The lifestyle of modern adolescents. Healthy lifestyle for a teenager

Level B. Other.

The life of modern teenagers

Modern teenagers are greatly different from the previous generations. They are more independent, have another interests and more spacious mind, but they are far more lazy.


Most of these distinctions are caused by fast technical progress. Quite every teenager has a computer, a mobile phone and the internet access. On the one hand it is good, because they can find any information, it can be useful or not; any book or film can be found very easy and fast too. Moreover, the internet helps in studying and people from different countries or cities can communicate despite the distention between them. One the other hand, teenagers become more and more lazy, because they would better stay at home in front of computer than go somewhere. Also the big amount of information they have every day makes them indifferent to amazing things. The teenagers are not fascinated with the beauty of nature or art so much, because they have already seen it. The internet can show everythig from Van Gogh paintings to the polar light, so young people don’t need to travel or visit museums to see something unusual. As a result it is very difficult to surprise teenager, because the computer screen has already show and explain everything.

The internet is also affects the teenagers relationshios. Those young people who are shy or are afraid to introduce new people choose to make friend in the internet. There are a lot of social networks which have thousands of users, who spend hours chatting there. Sometimes instead of living the exciting and colorful life teenagers surf the net, communicate with unreal friends. Also a lot of young people play online games, which take a lot of time, they start to live in virtual world and forget about everything.

Despite the fact the young people are not very impressionable, they have some passions. The most popular and loved is music. Nowadays there is a wide variety of bands and kinds of music from reggae and pop music to techno and doom metal, so every teenager can find something he or she likes. A lot of teenagers prefer to communicate with those who have similar tastes in music, so the fist question when he or she meets unfamiliar person may be ‘What kind of music do you like?’. The music affects even the way the teenagers dress, as sometimes they try to copy the image of their favorite singers or musicians. Moreover, music gives young people the dream of being a rock star, so a lot of them learn to play musical instruments, especially guitars and sing. That’s why nowadays there are hundreds of garage bands, some of those will become successful one day.

Although the technic is very developed, there are a lot of teenagers who are intrested in handmade things and art. Nowadays it is very popular to create jewelleries, dolls, or clothes by yourself, also there are many tallented young people who take great pictures or draw painting using paints or special computer programs. They upload their works to the internet, create their own web sites and sometimes become wellknown.

Those teenagers who prefer dynamic activities to drawing or photography do sports. They go to gym, dance, run and so on. Fortunately, there are fitness clubs and gyms in almost every city.
The most brave and daredevil teenagers do the extreme kinds of sport such as skateboarding, solo jumping, snowboarding and etc. They are looking for strong emotions and they like the feeling of frightened that dangerous sports give. Extreme sports demand a greate courage, so not everyone is able to do it. It is pitty, sometimes young people can`t evalue the risk and get serious ingures and even die.
Unluckily, not only extreme sports cause the health problems. Teenagers suffer from different diseases because of junk food, pernicious habits, smoking and alcohol, that is quite aviable. Also they spend a lot of time with computer, what is very bad for eyes. The couch potato life style causes the obesity.

The way modern teenagers dress is different from the previous too. Gils and boys have almost similar clothes. Of course, guys don’t wear skirts and dresses, but girls wear trousers, shirts and snickers as well as boys do. Moreover, short hairstyles are quite popular. The usual clothes for young people are jeans and T-shirts, but there are a lot of subcultures, which have their own rules of dressing.
Recent years the new way of look called 'Synthetic Beauty' has appeared. It has become popular due to the internet. The main feature of synthetic beauty is unnatural color of hair and eyes, a lot of makeup, leanness, piercing and tattoos. Some young people make dreadlocks, body modification or neoplasty. There is only one rule in synthetic beauty - wear what you like. It can be mixture of different styles and colors, or it can be cosplay of cartoon or fairytale character. There had never been anything like this in the way of dressing before and teenagers who want to be unusual and show their individualism choose this fashion style.
To sum up, the modern teenagers are the generation of the internet and technical progress. They have their own hobbies, fashion and problems, some of them are very creative, talented and interesting, some of them are shy and prefer to live virtually. They are all different, but I believe that they will be a good change to the previous generation, they will save the heritage and create something new to leave the trail in the world history.

