Issues Affecting Adolescents

During adolescence, young people begin to distance themselves from their parents as they seek to find their place in the world. The hormonal changes that attend puberty and all the emotional upheavals such changes entail have remained the same through the ages, but the world is constantly changing--and changing at a faster rate as technology evolves. Good parenting is still the most important factor in easing the transition from childhood to adulthood, but parents and educators should be aware of contemporary issues that affect adolescents.

  1. Media Influence

    • In 2006, Laura M. Padilla, Ph.D of Brigham Young University estimated that the average adolescent spends an average of eight hours a day total engaged with some form of media, including Internet, television and--for girls--pop culture magazines aimed at teens. Such a commitment of time, she suggests, indicates that they are using these media for more than entertainment. The media serves their developmental needs as they struggle to come to terms with their social and sexual identity. Youths bond over popular TV shows, video games and social networking sites. The media, in many cases, may directly influence the nature of adolescents' relationships with peers.

    Sexuality

    • As adolescents' sexual characteristics mature during puberty, they look to the outside world for guidance to understand what is happening to their bodies, brains and emotions. Padilla suggests that the highly sexualized content of television shows and pornographic elements of video games, among other media to which youth are commonly exposed, may give adolescents a "skewed perspective" on their own emerging sexuality.

    Obesity

    • In the September 2009 issue of "The Journal of Adolescent Health," Rissa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A., describes childhood and adolescent obesity as an epidemic. The contributing factors she lists include poor nutrition standards in elementary and secondary schools and inadequate opportunities for physical activity at school. Sugary beverages and junk food are cheap, produce is expensive and kids spend a lot of their free time sedentary in front of TVs, computers and video games. Obesity adversely affects adolescents' academic performance as obese youths are more likely to miss school and fall behind. The mental and physical health consequences of adolescent obesity are also frightening: "Obese adolescents are increasingly being diagnosed with conditions once considered adult illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension," Lavizzo-Mourey writes. They may also be more likely to engage in unsafe behaviors like smoking and substance abuse.

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