Teens Edition — Tac

And just like that, your truth gets a filter.

This is your edition. Make some noise.

That’s where TAC – Teens Against Censorship – comes in. tac teens edition

You’re sitting in English class. You’ve just poured your gut into a personal narrative about feeling invisible freshman year. The teacher hands it back. In red ink: “Too honest. Let’s keep this school-appropriate.”

So next time someone tells you to “tone it down” or “save that for your diary,” ask yourself: are they protecting me – or just protecting themselves from an uncomfortable truth? And just like that, your truth gets a filter

When we can’t write about anxiety, burnout, or the pressure to be perfect, we don’t stop feeling those things. We just stop talking about them. And silence isn’t safety. Silence is a lonely room where every teen thinks they’re the only one struggling.

Then write it anyway. Edit it for clarity, not for fear. Share it with a friend. Post it. Print it. That’s where TAC – Teens Against Censorship – comes in

Here’s what most people get wrong: they think censorship is just about banned books and swear words on TV. But for us, it’s the daily death-by-a-thousand-cuts of our actual lives. It’s the yearbook advisor killing the article on mental health because it’s “too dark.” It’s the principal deleting the student newspaper’s op-ed about how the dress code targets girls. It’s your own parents saying, “Don’t post that – colleges are watching.”

The message is clear: Your real thoughts are dangerous.

Because your voice isn’t a rough draft. And growing up shouldn’t mean learning to self-censor before you even know what you think.