Modern adolescents are very different from previous generations. They are more independent, have different interests and a broader outlook, but they are much lazier.

Most of these differences are due to technological advances. Almost every teenager has a computer, mobile phone and Internet access. On the one hand, this is good, because they can find any information, it may be useful or not; any book or movie can be found just as easily. In addition, the Internet helps in learning and people from different countries can communicate despite the distance between them. On the other hand, teenagers are becoming more and more lazy because they would rather sit at the computer than go somewhere. In addition, the large amount of information they receive every day makes them indifferent to amazing things. Teenagers are not very impressed by the beauty of nature or art because they have seen it before. The internet can show everything from Van Gogh paintings to the northern lights, so young people don't need to travel or visit museums to see something out of the ordinary. As a result, it is very difficult to surprise them, because the computer screen has already shown and explained everything to them.

The Internet also affects teenagers' relationships. Young people who are shy or afraid to meet new people choose online friendships. There are many social networks that have thousands of users who spend hours chatting there. Sometimes, instead of an exciting and colorful life, a teenager surfs the Internet, chatting with unrealistic friends. Also, many young people play online games that take a long time, they start living in the virtual world and forget about everything.

Despite the fact that young people are not very impressionable, they have their own passions. The most popular and favorite is music. Now there is a huge variety of bands and musical styles from reggae and pop to techno and doom metal, so that every teenager can find what he or she likes. Many teenagers prefer to associate with those who have the same musical taste, so the first question they ask when meeting a stranger might be "What kind of music do you like?" Music also influences the way teenagers dress, as they sometimes try to copy the image of their favorite singer or musician. In addition, music gives young people the dream of becoming a rock star, so many of them learn to play musical instruments, especially guitars, and sing. This is why there are now hundreds of garage bands, some of which will one day be successful.

Although the technique is very advanced, there are many teenagers interested in hand-made and art. Now it is very popular to make jewelry, dolls or clothes with your own hands, and many talented young people also paint pictures using paints or special computer programs. They upload their work to the Internet, create their own websites and sometimes become famous.

The way teenagers dress today is also different from what it was before. Girls and guys have almost the same clothes. Of course, guys don't wear skirts and dresses, but girls wear pants, shirts and sneakers just like guys. In addition, short haircuts have become very popular. The usual clothing for young people is jeans and T-shirts, but there are many subcultures that have their own dress code.
In the past few years, a new trend has emerged called "Synthetic Beauty". The main features of synthetic beauty are unnatural hair and eye color, a lot of makeup, thinness, piercings and tattoos. Some young people have dreadlocks, body modifications or plastic surgery. There is only one rule in synthetic beauty - wear whatever you like. It can be a mix of styles and colors, or it can be a cosplay for a cartoon character or a fairy tale. Previously, there was nothing like this in clothes and teenagers who want to be unusual and want to show their individuality choose this fashionable direction.

Those teenagers who prefer active activities to drawing and photography go in for sports. Fortunately, there are gyms and fitness clubs in almost every city.
The bravest and the wildest go in for extreme sports such as skateboarding, solo jumping, snowboarding, and more. They are looking for strong emotions and they love the horror that dangerous sports provide. Extreme sports take courage, so not everyone is capable of it. Unfortunately, sometimes young people are unable to weigh the risk and are seriously injured or even killed.
Unfortunately, it's not just extreme sports that cause health problems. Teenagers often suffer from various diseases due to junk food, bad habits, smoking and alcohol, which is quite affordable. Plus, they spend a lot of time in front of the computer, which is very bad for the eyes. A lazy lifestyle leads to obesity.

To summarize, today's adolescents are the generation of the Internet and technological advancement. They have their own hobbies, fashion and problems, some of them are very creative, talented and interesting, some of them are modest and prefer to live virtually. They are all different, but I believe that they will be a good replacement for the previous generation, they will preserve the legacy and create something new to leave a mark in world history.

Keep your body healthy. Being healthy doesn't mean being a skinny girl. Being very thin is harmful and not very attractive to guys.

