How Does Society Affects the Teenager

HOW DOES SOCIETY AFFECTS THE TEENAGER
Unless your teen never leaves the house or watches TV, plenty of societal influences can affect her behavior. From the media to peers, an array of societal factors can shape the ways in which your teen acts. While society isn't entirely responsible for your adolescent's every action, the effect of these influences can cause changes in attitudes or alter some values.

Media Influences

Between TV, the movies, online videos and all of the other media sources out there, it's no wonder that these societal influences can shape your teen's behavior for good or for ill. The American Academy of Pediatrics' Healthy Children website notes that parents should watch for media influences that include acts of violence, sexual situations, statements about body image, alcohol and drug use, and gender or cultural stereotypes. Although your teen might seem immune to what he the media is saying, some messages can slowly begin to sink in and make risky behaviors such as underage drinking or unprotected sex seem attractive.

Advertisements

Advertising can influence a teen's behavior in multiple ways, including how the child acts as well as her spending habits. For example, the child development experts at the Healthy Children website note that cigarette ads can negatively influence a teen's ideas and thoughts when it comes to smoking. Without adequate adult guidance, ads that feature young, attractive people smoking can make this unhealthful habit seem acceptable or even appealing. Aside from glorifying, or selling, risky behaviors, advertising can also alter the way a teen chooses to spend money. Whether it is mom and dad's cash or an after-school job paycheck, enticing ads in magazines, billboards, TV or in-store displays can make teens think it's acceptable to spend hard-earned money on pricey or unnecessary items such as designer label jeans.

School

The schools, and subsequent social environments, are parts of society that exert a communal influence on teens. Every junior and senior high school setting is different in some way, creating a community that accepts or disregards certain behaviors. This could mean that a child who had certain values or beliefs before entering junior or senior high school might make changes due to the predominant school views. For example, if the popular crowd believes that cool girls shouldn't get good grades, your daughter might start to take up behaviors that lead to poor grades.

Society and Laws

Some aspects of society can have a positive influence. As children grow into the teen years, they become more aware of legal issues and society's laws. Although a younger child might know that stealing money can result in jail time, adolescents have the ability to understand legalities in a more abstract way. This knowledge might help teens to think twice before engaging in risky or illegal activities such as underage drinking, drug use or drinking and driving. This isn't to say that teens aren't going to experiment with illegal substances just because the societal laws say "no," but instead they might think harder about their choices in light of the consequences.

TEEN BEHAVIOR
Being a teenager is anything but a walk in the park. The teen years are filled with stressful challenges, temptations and a new frame of mind that begs for independence.Teens are making the big leap from childhood into young adulthood. Peers are extremely important to teens and can have a major impact on their attitudes and actions. Adolescents can feel besieged by hormone-induced emotional and physical changes that can affect their behavior.

Peer-Related Issues

Teens gradually rely more on their friends than their parents, which can lead to disregarding or disputing household rules while choosing instead to cave into peer pressure. Unlike younger children, who have a cluster of three or four friends, teens enter a world of larger peer groups or "cliques." Teenage girls in particular rely on their friends to share their deepest feelings and thoughts. Teens generally categorize one another within the social structure of their high school as being "popular," a "jock," a "nerd" and a "brain."

Dating and Sexuality

Falling in love for the first time typically happens during the teen years. Parents should not write off the deep emotions their teens feel when they declare they've found someone special. Adolescents experience many changes, not the least of which is developing feelings in intimate connections, explains Paula Braverman, M.D., FAAP, an associate professor of pediatrics in the Division of Adolescent Medicine at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Many high school students are sexually active, which places them at risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections like herpes, gonorrhea and syphilis. Parents should talk to their adolescent about the importance of birth control before they become sexually active. Fifty-eight percent of sexually active high school students said they used a condom during their last sexual encounter. Only 20 percent of sexually active teen girls reported using oral contraceptives the last time they had intercourse, notes the American Psychological Association or APA.

Self-Destructive Impulses

Teens with low self-esteem or problems at home are at a higher risk of engaging in self-destructive behaviors like using alcohol and drugs. Nevertheless, troubled teens aren't the only ones tempted to throw caution to the wind. The APA says 70 percent of teens have tried cigarette smoking and 25 percent of high school students smoke at least one cigarette per day; boys tend to smoke more than girls. More than 80 percent of high school students have tried alcohol and 47 percent have smoked marijuana at least once.

