One of the most annoying gestures that a parent has to put up with in raising a teenager is the eye roll. But many people do not take the time to analyze this simple but often feeling-provoking action. After all, why do teenagers roll their eyes?

I had never given a second thought about the reason behind why teenagers roll their eyes before encountering Lisa Damour’s article, “Why Teenage Girls Roll Their Eyes”.  And as a teenage girl who is guilty of this action, my initial reaction was, why do I roll my eyes sometimes? And it was then when I realized that I didn’t know the answer myself, nor did I remember how I learned such an action.

As Damour states in the article, one of the primary reasons why girls roll their eyes is because they agree with a suggestion that an adult stated. Surprising, but true! Adolescents are known for being rebellious, and most likely, they like to go against everything that someone says. That’s not to say that teens can’t be sweet and agreeable, but it’s very hard for person to be like that all the time. So, when they agree with a someone else’s suggestion, their initial reaction is not to thank that person, but to roll their eyes. One example is when it’s late at night and my mom is telling me to go to bed. Reluctantly, I end up going to bed, but not before an eye roll. Yes, I chose to follow your suggestion, mom, and my eye roll is my silent word of thanks!

Of course, there’s also the obnoxious eye roll that comes out once in a while when teens just want to be annoying. But generally speaking, the eye roll is a silent gesture of gratitude.

There’s also one more thing that I would like to address about the article that first published this finding. At first glance, I thought that it was very stereotypical of the article to target teenage girls, as boys roll their eyes, too! But I suppose that generally speaking, boys don’t do it as often as girls, and therefore the article focuses on teenage girls. But whether one likes to admit it or not, most everyone has rolled their eyes at one point or another. Therefore, the same reasons as to why girls roll their eyes probably apply to boys too, and possibly even to adults and others who perform this action as well.

So the next time someone rolls their eyes at you, remember that it may just be their way of expressing their agreement.

Damour, Lisa. "Why Teenage Girls Roll Their Eyes." Motherlode Why Teenage Girls Roll Their Eyes Comments. The New York Times, 17 Feb. 2016. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.