  • Don't compare yourself to other girls in your school. If you're worried about your weight, see your doctor for the right healthy advice.
  • Don't go for fancy diets like the Hollywood Cookie Diet or anything like that. If it sounds fake, then it is. Plus you are a teenager: you are growing and lack of essential nutrients will not make you healthier if you follow some stupid extreme diets!

Train! You cannot be very healthy if you don't do some exercise. It's actually very easy. While you are on the move, at work - you are great! This all keeps you healthy.

  • Find ways to make what you already do more useful. For example, you can try doing squats while watching TV. If you're listening to an iPod, take your dog for a walk while enjoying music.
  • Doctors and healers recommend spending an hour a day on exercise. You can make the process fun too! Invite a friend over to your house, watch Mom's old tai-bo tapes and practice at the same time!
  • You don't have to do everything perfectly, you just have to increase your heart rate and great! However, the best way to burn calories is mostly by running. Do you have a treadmill at home or a fitness center in your city? If you have a treadmill at home, enter your exact weight and age and burn calories easily! Just keep a steady pace and you can make your run more fun by watching TV or listening to the radio.
  • To keep yourself motivated to exercise every day, set goals for yourself. For example, reward yourself for doing daily activities for two weeks. Don't do anything that can undo your efforts, like eating hot chocolate ice cream. Instead, go to the mall and buy a new shirt or jeans to honor your healthier body!
  • Watch what you eat. This may seem like the hardest part on the road to wellness, but it is not. One of the most important is to have breakfast every morning.

    • Don't skip breakfast when trying to lose weight. If you do this, your body will simply use the accumulated unhealthy fat as food, leading to weight gain. You will also be more tired and your brain will not be in the best shape.
    • Some good breakfast ideas: Fried eggs, a banana and a glass of milk, oatmeal, whole wheat toast, yogurt or Special K waffles in low fat syrup, or a cereal bar. Om-Nom-nom! This food will keep you going through the rest of the morning until lunchtime.
    • Speaking of lunch, be careful with food from cafeterias. Cookies and chocolate tarts and donuts and fries can all be delicious, but don't tempt yourself. Drinking water or apple juice, or milk and meat salad with tomatoes, eggs, and cheese are a good idea for a meal. If you're still hungry, most schools have a menu to choose from, so you can eat baked chips or take a 100 calorie pack with you.
    • For dinner, you can eat everything that parents prepare, only in smaller portions.
    • While chewing slowly, it misleads your brain into thinking that you are eating more when you are not, so you will be satiated more easily than before.
    • This is always repeated for children - eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Basically, eat as much as you want because it's healthy. Go to the grocery store with your parents one day and choose a variety of foods. Find your favorites! But most importantly, think what you are eating!
  • Be healthy mind! Mental health is also the key to being the best teenage girl possible. You don't have to be the smartest in the room, but always try your best! It also doesn't mean you need to get good grades, but you need to have common sense and know what is best for you.

    Take care of your appearance. Bathe regularly. Especially as you get older, take a shower every day to look and smell good. Redefine your wardrobe. Instead of wearing loose, oversized, baggy old clothes dotted with holes and stains, take care to present yourself as neat and organized. It doesn't take a lot of effort. Buy a pair of jeans that fit your size and only wear clean shirts. If you're worried about fashion, devote a little more time to finding and buying the cutest, most popular outfits; however, this is not required.

    Be friendly. The best way to make friends is to be friendly to everyone you meet. Greet others with a smile and a sweet hello. Ask people how they are doing and open up to them if they are kind enough. If you present yourself as a friendly, willing person, then those around you will feel comfortable and calm with you, which will help you make friends with a large number of people.

    Don't quarrel with your parents. You may not want to, but they will be a huge part of your adolescence, so you should live peacefully with your parents. There is no need to rebel or make them unhappy. Instead, listen to them as much as possible, and talk to them when you have problems or worries. After all, your parents have already gone through everything you deal with, and their wisdom can be invaluable. A good relationship with your parents is essential to how much you enjoy being a teenager.

