Teenage is that stage in life where there is maximum energy, vitality, passion and growth. There has to be proper focus and drive else life itself could go haywire. Modern youth have been plagued and bombarded from all sides with so many ‘attractions’. Here is a list of the ten most troubling youth trends.
1. Usage of tobacco variants
While the teens accept that cigarettes are harmful and poisonous, other tobacco using things like hookahs and tobacco chews as cool! This is a dangerous trend because hookahs may seem safe but they too use flavored tobacco and create a false sense of security. ‘Snus’ is another product that is actually a mild form of oral tobacco which teens seem to find mod and hip. These mild forms are actually marketed with the evil intent of getting your users hooked on to the products and assure the company a loyal lifelong customer.
2. Tattoos
Seen as cool ways to express oneself, tattoos have become widespread. It has been roughly approximated that almost 33 percent of the under-35 adults in USA have got themselves tattooed. Tattoos are a source of HIV infection and a way by which people contract Hepatitis C. This is because, in spite of all the care taken, nobody can promise a perfectly sterilized and clean needle.
3. Insane texting habits
The cell phone has now become another vital organ in the teen’s system. And it is an organ that is abused and dangerously used too! A survey revealed that almost 86 percent of the teens admitted to have sent text messages while they were driving. The frequency and intensity is much higher when it comes to using the phone to chat while driving. This poses a danger to the rider and pedestrian alike. Though it is illegal in many countries, the teens seem to find it as all the more reason to do so and appear cool.
4. Late-night technologies
Social networking, instant messaging, listening to music, gaming and chatting have become the favorite nigh activities of the teens. They seem to be more nocturnal in their habits. Is it any wonder then that they are sleepy at school and dull in the day? Unplugging completely at night is the only solution that you must encourage your teens to do.
5. Circle lenses
Popularized by an icon, circle lenses seem to make the teenage girls go ‘gaga’ over them. The feeling is that these lenses lend a doe-eyed face to the teenagers and this is considered hot! And the girls buy it online without a prescription. It can lead to many infections and eye damage, the worst being blindness.
6. Abusing prescription drugs
Some children and teens, unfortunately, suffer from attention-deficit disorder. They are helped through prescription drugs that enhance their alertness and concentration. These drugs are now being abused by teens in order to prepare better and faster for the exams! Serious drugs have begun to be abused as study aids and you better warn your teen against such abuse.
7. Cutting, biting and sucking blood
Shocked? Don’t be! This is the latest craze and fashion following the release of some high profile and glamorously portrayed vampires in the Twilight series of movies. This can also be a way of HIV transmission and there are serious ill-effects of biting due to the bacteria lodged in every mouth. Maybe sex education classes in school could now include a lesson or two on the dangers of biting also!
8. The tanning salon
For a long time now, fair skin seemed to be an indicator of beauty. Today, everyone wants that wheat complexion. And so, tanning in salons to darken skin tones is on the rise among teenagers. While they get the color they choose, they also become susceptible to melanoma and other cancers that they definitely did not choose.
9. Body piercings
Every part of the body has now become a spot for piercing. Teens consider it cool to pierce their nostrils, ears, face, tongues, lips, navel regions and even genitalia. These can result in deformities and painful wounds. Bacterial infections and the risks of tuberculosis, tetanus, hepatitis and HIV are high. The teens have to be made aware that needles in the hands of anyone other than a doctor could become deadly weapons.
10. Noise
With the proliferation of MP3 devices and the addiction to chatting on cell phones, the tender sound-sensitive hair in the inner ear sure have a lot of work to do. The teens today stand the danger of loosing their hearing partially or completely due to intense exposure to sounds.
