Many teens are faced with many pressures throughout the years. Most people that don't personally roam the halls of a high school or junior high school for most of the year don't realize this. I have realized over the years, before and now, that teenagers can put on a show. Since I am currently a teen myself, I know that teenagers normally don't tell their parents or friends when something's wrong due to the fact that they may feel awkward after talking about it. Some are also even scared that they will get picked on for confessing their problems to someone that can help them. This is just an informative passage to let you know, what pressures teenagers face in today's schools.
Many teens today are faced with the pressure to fit in. ALL teens want to be accepted, but most don't want to necessarily be accepted for who they are. Today, fitting in may mean the hottest new jeans or the coolest new cellphone. It may mean hanging out with certain people, or even turning to the use of tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs. I've also noticed that many underclassmen turn to upperclassmen for popularity. Some of these "older friends" are good to be around, while others just want you to follow them around like a little puppy.
I have also seen many teens faced with the pressure to be perfect. Some teens have extremely high expectations of appearance, not limited to themselves either. If teens don't see their selves as "pretty" or "cute" they will sometimes go to drastic measures. I have seen several teens suffer with eating disorders or use drugs to lose weight. Another common thing used by teens is steroids, which are mostly used to strengthen the body image.
Another one of the main pressures of teens today is the pressure to be sexually active. I believe that this all started when high schoolers started to look like adults. I certainly know a few 15 year olds that could pass for 21, and that's not always a good thing. TV and movies basically decide how teenagers look, but the most important influence comes from the opposite sex. Several teenagers feel the need to be "sexy" and having sex at a younger age that in the past. Both boys and girls have reported feeling these pressures, and both boys and girls find it hard to say no to the opportunity of having sex because their friends might think they weren't "as cool" or "fun" anymore.
The pressure I can most relate to is the pressure to pick on others. All of us know that bullies have always been around, but these days bullying is at a troubling level to everyone. I've noticed that more often it involves aggressive teenage girls. Several girls say that putting others down makes them feel more included in a group, even though most know it is wrong and that it is hurting the other person. Cyber bullying is a new form of bullying, and as it gets more infamous each day, more teens feel pressured to take part in it.
The last pressure I am going to mention for now is the pressure to be successful. I have seen many teens face huge stress around school, athletics, and other areas. I read earlier that competition for college is now tighter than EVER and many teens are pressured to do everything right early in order to get into a good school later on in life. Many parents also push their teens to their limits without even realizing it. In some cases, teens have used drugs and alcohol as an "easy escape" from their stressful lives.
Hope you enjoyed the post. If you would like to read more on the topic of teen pressures, visit http://www.theantidrug.com/advice/teens-today/navigating-the-teen-years/pressures-on-teens.aspx . Some of my information was derived from the site as well. Thanks for reading.! Don't forget to subscribe!
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