  • Pay attention to your activities. The most important thing is to always listen to what your teacher has to say. If you are in the clouds or passing notes to a friend while your teacher is trying to explain something, you will miss everything you were supposed to learn and will not understand how to solve a math problem or which pages to read in a book, etc. Or worse, your teacher may challenge you without knowing what he / she is talking about, which can be very embarrassing.

    • Always do your homework. Yes, it can be boring, but just work hard on it and solve this problem. If you don’t do anything, you’ll probably fail the next test, because you don’t understand anything. And when you fail the quiz, it will drop your grade, which will show up on your report card and piss off your parents. See how this domino effect is triggered?
    • And all of this will happen because you haven't done your homework. If you are confused about something, ask your parent or teacher. Even during class! You may feel stupid, but chances are there will be someone else in the class with the same question, and your teacher will appreciate what you ask.
    • As a last resort, you can ask a good and reliable friend who will not beat around the bush or talk about something else. The best thing about getting higher grades is that you will be proud of yourself, plus your parents will be proud too, which will increase their confidence in you, and you will have more freedom.
    • But on the other hand, what happens if you fail the test? The first thing you can do is tear it into a million pieces and throw it in the trash. Do not. Your parents will find it anyway, so save it. The next thing you should do is think about what went wrong. Have you made a small mistake? Or you may not have understood the material?
    • Make a list of the questions you want to ask your teacher and he / she will respect you for wanting to be responsible. You can even ask your instructor about the opportunity to rewrite the test, or do something to earn extra points. You may also think when you get a bad grade: "I'm so stupid, the only thing that shines in my life is a cleaning career!" Always remember, one bad grade on the exam will not affect your overall performance, just do more on your next quiz and you will be fine!
  • Use your common sense! You are human and everyone else should respect that. Don't let anyone judge you when you first meet. If they do, they are not worth your time.

    • Also say no to drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes! They're not cool to consume. If someone suggests this to you, just say, "Sorry [insert name here], but I don't want to spoil my body." If they think that you are poor and gray, then they themselves are! You are awesome because you know how to stand up for yourself and be smart! In addition, drugs and cigarettes can lead to baggy skin, large circles under the eyes, and yellow-brown teeth. And alcohol can make you act like it's not you, not to mention all the bad effects on your body. SUCKS!
    • Minors should also not have sex. If a boy wants to do something that is wrong, but he really cares about you, he will not even ask, and even if he asks, and you say no, he will respect and will not ask again. Sure, you probably want to have sex, but there is a risk of getting an STD or even getting pregnant. And if he says, "If you really love me, you will do it" - you need to raise the red flag! This is wrong, and do not say "yes"! Do not do this until you are ready! Never do such a thing under pressure. You don't have to do drugs, drink and sleep with everyone around to be cool or respectable.Being modern and gaining the respect of others will help the ability to be yourself.
    • Let's conclude that you should treat your body and yourself with kindness!
  • Teenage life

    The life of adolescents is a very important topic.... Many experts admit that the younger generation is going through a deep crisis, but there is a way out.

    The youth are in trouble

    ▪ United States. A fifteen-year-old schoolboy shot his classmates. Two children were killed, thirteen were injured.

    ▪ Russia. The tipsy teenagers brutally killed a nine-year-old girl and beat her father and brother.

    ▪ Great Britain. A seventeen-year-old boy stabbed a teenager who was younger than him. “At first I had no intention of killing him,” he explained.in the police - but when I saw the blood, I could not stop. "

    These chilling cases are far from isolated, they cannot be dismissed as rare exceptions. “Teenage violence is a disaster in modern society,” says one journal of education (Professional School Counseling).

    The truth of these words is confirmed by the facts.
    The US National Center for Education Statistics notes that while reported incidents of violence in American schools have declined slightly, "only recently there have been about 2 million incidents of theft and violence (non-fatal) affecting teens aged 12-18." Complaints of bullying in schools have increased.

    Children are not the only victims of teenage violence in the United States. "Teachers were the victims of 1.3 million crimes, of which 817,000 thefts and 473,000 attacks," said the aforementioned organization. Moreover, "9 percent of primary and secondary school teachers were threatened with violence, and 4 percent of teachers were actually attacked."

