Adolescent Challenges: Addictions, Violence, and Self-Harm

Adolescent Problems

I’m going to talk about teenage problems because our generation is becoming worse day by day because of alcohol, drugs, violence, bullying, anorexia, self harm and so on. Even though many young people try not to talk about this topic because they have these problems and they find it difficult to talk, hiding the truth from themselves and the others, I don’t have these problems and so I’d like others to understand the severity of what they do. I’d like to tell them not to continue to live in this way because their happiness and their satisfaction can’t be addicted to drugs, alcohol and violence forever. They should live their life day by day in all its simplicity.

Addictions and Harmful Habits

I think everyone has their own addiction or just a bad habit; there are shopaholics, workaholics, TV addicts, who bites their nails and who can’t stop chewing gums, but there are some addictions that can cause lots of problems to the person who has them and to the people around him or her, one of these is alcoholism. Teenagers drink because they just want to feel adults in pubs, bars and at friends’ houses and who doesn’t drink like the others is considered a looser and is avoided otherwise they drink because they want to try to cover their little and daily problems but don’t know that they will get worse in this way, despite feeling more sociable, relaxed and cool in that moment. In other words it’s like rowing in a river, you go and go on, but, when you see the waterfall so close to you, you realize that it is too late to change your direction. This is the course of alcoholism and when people ///// realize that they have been wrong for all this time, it will be too late.

The Drug Tunnel

Another tunnel too hard to overcome is that of drugs. Young people start with small doses and end up as addicted; in fact it's easier entering this tunnel than coming out of it. Although society has always been trying to put an end to this serious problem, where you can get in contact with these drugs easily. They usually think they feel new emotions because they are bored with life, or in other cases, they want to look different in the eyes of their friends, thinking that this is just a game or a way to have fun and to socialize.

What are the issues related to Bullying and Violence?

Everybody knows that bullying and violence started thousands of years ago but now television shows us that this phenomenon is increasing all over the world day by day, especially among young people because many of them consider the others like things without emotions, feelings and hearts. Sometimes they feel too weak inside and the only way they have to impose themselves on the others is by using violence. They can appear normal guys but they hide a bomb that can explode in every moment. Others are egocentric guys who do this just to upload their videos on YouTube and tell the world what they have done without understanding the gravity of their actions. So, to fight against this problem we don’t need to use other violence but we must try to show them how to act in a non violent way in order to give them a strong example.

Vandalism and Anorexia

Another form of violence practiced, in this case, on things is vandalism, a new trend that leads young people to destroy everything just for fun like buildings, public transports, monuments, parks and schools. Another social problem that affects many adolescents is anorexia, an eating disorder of psychological origin. This problem involves especially young girls who want to look like models, that society imposes on us every day, and they try to do everything to become like them, destroying their bodies, too. They are like dominated by this obsession and they almost don’t know what they are doing, they look at themselves in the mirror and, even if they are extremely thin, they always think that they are overweight. This leads them to be fragile in their body and soul, losing self confidence and desire to relate to others. The reason of all this, is that society, as in other cases, unconsciously proposes models that don't correspond to reality, for example, clothes sizes are becoming smaller and smaller and often some designers have refused models just because they weren’t like skeletons.

Self-Harm and Support

A phenomenon that is often overlooked, but which is increasing among young people is self-harm, or when the guys vent their anger against the world and their need for help and moral support on themselves, getting cuts on the body and especially on the wrists. These are people who need help or even to be saved by this dark side of themselves that leads them to suffer physically to forget the moral pain hidden in the soul. So, I think there is no valid reason to justify this attitude because just one disappointment makes them fall down emotionally, they should understand that not everything can go in the right way. So, each teenager and especially who has just one of these problems or addiction should talk to someone because sometimes speaking can help them to find a point of reference and to overcome problems. Sometimes a sweet word or a worm smile can be very useful and can help to live a better life.