16 Random Things You Should Probably Know About Today's Teens

We asked: "Do you pass notes or is it all digital now?"

The overwhelming response for this was that it doesn't really happen. Thanks to texting and mobile apps like Snapchat and Kik, sending messages to one another has turned digital and become much quicker. While a few responded that passing notes still happens, others suggested that it's only when somebody wants "to be cute" or when their phone isn't close by.

We asked: "How do you actually function in school with all your technological devices?"

What we found is that if phones ARE allowed (many schools seemingly have a ban on them), they are definitely distracting, but it's all in how you use them.

Some pull out their phone to pass time during class or after a test, while others use it to access their homework or class assignments, since everything is quickly becoming more digital. One response, though, made the advantages of having technology at your fingertips more clear:

"When the teacher writes a slide of instructions and gives you 15 seconds to look at it, rather than scribble it down, you can snap a picture of it."

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is note-taking (and copying homework) in 2015.

Fun discovery: The current fashion trend among teens actually came from two separate questions: "What's considered a new fashion trend?" and "What 'retro' things are cool now?"

Even though there were no definitive answers to these questions — which is not that surprising considering fashion trends tend to shift regionally — here are some of the top responses:

Hippie attire

Tattoo chokers/choker necklaces

High-waisted shorts

Silver/lilac/ombre hair

Crop tops

We asked: "Who's the most popular celebrity?"

While several commenters said it varies from group to group — which makes perfect sense — the runaway winner was Kim Kardashian, followed by Taylor Swift and Beyoncé.

We asked: "Which celebrities get made fun of the most?"

The amount of people who nominated Justin Bieber for this was staggering. Iggy Azalea was mentioned a couple times, but it really wasn't even close.

So if the teens don't like Bieber...does anyone?

We asked: "What do you think of Britney Spears?"

Britney Spears was the biggest teen pop star to emerge in the late 1990s, meaning she was THE celebrity for my generation. Nowadays? Not so much. Here are some of the responses:

"Just another promising celebrity corrupted by fame."

"Most people just know her as the girl who shaved her head and took drugs..."

"Still somewhat relevant, but only for her older songs."

"I know some of her songs, like the super popular ones... but I'm no huge fan."

"She's not that current, but is the judge for America's Got Talent? Or The X Factor? Has she stopped making music? Can she still sing?"

"Overrated and she stopped being queen after a while tbh."

And thankfully...

"I personally love her. Long live the princess of pop."

We asked: "How popular is vaping?"

In certain areas, smoking e-cigarettes is becoming popular, but many teenagers feel that vaping is for twentysomethings. This came as a surprise, considering the New York Times just published an article saying that "E-cigarettes have arrived in the life of the American teenager." Turns out, that's a little misleading. It's more like e-cigarettes are arriving, rather than arrived, as one reader points out:

"I find vaping is more popular in people in their twenties because it's sill easier for teens to get a pack of smokes than it is for them to get a vape."

We asked: "Honestly, how often do you guys sext each other?"

While many indicated that it's "not that much," it seems that sending sexual text messages has been replaced with sexy Snapchats. And there's an emphasis on sexy, as one reader claims that "full-on nudes are rare."

So in the least-surprising news, teenagers are still horny.

We asked: "What teen stereotype would you like to debunk?"

Even though there were a variety of responses, there was one common theme: They want to be taken seriously.

Many of the issues involving teenagers seem to get blown up because of social media. Dumb mistakes are now instantly shared worldwide on Twitter and Instagram, reinforcing the thought that today's teens are ignorant, irresponsible, and immature. Sure, some definitely fall into this category, but many feel it's unfair to judge them for this, considering this kind of extreme access into people's lives wasn't available before.

Another component of this was the perceived notion of their dependence on technology, as one teenager points out: "A lot of people think that we have taken the internet and social media as replacements for people" — when, in reality, technology helps them keep in touch with not only their friends, but their family, as well. *cough* Facebook *cough*

As a final note, here is a stereotype one teenager would like to debunk:

"That we hate adults and that we don't want to talk to you!"