    How about in other countries? “In China, police detained 69,780 juvenile delinquents,” one news agency reported. “This is 12.7 percent.
    more than in previous years. " Moreover, it was noted that "70 percent of crimes committed by minors are on the account of gangs."

    Japan reported that over the past 10 years, half of all crimes in that country were committed by teenagers.

    Deadly dope

    The crisis of the growing generation is also expressed in the violence that adolescents commit against their own bodies. American National Institute
    Narcology reports that by the time they leave school, about half of all adolescents in the United States have already tried drugs.

    It also reports that “alcohol use is still extremely common among adolescents. Four out of five schoolchildren (77%) drank alcohol (not just a few sips) before leaving school, and almost half (46%) before the eighth grade. "

    Promiscuous sex

    Due to the AIDS epidemic, promiscuous sex is undoubtedly dangerous. But for many teenagers, sex is just a game. You can hear the young
    frivolously talk about the fact that they "removed someone."

    This "harmless" expression refers to casual relationships. American adolescents call a "convenient friend" a regular sexual partner who does not pretend to be emotionally attached.

    In an article on suburban teenagers, Scott Walter talks about the wild parties kids throw when their parents are at work.

    At one party, a teenage girl stated that she was “going to have sex with all the boys in attendance. […] Sometimes children who are only 12 years old come to such parties. " Shocking? But not specialists who study the sexual behavior of adolescents.

    "Over the past 20 years, we've seen adolescents begin sex at an increasingly early age," writes MD Andrea Pennington.

    Especially worrisome is what the US-Hey Today newspaper writes about: “The number of those ... who are in the most tender adolescence is engaged in oral sex.

    […] The kids have convinced themselves that this is 'not real sex'. " In a survey of 10,000 girls, “80 percent said they were virgins, but 25 percent admitted to having oral sex. And 27 percent gave him this definition: 'this is something that you can have fun with a guy.'

    Similar views are spreading in other countries as well. “Young people in Asia are at increased risk of contracting HIV through heterosexual
    connection, as many start sex at an earlier age, says UNESCO. - More and more teenagers are neglecting their parents' 'Asian morality'. They have sex before marriage, often with more than one partner. "

    And these are not all the symptoms of the crisis. The Canadian Women's Health Weekly states: "25 percent of girls between the ages of 16 and 19 will experience major depression." It must be admitted that not only girls suffer from depression.

    According to “Yu. S. News and World Report ”, about five thousand young men and women take their own lives every year. But for some reason, "young men commit suicide six times more often than girls."

    Undoubtedly, today's youth are in deep crisis. How can this be explained?

    Tough time for young people

    Youth is already a difficult time in itself. In adolescence, an avalanche of new feelings and experiences falls on the young. Every day, teachers and peers demand something from them. Television, films, music and the Internet impose their stereotypes on them. As one UN report rightly points out, adolescence is "a period of transition with stress and anxiety."

    In addition, young people are often too inexperienced and unable to cope with life's adversities. The Bible gives advice: to teach the inexperienced
    prudence, the young man is endowed with knowledge and thinking ability (Proverbs 1: 4).

    Without good support, they can easily take a detrimental path. Here is what the same UN report says: "Research shows that drug use is usually started in adolescence or early adulthood." The same can be said for violence, promiscuity, and other destructive behaviors.

    If parents think that all these problems concern only certain sections of society, then they are cruelly mistaken. The crisis of the younger generation knows no social, economic or ethnic boundaries.

    “If you picture a juvenile delinquent solely as a 17-year-old black slum dweller whose mother lives on welfare, then you are behind the times,” writes Scott Walter. may be younger (and even much) 16 years old, and it is quite possible that it is not him at all, but she. "

    Why are so many young people in trouble? Didn't the youth of previous generations have their own difficulties and temptations? Were.

    However, we must not forget that according to the Bible, we are now living in “extraordinarily difficult times” (2 Timothy 3: 1-5).

    And the overwhelming burden of our era has fallen on the youth today. Let's see what the situation is in the world.

