Today's Teens Face Countless Problems

Being a teenager has never been one of the easiest tasks, but today's teens are facing countless problems and challenges.

A number of adults think that being a teen today is the same as it was when they were an adolescent, nothing could be further from the truth.  Although yesteryear-parents may have been strict and life seem hard. On the grand scheme of things, it does not measure up to the challenges and life threatening decisions today's teens face just about everyday.

In the normal course of a teen's day, he or she may encounter any number of these challenges:

Depression  With all that they see and do, teens face depression today at an alarming rate as compared to just a decade ago.  Depression is not something that just goes away, but can cause them harm and threaten their lives.

Driving  Teens drive drunk.  Teens drive under the influence of drugs.  Teens get in cars that others are driving under the influence.  Although a number of teens may be responsible drivers, they share the road with those that are not.

Drugs  Kids today are not just smoking basic marijuana - it is laced with other hallucinate drugs.  They are also into meth, crack and other strong and deadly drugs.   In addition to the illegal list of drugs, teens are reaching into the medicine cabinets and abusing prescription medications such as, Vicodin,  Valium, Xanax, Ritalin, Adderall, Oxycontin, and whatever other prescription medications they can find.

Sex  Not only are they exposed to it on the television and the movies, but they are encouraged by others.  They may be engaging in sexual acts that parents have never heard of  -  At school, after school, on the car ride home - there are many opportunities for them to do so, and more than likely they are not  Practicing Safe Sex.

The Choking Game is a senseless activity causing death and suffering for thousands of families worldwide. It often begins with teens choking each other or themselves until they pass out, as a way to get high without the risk of getting caught with drugs or alcohol. It ends with thousands of kids dying or suffering permanent brain damage each year.

Violence  Today's teen problems often revolve around violence.  They see friends with guns at school or after school.  They witness huge fights.  They hear threats.  They see anger and deal with it daily. 

In additional to the issues listed above  teens also have to deal with:

·         teen pregnancy

·         eating disorders

·         obesity

·         cyberbullying

Helping today's teenager

Lower level teen problems can be just as deadly.  They face lying, cheating, emotional trauma, learning disabilities and divorce.  All of these things a child will face daily in some cases.  In those cases, it is no wonder that they have low self esteem, high drop out rates and some students will break under the pressure.  Teen problems should be noticed and addressed by their parents first, however this is not always the case - and when this occurs, the teen's well being will fall to the wayside.

Whether or not you think today's teens have more problems, bigger problems or just different problems, it is important to get that teen help for those problems before they become overwhelming.

Social Networking And Teens - Proceed With Caution

 

Social networking and teens seem to go hand and hand these days - some seem to think it is a part of growing up and gives them a sense of belonging to the popular groups, and others look at it as a means to escape the reality of not being socially accepted.  While it is possible to engage in some harmless fun on some of the websites, there are also risks involved, which is why teens should proceed with caution.

Since teens don't consider themselves kids anymore, no matter how much the parents long for them to remain so, they pretty much know what type of information about themselves they should or should not make public - however, parents should from time to time reinforce  what is and is not acceptable to show and tell on the internet highway of life.  It is okay to talk about hobbies, sports, a favorite song or band, but it is never okay for a teen to post their phone number or address  - doing so will only encourage strangers to contact them or show up at their home uninvited.

A few good practices to keep in mind when teens are setting up or using social network websites:

• When they open an account, they should use a screen name and not their real name.

• The password should never be shared with anyone,  not even their BF.

• Only add friends that they know in real life like their classmates, neighbors and family members.

• It is best to use the privacy settings that are available, so that no one outside their friends will be able to read their posts - doing so will prevent people that are not on the friend's list from viewing their post or photos. 

• Before posting something, make sure that it is tasteful and not sexually provocative.  You can make edits using some programs to remove any personal identifying information.

• They should not post any detailed information about any plans, like where they will be on the weekend to avoid meeting someone who could be a potential threat.  Indicating they are going to a movie is fine, just avoid indicating the location of the theater.

• Should they encounter any harassment or negative comments on their profile, it should be reported to the administrator, and brought to their parent's attention.

Furthermore, teens should immediately end any chat where the person asks too many personal questions including, their attitude toward sex or about their physical features - normally this is a sign that the other person is trying to manipulate them into having sex.

It is important that teens just be themselves when logged on to social network sites - they should not allow themselves to be bullied or pressured into doing something they don't want to do or that may cause harm to themselves or others.

There is nothing wrong with having some harmless fun or sharing activities with your peers.  Unfortunately, far too many teenagers are too blasé' (laid back) when it comes to the legal pitfalls of using social media, especially when it comes to posting explicit photos online. Sadly, only a small percentage would even bother to ask their parent(s) or an adult about the dangers of being online.

More importantly, It is very risky for a teen to attempt to meet with someone they've only known online.  Should he or she find them self compelled to do so, it is advisable to meet in a public place and take a parent along for the first meeting to ensure there won't be any problems.

Again, Social Networking can be an enjoyable pass time for teens, but they should remember to proceed with caution, especially when sharing information with strangers.