How Does Society Affect Behavior in Teens?

Unless your teen lives in total isolation, there are plenty of societal influences that can affect the way he behaves. While you as a parent have a big role to play in what type of adult your teen grows up to become, the environment under which you raise him can make your work of shaping his behavior much easier, or more difficult.

  1. Media Influences

    • Whether it is in the form of TV, movies, radio or online videos, the media play a significant role in the way your teen behaves. The healthychildren.org website, a service of the American Academy of Pediatrics, warns parents against media content that contains violence, sexual content, alcohol and drug use, and gender or cultural stereotypes. The media shape what your teen thinks is cool and acceptable for his age group. An advertisement featuring a man who wins a beautiful girl over because he is holding a specific beer might leave a message that men who drink that specific beer brand are cool. The media also shape teens' perspective about beauty and body shape. For example, your teenage girl could start starving herself or using diet pills to lose weight because media portray thin models as more attractive.

    School

    • The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics compiled data between 2007 and 2011 which revealed that employed and non-employed high school students spent an average of 5.9 and 6.4 hours in educational activities per day, respectively. Classes fill up with students with different personalities, possibilities for new friendships multiply and potential opportunities for rejection also increase. School rules and the type of crowd your teenager hangs out with in school will influence the way she reasons, dresses and responds to situations. For example, if the popular crowd believes that cool girls shouldn't get good grades, your daughter might sabotage her own studies to fit into the ̶0;cool girls̶1; category.

    Crime and Laws

    • The rate of crime in a neighborhood and law enforcement can have positive or negative influences on your teenager̵7;s behavior. Societies in which law enforcements are strict on illegal behavior, such as drug use, can instill fear into your teenager and make him more careful. On the other hand, a neighborhood with high crime rates can increase the chances of your teenager joining a criminal group or developing violent behaviors as a protection mechanism against a high level of insecurity.

    Peer Pressure

    • According to NYU's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, peers are an essential coping mechanism during teens̵7; transitional period to adult life. Your teenager is more likely to behave like the group he is trying to fit into. For instance, if your teenager has sporting friends, he will have a high interest in sports to ensure he doesn̵7;t feel left out during their various discussions and arguments. If he has friends who use drugs, he might start experimenting with substance abuse.

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