    Family changes

    What has changed in the family structure? One journal of psychology says: "One in three American children under 18 have to experience parental divorce" (Journal of Instructional Psychology).

    Similar statistics are observed in other Western countries. When a family breaks up, children endure it very painfully. “As a rule,” the magazine says, “children whose parents have recently divorced academic performance and behavior are worse than those of children from two-parent families (even if the father or mother is adopted), or children who have been raised by one parent for a long time.

    In addition, divorce often affects the emotional balance and self-esteem of the child. ”

    Family life is also influenced by the fact that more and more women are working. One study of juvenile delinquency in Japan found that families in
    where both parents work, it is more difficult to take care of the upbringing of children than in families in which one of the parents is exempt from this.

    Of course, it may be necessary for both parents to work. But sometimes, parents just want to provide more comfort for their children. And this is a double-edged sword. Millions of children return from school to an empty apartment. When the parents come, they are too tired and their thoughts are still busy with work.

    What does this lead to? Many teenagers do not receive enough parental attention. “We don't get together at all,” one teenager complained.

    Many experts believe that this situation does not bode well for the young. “I believe that trends in parenting that
    emerged in the last three decades, lead to the fact that children become alienated, uncommunicative, difficult to learn and uncontrollable, -
    says Robert Shaw, MD. - And parents fall into the slavery of materialism and careerism, which society imposes on them.

    As a result, they devote so much time to earning, and then spending money, that they have no time at all for their children. "

    There is another factor that threatens the well-being of adolescents. Children whose parents work are largely on their own. Flaw
    parental supervision is a direct path to problems.

    Changes in parenting views

    The very outlook on education has changed, which also influenced modern youth. As Ron Tuffel bluntly put it, many fathers and mothers “lay down
    with parental authority. " Then the young grow up almost - or completely! - without rules and principles guiding their behavior.

    Sometimes parents, remembering the unpleasant moments of their childhood, try to raise their children differently. They want to be friends with their children, not
    strict educators. “I was overly indulgent,” one mother admitted. “My parents were very strict, and I didn't want that for my child. But I was wrong. "

    Such views sometimes take extreme forms. US Today reports: “A recent survey of nearly 600 adolescents who are being treated for
    drug addiction in New York, Texas, Florida and California, showed that 20% of them took drugs (excluding alcohol) with their parents, and about 5% admitted that they first got drugs, most often marijuana, from moms or dads " ...

    What could motivate parents to be so irresponsible? One mother confessed, "I told my daughter that it is better to let her do it at home, under my supervision." And some seem to believe that by taking drugs with their children, they will "get closer" to them.

    Onslaught from the blue screen

    We must not forget about the strong influence of the media. According to researcher Marita Mall, one survey found that the average teenager in the United States spends 4 hours and 48 minutes in front of a TV or monitor every day.

    But is it really that bad? An article in Science magazine stated that "six reputable organizations in the United States," including the American Medical Association, unanimously agreed that there is a direct link between media violence and child aggression. ...

    “Despite this consensus among experts,” says Science, “popular programs and magazines do not seem to convey to people in general that violence on the screen generates violence in life.”

    Take music videos, for example. Parents are often shocked at how frankly and colorfully sex is presented in these videos.

    Do music videos really affect teen behavior? One study of 500 students found that "violent song content incites aggressive thoughts and feelings."

    According to another recent study, "Teens who are more likely to see sex and violence in gangsta rap videos are more likely to translate their content into their real life."

    In this study of more than 500 girls, passionate gangsta rap music videos were more likely to beat teachers, were more likely to be detained by the police, and were more likely to switch sex partners.

    Teens and computers

    In recent years, the computer has begun to play a large role in shaping young minds. “The number of home computers has skyrocketed in recent decades,” says Pediatrics magazine. “[In the US], two-thirds of families with school-age children (6-17 years old) have a computer. The same situation is observed in many other countries.

    However, a child may not only have access to a computer at home. One researcher states that “about 90% of people use computers.
    young people 5-17 years old, and 59% go to the Internet ”.

