My name is Amy Wright and I'm 82.
My hair is not grey, I still have my teeth and my sanity, and while most of my body denies it, my mind has no doubt that I was born in the wrong era.
To put it plainly, I'm old-fashioned.
I am. I like musicals and classic detective fiction. I still value things like elegance and class. I have four heroes and their combined age is around 268.
And I think something is wrong with today.
I don't distrust modern medicine and I don't shun Apple computers for being the spawn of Satan.
But I honestly believe that some modern things reflect the negative way our society is progressing.
The first issue - Vampires.
The modern vampire standard is Twilight.
Twilight makes me want to punch holes in walls.
It annoys me so much that girls are willing to pledge their love to Team Edward and yet they have no idea where the concept of vampires actually came from.
Now, early vampires were different from those we see in the modern novels of today.They're horrifying creatures, with red eyes and sharp teeth. They're old and they burn in the light.
So what's up Stephenie Meyer?
Why the sudden need to cover them in glitter?
Because a hot teenage boy is more appealing than a dodgy old dude in a cape.
This brings me to my first reflection on society: we're vain, shallow and materialistic.
Every day we're bombarded with images of pretty things and we're conditioned to think that we need them.
That's why the traditional vampire isn't good enough and the Cullens are taking hold.
We don't like to allow ugly if we can upgrade for a slimmer, newer, shinier version.
We're putting pressure on ourselves and each other to look a certain way, a way that we're convinced is the norm when really for many, it's unachievable.
Shaken, not stirred. 007.
James Bond, the quintessential secret agent, is my second point.
Many of you have seen the most recent incarnation of Bond: Daniel Craig. The original was Sean Connery.
The first film was released in 1962 - 50 years ago.
It was low-budget and, when you watch it today, you can definitely tell it is from another time. But there was magic.
Today, things are different.
The new movies are action on steroids. Every few scenes there is another gun showdown, another car chase.
It's hard to follow and the little plot line is lost among the many explosions.
It shows how much we've lost sight of quality.
We crave new things, big things.
We need cheap thrills and novelty. And then it's over in a second and we go searching for more.
My third point is one I'm sure many of you can relate to.
At the moment, pupils up and down the country are working through NCEA, IB or some other sinister sounding acronym.
When my mother was at school, there was a thing called school certificate or simply school cert.
To gain this qualification, all you had to do was get an average mark of 50% in at least four subjects.
Now we have NCEA and it is difficult and stressful.
How did we get from 50% to needing tutors, caffeine and extensive therapy to pass Year 11?
My name is Amy Wright and I'm 15.
While I wish I lived in Downton Abbey or a 1920s jazz club, I live here, in 2012.
So what can we do?
The answer is actually very simple. Slow down.
We don't have to renounce everything modern. We just need to take some time to honour the classics and remember the past.
Ask yourself the question: Am I keeping it modern or just creating a monster?
• By Amy Wright, Year 11, St Hilda's Collegiate
