- Published: November 13, 2021
- Updated: November 13, 2021
- University / College: University of East Anglia (UEA)
- Language: English
- Downloads: 14
Teenagers Problems Teenage is a fundamental stage of life that each human being passes through. Some people face this period of their life strongly and positively, while others face many problems and difficulties. This depends on the environment these young adults live in, their parents, their friends, their living conditions, their education, and many other factors. Teenagers face many problems such as becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol, being influenced negatively by their peers, self-image and weight, or even arguments with their parents. Teens and their lifestyle Teens are becoming a vastly spoken about subject today as their changing lifestyles are bringing about a lot of change in the world. Lifestyles of teenagers today are not at all the same from what it use to be 50 years ago. 50 years ago, teens were more interested in studies, sports, hobbies and day to day activities. But today, it has taken a whole new phase where teen life is all about parties, drinking, smoking, drugs and sexual pleasure. This is becoming a major issue to parents as well as Governments because the young generation of the country is more likely to get heart diseases and cancers than the older generations. Studies and researches are showing a rapid increase in the alcohol consumption by teenagers in the last few years. Some teens under 16 admit drinking an average of ten units of alcohol a week, five pints of beer or ten normal glasses of wine. At this rate these teens will die of heart diseases and cancer even before their parents. Smoking has become another major issue; smoking being one of the biggest killers in the world is now greatly affecting the teenagers. Almost a quarter of 15 year olds are regular smokers, weed and other similar products are also been used greatly. Smoking is highly addictive and teens find it very hard to give up. Six out of ten 16 to 24 year olds admit not using condoms while being engaged in sexual activities which is a major cause of STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) to spread widely among teens. The fast moving and restless lifestyles of teens today are pushing them towards more junk and fast food rather than healthier and home cooked food. Obesity is another major problem faced by Governments as the cases of heart diseases and diabetes been reported among teens are increasing daily. Teens suffering from obesity can have long term illnesses which might show up immediately or later in life. Governments must take action against this catastrophe; more education should be given to teens about their health and risk factors. Schools should teach more about the outcomes of wrong doings, parents should constantly advice on how to go on the correct path. If teens are more aware of what they are doing to themselves by having unhealthy diets, drinking, smoking, they will think twice before opening the next beer, lighting the next cigarette and eating a burger. Teens must be encouraged to take part in more sports and other activities. Teens should be shown the value of education so they will focus more on studies in their teen years. Governments must take more legal steps to help teens stay away from all the unwanted things. Teen years should be fun and playful; we should allow teenagers to destroy their valuable lives. We must help them build a better lifestyle today so they can live a happier life tomorrow. Teenager Problems: The clothes you wear. The food you eat. The color of your bedroom walls. Where you go and how you get there. The people you hang with. What time you go to bed. They’re just a few examples of the many hundreds of things that your parents controlled for you when you were a child. As a kid, you didn’t have a say in very much that went on; your parents made decisions about everything from the cereal you ate in the morning to the pajamas you wore at night. And it’s a good thing, too – kids need this kind of protection and assistance because they aren’t mature enough to take care of themselves and make careful decisions on their own. But eventually, kids grow up and become teens. And part of being a teen is developing your own identity – one that is separate from your parents’. It’s totally normal for teens to create their own opinions, thoughts, and values about life; it’s what prepares them for adulthood. But as you change and grow into this new person who makes his or her own decisions, your parents may have a difficult time adjusting. They aren’t used to the new you yet – they only know you as the kid who had everything decided for you and didn’t mind. In most families, it’s this adjustment that can cause a lot of fighting between teens and parents. You want to cover your walls with posters; they don’t understand why you don’t like your kiddies wallpaper anymore. You think it’s ok to hang at the mall every day after school; they would rather that you play a sport. Clashes like these are very common between teens and parents – teens get angry because they feel parents don’t respect them and aren’t giving them space to do what they like, and parents get