    This opens up unprecedented horizons for young people. It's great if you use your computer responsibly and under adult supervision. But, unfortunately, many parents gave their children complete freedom of action.

    In support of this, researcher Marita Moll cited the results of a survey on Internet use in a journal on pedagogy.

    According to her, “71% of parents thought they knew 'well or very well' how their child uses the Internet. But to the same question, 70% of children answered that their parents know 'poorly or do not know anything' about their online activities. "

    According to this study, “30% of 9-10 year olds only logged into adult chat rooms. 58% of 11-12-year-olds, 70% of 13-14-year-olds and 72% of 15-17-year-olds admitted the same. Obviously, the older the children are, the worse things are.

    […] According to one survey of Internet use at home, 1 in 7 UK parents have no idea what their child is watching on the Internet ”(“ Phi Delta Kappan ”).

    Street young Internet users can easily fall into the trap of pornography. But there are other dangers as well. Ron Tuffel, whose words are already
    cited above, laments: “Our kids make friends in school and cyber space. As a result, we actually do not know with whom the child is spending
    time".

    Undoubtedly, today's youth are faced with problems and trials unknown to previous generations. It is not surprising that in behavior
    teenagers are so frightening! How can we help today's youth?

    How can we help today's youth?

    Young people are now growing up in a world that is at times fearsome. Sometimes children are forced to watch helplessly as their parents break off relations and get divorced. Sometimes they see their school friends get on the slippery slope of drug addiction and crime.

    Many experience sexual harassment from peers of both sexes. And almost all adolescents have periods in their lives when they feel misunderstood, alone and depressed.

    What will help them cope with the difficulties they face? “Children need a strong moral core,” wrote Robert Shaw.
    an anchor that will give them reliable guidance in choosing friends and making decisions and teach them to be compassionate towards others. "

    The best moral core is the Bible, since it contains the thoughts of the Creator himself. Who knows better than Jehovah God what we need to withstand this extraordinarily difficult time ?!

    Practical and vital guidance

    Bible principles are reasonable and helpful. They are invaluable to parents and anyone looking to help young people avoid the pitfalls of adulthood.

    For example, the Bible directly says that "stupidity is attached to the heart of a young man." Or, according to another translation, “children tend to act foolish and careless” (Proverbs 22:15; “Today’s English Version”).

    Some adolescents seem to be quite mature for their age, and yet they lack experience in life. At this age, they are characterized by insecurity, confusion, and all kinds of desires. --2 Timothy 2:22. How can we help the young?

    The Bible encourages open communication between parents and children: “Speak about them [God's principles] as you sit in your house and walk on the way, and when you lie down and get up.” - Deuteronomy 6: 6, 7.

    Such fellowship, first, guides young people in God's way. --Isaiah 48:17, 18.

    Second, it helps parents communicate with their children. This is especially important during adolescence, when adolescents tend to be withdrawn and feel lonely. Of course, almost all adolescents from time to time feel like they are not needed by anyone.

    However, for some, this feeling develops into chronic loneliness. One book about adolescents says: "These children say they have a hard time making friends at school, no one to talk to, they feel lonely, they can't win the sympathy of their peers, and they have no one to turn to in times of need."

    How can parents and other adults help children cope with their worries? “The only way to find out what's on a teenager’s heart is to ask him,” writes the editor of a youth magazine. Of course, it takes time and patience for a child to trust you. But the effort is worth it (Proverbs 20: 5).

    The need for reasonable rules

    In addition to communication, adolescents need reasonable rules, and deep down they even want them. The Bible says that “a child who is left in neglect makes his mother ashamed.” - Proverbs 29:15. At the root of juvenile delinquency, experts say, is the absence of clear boundaries.

    “If you endlessly pamper a child, if you never say 'no' to him and allow everything, then he will never understand that other people also have their own lives, feelings, needs and desires. If he doesn’t know empathy, then he will never learn to love, ”says Robert Shaw.

    Stanton Seimenou, who has worked with difficult teens for many years, expresses a similar thought: “Some parents are of the opinion that children should be given complete freedom. They naively believe that any rules and requirements are too heavy for their children and deprive them of childhood.