Driving

Getting a driver's license is one of the most exciting moments in a teen's life because it represents freedom and independence. Sadly, there's a dark side to teen driving. Traffic accidents are the leading cause of deaths among teens. More than 5,500 young people die in vehicle crashes each year in the United States, according to HealthyChildren.org, a website published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. To add insult to injury, 13 percent of students admit to driving a vehicle once or more after drinking during the past month, reports the American Psychological Association. Teen boys are more likely to drive under the influence than girls, adds the APA.

NORMAL TEEN BEHAVIOR
Being a teenager is anything but a walk in the park. The teen years are filled with stressful challenges, temptations and a new frame of mind that begs for independence. Teens are making the big leap from childhood into young adulthood. Peers are extremely important to teens and can have a major impact on their attitudes and actions. Adolescents can feel besieged by hormone-induced emotional and physical changes that can affect their behavior.

Peer-Related Issues

Teens gradually rely more on their friends than their parents, which can lead to disregarding or disputing household rules while choosing instead to cave into peer pressure. Unlike younger children, who have a cluster of three or four friends, teens enter a world of larger peer groups or "cliques." Teenage girls in particular rely on their friends to share their deepest feelings and thoughts. Teens generally categorize one another within the social structure of their high school as being "popular," a "jock," a "nerd" and a "brain."

Dating and Sexuality

Falling in love for the first time typically happens during the teen years. Parents should not write off the deep emotions their teens feel when they declare they've found someone special. Adolescents experience many changes, not the least of which is developing feelings in intimate connections, explains Paula Braverman, M.D., FAAP, an associate professor of pediatrics in the Division of Adolescent Medicine at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Many high school students are sexually active, which places them at risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections like herpes, gonorrhea and syphilis. Parents should talk to their adolescent about the importance of birth control before they become sexually active. Fifty-eight percent of sexually active high school students said they used a condom during their last sexual encounter. Only 20 percent of sexually active teen girls reported using oral contraceptives the last time they had intercourse, notes the American Psychological Association or APA.

Self-Destructive Impulses

Teens with low self-esteem or problems at home are at a higher risk of engaging in self-destructive behaviors like using alcohol and drugs. Nevertheless, troubled teens aren't the only ones tempted to throw caution to the wind. The APA says 70 percent of teens have tried cigarette smoking and 25 percent of high school students smoke at least one cigarette per day; boys tend to smoke more than girls. More than 80 percent of high school students have tried alcohol and 47 percent have smoked marijuana at least once.

Driving

Getting a driver's license is one of the most exciting moments in a teen's life because it represents freedom and independence. Sadly, there's a dark side to teen driving. Traffic accidents are the leading cause of deaths among teens. More than 5,500 young people die in vehicle crashes each year in the United States, according to HealthyChildren.org, a website published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. To add insult to injury, 13 percent of students admit to driving a vehicle once or more after drinking during the past month, reports the American Psychological Association. Teen boys are more likely to drive under the influence than girls, adds the APA.

HOW TO UNDERSTAND TEEN BEHAVIOR

Step 1

Learn as much as you can about the changes your teen is going through -- including the physical, mental and emotional changes. Read authoritative sources of information on teens, including magazines such as "Psychology Today" or "Parents" or websites such as MayoClinic.com or the website of the Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education. As you study, you may begin to understand that the teen years are a time of changes in teens' motivation, attention and risk-taking -- all a result of changes in their brains, advises Dr. Stan Kutcher of TeenMentalHealth.org.

Step 2

Foster open lines of communication well before the teen years. If you don't have an open relationship with your child from an early age, it will get harder to empathize with and understand her as she gets older. When you have good communication with your kids, you'll be able to talk with them about issues they may be having or the reasons behind certain behaviors. Your child's yearly physical exam is a perfect excuse to talk to your teen about her physical and emotional health, advises the Kids Health website.

Step 3

Network with other parents with children going through the teen years at the same time. Find peers in your child's activities or find parenting seminars or groups in your community that will allow you to gain some new knowledge and perspective on this tumultuous time.

Step 4

Talk to the guidance counselor or teachers at your teen's school to get insight into your teen's behaviors when you're not with her. In some cases, teens act much differently with you than they do with others -- and you may be surprised to see that your teen is pretty well-behaved outside your own home. If you're having serious behavioral issues with your teen, the school's guidance counselor may be able to point you to some valuable local resources to help you.