angry because they aren’t used to not being in control or they disagree with the teens’ decisions. Teenagers are often baffled and puzzled by the fast changes taking place in the whole new world they are facing. For them, moving inexorably through life’s difficult situations on the way to adulthood is not easy. Our young’s today are plagued with myriad of problems, pressures and temptations. In this light, they need emotional and psychological support in the most difficult stage of their lives. First and foremost, they need their parents’ active involvement in their lives. The following are some common problems and concerns of teenagers. Parents Problem: As they push toward adulthood, most teenagers experience emotional conflicts with their peers and parents. The transition from childhood to adulthood involves building your sense of self and developing independent living skills. This transition often leads to struggles with parents and other authority figures over limits and expectations. Because bodies change significantly during adolescence, driven by hormonal fluctuations, teenagers’ emotional responses to situations vary unpredictably from happiness to anger, anxiety and depression, often leaving parents confused and frustrated. Setting Limits: Several characteristics of teenage behavior make setting limits particularly challenging. As part of their effort to become independent, adolescents want to make their own decisions. Additionally, the influence of peers increases significantly in adolescence, leading to risky decisions to impress or gain group acceptance. Parents, on the other hand, foresee unpleasant or dangerous consequences in poor decisions by adolescents. Therefore, parents set limits on driving, TV time, homework, bedtime, nutrition and friends. Although parental limits create conflicts between parents and teenagers, knowing that limits exist improves a teenager’s sense of security. Sex: Increased hormone levels and the importance of peer relationships often pressure adolescents in the direction of active sexual behavior. Although not all parents are comfortable talking about sex, making sure children have correct information, understand values in relationships and behave responsibly remain topics you need to address with them. Parents should provide information and explain their attitudes on adolescent sexual behavior while carefully listening to their teenager’s point of view, suggests MayoClinic. com. Drugs and Alcohol: Peers often encourage adolescents to engage in illegal and dangerous behaviors involving drugs and alcohol. Research shows that children who abuse substances do less well in school than peers who do not. Each day, more than 4, 000 teens use an illegal drug for the first time, 7, 000 try alcohol and more than 2, 000 try a prescription pain reliever without a doctor’s prescription. Parents who suspect their teenager has problems with drugs or alcohol should engage in a calm two-way discussion that makes clear their opposition to the use of any illegal substances, answers their teenager’s questions about drugs and alcohol and includes listening to the teen. Teenagers with substance abuse problems might require intervention from professionals such as a psychologist or counselors. Teenage depression: The teenage years can be tough, and it’s perfectly normal to feel sad or irritable every now and then. But if these feelings don’t go away or become so intense that you can’t handle them, you may be suffering from depression. The good news is that you don’t have to feel this way. Help is available and you have more power than you think. There are many things you can do to help yourself or a friend start feeling better. Solving teenage problems and issues: There are many more issues that teenagers have to deal with. The best way to help them overcome these hurdles is to maintain friendly relations with them, so that they are free to discuss their problems with you. The number of problems teenagers face keeps on increasing and therefore parents need to support their child at all times. Today’s life is full of stresses. And as we want to be good parent, you dream of having a good prenatal relationship with your tonnage son or daughter. we also wish to help them with their problems and uncertainties. But oue efforts do not produce an tangible result. There are times when you feel you are each from different planets. There is often stony silence between you and your kid. You think what is wrong with him or her. It is that we do not understand each other well. Well as parents do not understand the problems a teen is facing. He/she is facing a host of biological, psychological and emotional problems you are not aware of. Then there is the pressure from the school or college and the anxieties of the future. Parents do not understand the growing independence the teens exhibit. They feel they are more and more capable of making their own decisions. Yes, you may want to give them more freedom but you also feel that it is a dangerous world out there and you want to protect them from it. Your love and protective instinct is misinterpreted or misunderstood by him or her. Having leant to distrust you thus, they turn to another teen when they face with a problem.