    But this tactic can have dire consequences. These parents do not realize that if a child is not taught to discipline from an early age, he will suffer from a lack of self-discipline in adulthood. "

    Does this mean that parents simply need to be strict? Not at all. Restrictions are just one part of good parenting. Excessive severity can create tension in the home. The Bible says: “Fathers, do not provoke your children so that they may not become discouraged.” - Colossians 3:21; Ephesians 6: 4.

    Therefore, from time to time, parents need to revise their parenting methods, especially when children grow up and become more mature.

    Perhaps some rules and restrictions need to be relaxed or corrected. It all depends on how developed the child's sense of responsibility is. --Philippians 4: 5.

    The path to rapprochement

    As noted earlier, the Bible foretold that before God intervenes in the affairs of this world, "times are extremely difficult."

    Everything suggests that we are living just at this time - "in the last days" of this godless world. Like adults, young people are forced to live in a world in which people are mostly “self-centered ... devoid of natural attachment ... lacking self-control” (2 Timothy 3: 1-5).

    Parents who have lost contact with their children can build relationships step by step by trying to talk to their children little by little.
    It is wonderful that many parents do their best to have a positive influence on their children and participate in their lives.

    Bible principles are the best help in raising children. They helped many parents realize how important their role is, and they helped children
    avoid destructive traps.

    Summarize.

    This article " teenage life“, Helped to consider the reasons and gave practical advice for both parents and teenagers.

    Subscribe to new articles, as well as order a topic or question that interests you on this site:

    Watch a helpful video

    Modern adolescents are no longer the same as 20 or even 10 years ago - completely different interests, different psychology, social circle and lifestyle. Currently, the world is developing so quickly that it is impossible to predict what will soon depend on the behavior of this group of society.

    If we consider the life of adolescents in Russia and, for example, America, then there are no significant differences in the sense that the influence of information technology is actively making itself felt on both sides of the ocean.

    Internet addiction is one of the many problems of our time. The lifestyle of adolescents at the moment no longer presupposes such active and interesting activities as playing football in the yard, going to the river or the beach, reading books, playing music, going to a concert, to the park, etc. to the same extent that it has happened before. Real communication has been replaced by a virtual one, generated by countless social networks, thanks to which modern teenagers are gradually turning into lazy and passive, not aspiring people.

    However, in Russia, the life of a teenager has more negative sides. Including this superficial, one might even say indifference to one's health, indifference to other people's concerns and problems, and against the backdrop of all this, an increasingly growing aggression towards society. All problems of upbringing and worldview, as you know, come from childhood, therefore a preventive conversation on the topic "what is good and what is bad" must be carried out from early childhood in order for a teenager to have something to compare with, so that he has an idea of ​​the consequences one choice or another. At the same time, the most important rule in upbringing is the observance of the interests of the child as a person by democracy, that is, not the authoritarian imposition of one's existing system of values, but a soft and competent explanation of the options for behavior in a given situation.

    The modern teenager has a great need for live communication. Parents, however, tend to devote very little time to their children - and this is also a big mistake. Not getting this communication in one place, the teenager will definitely get him with a friend and go to look for him either on the street for a bottle of beer and a cigarette, or sitting on social networks all day long.

    A frequent attempt to attract attention is adolescent suicide, which most often occurs in dysfunctional families. Psychologists testing teenage groups in order to find out the rating of desirable values ​​were surprised that such values ​​as safety, comfort, having loyal friends, love, a prosperous family life were in the first places, giving way to the values ​​of development and creativity. Modern adolescents are already almost not fond of the beauty of nature and art. Few people are interested in being active. Teens value mainly the so-called "enduring" values ​​- health, love, well-being. The difference in values ​​between children and adults is shown by attitudes towards music. For adolescents, music is a source of positive emotions, as it helps to get away from negative experiences, but parents rarely support the musical hobbies of their children, many are ironic, and some are even hostile.

    Adults try to take control of their lives and the lives of their teenage children, instead of trying to understand and accept the adolescent value system. But it is we, adults, who are responsible for those whom we educate and for what our society will be like after a certain number of years - a society consisting of today's matured adolescents.