T'is the season for endless year in review posts and lists. Since I already attempted my own last week, today I'll post a nice gem I found in the Contra Costa Times written by Brian Mertens and Victoria Conlu from The Times' Life in Perspective board, which is made up of local high school journalists who write stories, opinion columns and reviews. Brian Mertens is a senior at El Cerrito High School. Victoria Conlu is a senior at Deer Valley High School. It definitely has a Bay Area bias, but I think it's offers a little bit of insight into what teens thought was the best and worst in pop culture this past year. From the article:

Best places to help you avoid homework

- MySpace.com: The big kahuna of social Web sites continues to dominate teens' lives. Log on, sign in, hang out.

- SparkNotes.com: Everyone could use a little more plot summary and symbol analysis, especially if your Moby-Dick paper is due in eight hours.

- PostSecret.com: Show your dirty laundry to the world by submitting your postcard-size confessions to one of the Internet's strangest phenomena. New secrets every Sunday.

- Homestarrunner.com: Everybody! Everybody! Everybody loves this site that's both funny and family-friendly.

- deviantART.com: If a picture is worth a thousand words, deviantART.com has an encyclopedia's worth, with almost 30 million pieces of art from professional and amateur artists.

Top TV shows

- "Grey's Anatomy": If any hospitals around here are so raunchy behind the scenes, I'll scream ... but I'd keep watching anyway.

- "Colbert Report": For anyone who's more than just a little bit jaded with broadcast news programs.

- "Heroes": Normal people with superpowers, more realistic than X-Men: a childhood dream come true.

- "The O.C.": Two words: Marissa died.

- "America's Next Top Model": Now we're just waiting for a male version.

Required reading that was actually pretty good

- "Catcher in the Rye": Fifty-five years later, the quintessential coming-of-age story can still resonate with today's teenagers. Holden Caulfield's loneliness, angst and anxiety are the emotional pangs of teenage existence.

- "All Quiet on the Western Front": One of the greatest novels ever written about war offers young men and women a look into the realities of life on the battlefield.

- "Brave New World": Huxley's dystopia not only caused us to think of the future ahead of us but also the world we live in now.

- "Frankenstein": At first most teens thought Frankenstein's monster as just a zombie from the movies. Reading this book not only changed our views on the monster, but also what it means to be human.

- "Night": Elie Wiesel's frightening memoir struck a nerve in readers and reminded young people that our history is always with us.

Talk the lingo

- Truthiness: Merriam-Webster's Best Word of 2006, coined and defined by Stephen Colbert as "truth that comes from the gut, not books," is useful in both partisan politics and arguing about your curfew.

- Top Eight: MySpace introduced its "Top Eight" system this year; a place on the Top Eight is a highly prized social status, but also the cause of many sad emoticons.

- PWN'D!: This exclamation originally sprang out from the gaming community, shouted during the utter defeat and humiliation of an opponent. Today it can be happily applied to any form of social embarrassment.

- Ghost ride it: Popularized by Mistah F.A.B.'s song of the same name, the act of dancing on top of a car in drive has become the newest fad to puzzle parents.

- Beast: This complimentary verb describes someone's seemingly superhuman actions in academics or sports. "He beasted that soccer game; he scored two goals in only 20 minutes."

Events that changed our lives

- New teen driving laws: A one-year restriction on driving friends and an unheard-of 11 p.m. curfew drove California teens crazy.

- The California high school exit exam: One out of 10 seniors was denied a diploma for failing to pass the exit exam. The real test for California now is what will happen next.

- Rep. Charles Rangel's proposal of draft legislation: Suddenly, Iraq seems a lot closer to teens everywhere.

- Highest voter turnout for youths in 20 years: Young voters rocked the vote around the nation in this course-changing election. Suffrage never felt sweeter.

- Steve Irwin dies: This beloved Animal Planet star sparked a week of mourning over his untimely death. Our memories and poor imitations of Australian accents will still endure.

Newsletter readers: Visit the site for the rest of the best!

Best places to spend your allowance

- Target: The heaven of all things retail with everything you want and need (like there's a difference) at prices that even the most meager allowance can manage.

