Teenagers are teenagers. It’s amazing how teenagers from different countries, who speak different languages, and who come from different cultures, can immediately connect and understand each other.
This week, we have had the privilege of hosting a French exchange student through my daughter’s high school. We are also getting a chance to meet the other French exchange students who are staying with other host families from the school.
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The town that the students come from is 3,995 miles away from Raleigh. Yet, somehow, the French and American teens dress alike, they are all addicted to Snapchat, and they share the same funny, private jokes with one another.
I’ve watched them interacting, and I’ve been struck by the fact that even though there is a language barrier, they connect through the language of being teenagers. And that is something that is not defined by your words, the country where you come from, or your culture.
This reminds me that we all have more in common than we think we do.
It was amazing how quickly these girls begin interacting with one another and engaging on a very personal level. If only adults could master these same skills—connecting with other people who are different than we are and figuring out our common ground. We would surely solve a lot of the world’s problems together. And social media would be a much kinder, gentler place instead of a battleground for opposing views.
My favorite interaction was when the girls started playing charades the other night after dinner. They were already at an inherent disadvantage because they had different pop culture references and different words to describe what they were trying to say.
But each presentation caused them all to deteriorate into belly laughter on my couch. After all, there is nothing more universal than the language of laughter ...
Amanda is the mom of two, a reporter for WRAL-TV and the author of several books including some on motherhood. Find her here on Mondays.