There are numerous influences that can be responsible of teenager’s behaviors and attitude as they develop. One factor that is important to these behaviors is parental figures being over involved or uninvolved in their children’s lives. Many of these effects include illegal substance abuse, rising sexual activity, underage alcohol consumption, and tobacco use. Studies show parental participation plays a key role in the characteristics developed by young teenagers in today’s society, along with advertisement that persuade minors to follow the wrong path in life. Although peers may influence their surrounding friends, parents can have the most effective or destructive way of impacting their ...view middle of the document...
Teens that have parents who use prescription drugs, marijuana and tobacco products are more likely to take their parent’s supplies. Many times teens’ will result to using some form of drug when living under stressful circumstances or pressured by their parents. Some parents are unaware of the pressure they put on their kids on a daily basis. Parents in today’s society should closely monitor teen’s behavior and examine changes in their environment carefully. Parents should also be aware of the amount of pressure they put on their children and how it affects them.
Teenagers’ sexual activity is escalating, and teen pregnancy is becoming a more significant and growing problem. “Unfortunately, our teenagers are paying the price considering the CDC reports that in 2000, the birth rate among U.S. teenagers was about 48.5 per 1,000, with the rate for young teenagers (15-17) at about 27.4 per 1,000, and for older teenagers (18-19years) about 79.2 per 1,000. While these numbers represent a decline in teenage pregnancy, they still demonstrate a significant problem in the number of adolescent parents, who are historically less likely to complete their educations and more likely to pass on emotional and financial burdens to their children. In addition, among the growing number of HIV diagnoses in the U.S., young teens have joined the list of groups most vulnerable to infection. In pushing condoms as a solution, we have overlooked some of the most serious consequences of early sexual activity, and effectively hidden others” (Witherbee 6). When parents give an effort to talk to teens about sex, the sexual activity can be lowered and decrease a teenager’s sexual behavior. Many of these teens try to avoid the awkward sex talks arranged by parents which make sexual activity more likely to occur. As a result, this topic has had a major influence among today’s group of teenagers. Talking with teens and educating them about sex, can influence and thus change their perception towards the advertising campaigns and media relating to this expanding issue. In mass media, the advertisements that depict sexual activity are not helping this issue go away. While some teens are aware of this problem, they are frequently convinced by these ads along with the teens unaware of the facts about this topic. Generally, these advertisements talk about “safe protection” methods and nothing about self-discipline. Companies that make condoms are the ones who mostly market sexual activity to teens.
Another concern that has become an extensive factor with teenagers is underage drinking. Numerous teenagers have begun to participate in drinking alcohol at an illegal age. Teenagers often times do not realize the consequences of drinking at a party or in their own home, but it can lead to many harms such as: overdose, drunk driving which can put others on the road in danger of getting hurt along with the drunken drivers, and uncontrolled anger problems which can lead to someone getting...
