Struggles of a Teenager
Advancement in technology is bringing challenges in the lives of teenagers which didn’t exist in any other previous generation. Although a few issues are not completely new, electronic media has modified the struggles that teenagers face.
The progress in digital communication has amplified the manner teenagers interact with their friends along with their romantic interests. This is the reason that many teenagers lack crucial interpersonal communication skills such as picking up on social cues. This problem is directly lined with extra usage of technology.
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Social media and texting habits of teenagers are modifying their way of communication, learning, sleeping, exercising, and more. It has been revealed by surveys that an average teenager spends about nine hours using his/her mobile phones or electronic gadgets.
Table of Contents
This article will focus on a few problems faced by teens in daily life:
Depression
Spending a lot of time on social media and electronic gadgets can prevent teens from interpersonal activities with their friends like sports which can help them from healing from depression. They also suffer from new challenges such as fear of not being included which leads to feelings of isolation as well as loneliness. Depression can be treated but it is crucial to go for professional assistance. If a teenager seems to be withdrawn, suffering from a poor sleep cycle, and his performance degrades in school, he must be taken to a mental health professional or consultant for help.
Bullying
Usage of social media has made bullying more pervasive and public. Cyberbullying is the new kind of harassment experienced by teenagers. Teens must be talked about bullying at a regular interval of time. The only way to help the teens is to be proactive. They must be reminded that seeking help does not make them weak and rather it reflects courage because it is never easy to talk about how someone has bullied them.
Sexual Activity
Fortunately, reports have revealed that sexual activity has declined in the past 10 years and the teen birth rate has fallen. Parents might have no clue that their children are sexually active. Hence, it is necessary to talk to children about sex and teach them their limits.
Drug Usage
It has been revealed that 7 percent of high school students smoke weed and cigarettes. The consumption of marijuana is regularly increasing because they think it is less harmful because of changing laws regarding marijuana. Hence, it is important to frankly discuss subjects of drug usage with teenagers instead of harshly putting strict restrictions on them. It is crucial to give them reasons and explanations with softness otherwise they will try to break the bars and intentionally do what they are specifically told not to do or to stay away from.
Use ofAlcohol
Teens must be carefully educated regarding the dangers of drinking.They should be advised by parents & teachers to stay away from alcohol.
Obesity
Teenagers nowadays love to scroll Instagram all day and are least interested in working out and playing sports which are increasing the problem of obesity among this age group. Also, they are attracted towards junk eating like pizza, colas, and burgers which are extremely unhealthy and increase weight. Overweight kids are usually the victims of bullying and have the risk of lifelong problems such as cancer, diabetes, arthritis, heart attack, etc.
They also suffer self-esteem, body image issues which decreases their confidence and they become the sufferer of depression and anxiety. Hence, it is crucial to create a positive environment in the home so that teenagers spend some time in nature and work out. Even walking in the park can make them feel better and fit. Good habits of yoga and playing different sports must be encouraged among teenagers so that they remain conscious regarding their health from the very beginning.
Academic Problems
Overpressure on students for getting good marks to get into a good college makes them feel highly pressurized and they start hating studies. They study for the sake of scoring marks instead of enjoying it with the purpose of learning something new. Competition in the class from their fellow mates brings the feeling of jealousy among students which makes their environment negative.
Peer Pressure
Peer pressure is an old issue but it is getting vast due to advancements in technology and social media. Teens do not understand the consequences of things like sexting. Sharing explicit photos with their temporary partners can have extremely harmful lifelong consequences on their lives. Teens suffer pressure for many things such as doing drugs, sex, smoking, and materialistic showoff. Hence, it is the role of a responsible parent to teach their kids good morals and make them confident enough that they do not get pressurized by their friends.
Social Media
Social media has many benefits but it can be very problematic as well. It can lead to slut shaming, cyberbullying, and many other risks. It is having bad effects on friendship and is modifying the way teenagers date. It can highly affect their mental health because teenagers are probably to be exposed to unhealthy photos, unsavory people as well as sexual content. Hence, parents must check on their kid’s social media.
To conclude,
the only way to help teens is to make them feel comfortable and win the trust that you desire best for them. It is crucial to make them aware that you are here to help them and they aren’t alone in their struggling years of hormonal imbalance.