- Urban Outfitters: Urban continues to produce chic styling options for your wardrobe and bedroom. Sometimes a pair of jeans is worth $80.

- Trader Joe's: From Greek salads to chocolate soy milk, products from this fine food retailer are filling teens' lunchboxes.

- Costco: Where else can you buy gallons of ketchup and pounds of Top Ramen? Their plentiful free samples can feed an entire family.

- The Apple Store: With its cool computers and gadgets, it's the teen version of a toy store.

Most inspirational people

- Chris Gardner: A lifetime of hardships couldn't stop Gardner from becoming a self-made millionaire. His new biopic, "The Pursuit of Happyness," is the American dream come to life.

- Warren Buffett: He made a fortune and then let it go. Buffett's lesson in generosity is something all teens can learn from.

- Katie Couric/Nancy Pelosi: These two remarkable women smashed through their respective ceilings in broadcast news and Capitol Hill. Role models for both girls and guys.

- Lance Bass/Neil Patrick Harris: Dr. Doogie Howser and the former 'N Sync star became Hollywood's unlikeliest role models by coming out and expressing pride in their true selves.

- Suri Cruise: Laugh now, but this little star had the whole world expecting her arrival. Her star status (how many 4-month-olds can land a cover on Vanity Fair?) makes her the envy of newborns everywhere.

Best hangouts

- Beaches: A quick drive to the coastline is a surefire way for fun as long as the Bay Area weather cooperates. One nearby favorite, Stinson Beach, makes the perfect day trip.

- Fenton's Creamery: Share the gigantic ice cream servings and ensuing stomachaches with your friends.

- Ice-skating rinks: After this year's Winter Olympics and Fox's guilty pleasure, "Skating With Celebrities," teenagers hit the ice in droves at Oakland's Ice Center and the Walnut Creek Ice Rink.

- Football games: Hut, hut, hike! Playing and watching this All-American sport brought friends and classmates closer together, often in huddle form.

- Haight and Ashbury: The former milieu of all things hippie is now the home of peace, love and shopping.

Top gadgets and gizmos

- Sidekick 3: Making text messaging in class much more convenient.

- PS3: Admit it: Your friends cut nearly half a week of school to wait in line for one.

- iTrip: Yes, your iPod needs to go with you absolutely everywhere, and shame on you for doubting it!

- Chocolate: It seems counterintuitive to have music blaring when talking over the phone, especially with such bad sound, but still, this phone has captivated quite an audience.

- Wii: Nice try, Nintendo. The concept of wireless gaming was catchy, but couldn't get Nintendo back to its N64 glory days.

Best fashion statements

- Tall tees: Guys don't wear shirts that fit -- they wear tall T-shirts. (When girls wear them, we call them muumuus.)

- Dunks: As close to bargain shopping as you can get with Nike: big variety without a price tag to rival a pair of Jordans.

- Leggings: While JT was bringing sexy back, we brought the '80s back, complete with legwarmers.

- Flip-flops: To school, to the store, to prom: Flip-flops have taken over.

- Tunic tops: Girls gone boho! Sure, most people couldn't tell you where the style came from, but it's big anyway.

Things we never want to see again

- Chuck Norris jokes: "Walker: Texas Ranger" was an OK show, but comparing Chuck Norris to God doesn't bode well for any world religion

- Kevin Federline: You messed up the best thing that ever happened to you, K-Fed. It's so sad, it's funny.

- Gas more than $3: Seriously, enough already. We've got our licenses now.

- Genocide in Darfur: Please make it stop.

- Starbucks inflation: Can you believe how much we're paying for coffee?

Most annoying celebrities

- O.J. Simpson: Hypothetically speaking, we don't want to hear from you again.

- Flavor Flav: Congratulations on finally finding happiness ... for now.

- Britney Spears: Cranking out two little ones and then deciding on a split, not to mention tabloid rumors of party binges with Paris. How's that for a role model?

- Fergie: Sure, "Fergalicious" caught on like a plague, but a little humility never killed anyone either.

- Tom Cruise: We really were getting tired of playing "Where's Waldo?" with Suri.

Posted by anastasia