As a child I was teased for being serious. I still get teased for being so serious. There are many negative connotations that come with being serious, and it still pains me, a lot, to think about them.

First, let me just say, that anyone who knows me well knows that I can be a lot of fun, and some even think that I have a great sense of humor. (I can hear my sister’s voice now: “If you were really fun, you wouldn’t have to say it.” And my rebuttal: "Well, if I don’t, who will?") In any case, I love to sing and dance and joke. I love when people come together to celebrate life. I am not a hermit though periodically that seems like the most sensical way to be. I am often the last one to leave a party, too.

But other times, I am quite serious. I’ve always felt that there are a lot of things to be serious about. As humans, we are more than capable of creating a just and loving society, yet we miss the mark at almost every turn. We may be an “intelligent” species but not quite intelligent enough. Though we border that line of higher consciousness, collectively we are still in the muck of superficiality and absurdity most of the time.

By no means do I believe that it is good to be serious all the time. Just like I don’t think we are meant to be silly all the time. We all have multiple dimensions to our personalities, and some of us need to express our profundity more than others to discover our sense of purpose and meaning. To us, being serious is just as critical to our survival as the air we breathe.

By denying our seriousness, we can be guilty of denying our inherent gifts and talents. And our reasons for being here.

The more that current social media platforms promote silliness, the more I believe we need complementary weights to balance us out.

The Serious Type is a fulcrum for just that.

Work hard, play hard. Add to the conversation. Interview, investigate. Create something new. Tell your story. Tell someone else's. Help, Heal, Honor. Daydream. Learn. Explore. Record. Reflect. Redirect.

But don’t disconnect. Please don’t disconnect.

Being serious is important. Being serious is what makes anything of importance happen. Being serious is what ultimately allows us to have fun, enjoy life and take risks; to stay connected to the greater society.

Being serious is cool. Super cool. At any age.

And if we don’t say it, who will?

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The Serious Type is a curated online platform for youth (ages 13 to 23) who are serious about their lives and future. Our mission is to empower and equip youth to create a happier and healthier world. The website is a place for them to share and discuss their ideas, stories, experiences, all forms of art and academic musings with the purpose of turning expression and information into action. It is also a space for educators to share their work in order to provide writing prompts, experiments and ongoing studies for self-motivated and curious students.