On some recent weekends, I wandered around the Santa Monica Pier asking people what they were afraid of. Even as they described their biggest fears, many of the awesome girls I met laughed and posed for my camera. Here’s what they shared with me.
Sabrina, 14: Bodies of water. I don’t swim.
Marina, 13: Being in front of large crowds.
Tiana, 14: Insects.
Emma, 18: Losing people I love.
Yilinn, 13: Death.
Quifei, 14: Not knowing how I will die.
Roslyn, 15: Regret.
Lisbeth, 14: Clowns.
Karina, 9: High places.
Megan, 16: Not being satisfied.
Miranda (far left), 14: Failure.
Tatiana (center), 17: The future, and going to college.
Jessica, 18: Dying.
Alexa, 14: Facing the world alone.
Jay, 20: Bugs!
Melissa (right), 16: Death. I’m scared that I will randomly die one day and not fulfill my purpose in life.
Jennifer, 17: Not ending up happy with myself. It doesn’t matter where I end up, as long as I’m happy. ♦
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Rookie is an online magazine and book series for teenagers. Each month, a different editorial theme drives the writing, photography, and artwork that we publish. Learn more about us here, and find out how to submit your work here!
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18 Comments
Awesome series! Num 10, knowing how I will die would be far scarier!!
Love this! I so appreciate how Rookie respects the intelligence and aesthetic of teenage girls. You guys should do more profiles like this!
I second this. It’s like Humans of NY but with Rookie so it’s obviously even better.
yes! it’s so important to acknowledge that there’s so much going on in the minds of teen girls and it would be soo cool to see answers to other questions like this.
This is great! I like the blend of more superficial fears with deeper ones. You should definitely do more like this!
Wow, I love this! I think there is an interesting contrast between the girls’ happy smiling faces and their captions..
i agree, i was about to say the same thing! especially the last one – incredible.
Amazing series! Everything about this is so genuine and real, and it has such a light, summery feel to it despite the fears described. Would love to see more of these <3
brilliant series! i luvvvvvvv it <3
This is one of the best things I’ve seen on Rookie to date. The photo composition is fantastic and eye-catching. I especially liked #17 because both of the girls’ fears are my own.
Did the girls in the group photo know each other beforehand?
this is so cool! i love it <3
This is absolutely perfect. These girls are all so lovely and it honestly takes a lot to share a fear with a whole mass of people AND have your photo taken to match a face to it. Plus this entire set is a perfect way to begin closing up this month’s theme.
8, 9, 10, 11, 12 , 17 all reassure me immeasurably because it means that other people officially have the same fears as me!!
I love how the first two girls are then photographed in front of both a large crowd and a body of water!
omg i was just going to comment that hehe :) xx
These are all awesome fears :)
I have to second the body of water one…however, I do swim…I just can’t think about it too much or too hard, or I need to get out ;)
I love the irony of the 3rd picture, in which they are depicted in front of a large crowd and a body of water.
On another note, this article really reassured me of the fact that I am not alone in my fears- death is a really big one for me, so it’s nice to know that I’m not the only one who is frightened of it.
this is awesome!!