at your parents or siblings to stay out of your
room if they even approach the door?
O. Frequently
O. Sometimes
O. Almost never
Your parents seem to ignore you a lot. Sometimes you feel that you need to
do something really on the edge--like smoking, drinking, trying drugs,
cutting yourself, or having sex with your boyfriend--to get their attention.
Does this statement describe how you feel?
O. No
O. Somewhat
O. Yes
Lunchtime! What happens when you walk into the school cafeteria?
O. You just walk in and find a table. You don't really pay attention to what else is
going on.
O. You stand at the door and look around for about five minutes before you find a
table. You want to see everyone and be seen!
O. You notice people as you walk to your table and say hello as you pass.
When you're in class, you:
O. might make an occasional joke to your classmates, but you would never talk
back to the teacher.
O. only say things that are on topic with what your teacher is talking about.
O. mouth off to the teacher, and often get detention for it.
When you're dating a guy, you:
O. tell everyone you're dating him and tell other girls to back off.
O. don't tell anyone about your relationship until they ask.
O. tell your friends you're dating him, but don't spread the news to the entire
school.
Attention Grabber
Flirting, wearing bright clothes, being fashionably late. Sound like you? These are
just some of the ways you try to get attention. You definitely like to have all eyes
on you, but luckily you are not addicted to getting this attention--you could live
without it if you needed to. Take some time to think about why you want attention
and make sure there are no underlying reasons (like low self-esteem) you're
trying to get others to pay attention to you. If you know it's just innocent that you
like to be at the center of things every once in awhile, go ahead and keep on
flirting! It doesn't hurt to get noticed!
One of 17 Experts, Sedahlia Jasper Crase, Ph.D, professor of human
development and family studies, Iowa State University, Ames, IA