9. Teenagers: What Problems?

The familiar linking of the words "teenagers" and "problems" set me thinking why the two words are so inextricably linked. Why should teenagers be more a problem than, say, middle aged people or babies? And why should they have the prerogative on having problems?

Without getting hung up on actual ages, what we really mean by "teenagers" are people who are in the stage of their life developing from children into adults. It is difficult time because it is a period of transformation. It isn't easy to grow up and the physical and emotional changes are often confusing and worrying. With all the pressures today's teenagers have to deal it's no wonder so many are in trouble.

Statistics show that teen suicide and teen pregnancy are on the rise. Anxiety disorders are the most pervasive psychiatric problems in teens: 13% of children between 9 and 13 suffer social phobia. Smoking among teens is in vogue, and two thirds of eighth-graders report that they have tried alcohol. And only about 38% of them get enough exercise - which means the other 62% are setting themselves up for a sedentary lifestyle and all the problems that come with it.

More than a million British teenagers run away from home every year. The parents are often puzzled and hurt. Why do they do it?

There is usually a lack of understanding on both sides - parents and child - problems in communication. More than half of these runaways are girls. Their average age is fifteen.

For one reason or another, they refuse to stay at home. Of course, the great majority of young people never run away from home. Nevertheless, the problem is a serious one.

There is no "typical" runaway, though. Many come from homes broken by divorce or homes where there is an alcoholic parent. Some run away from parents who beat them. But there are also many runaways who come from seemingly healthy homes where no such problems exist.

Sociologists believe parent-child conflicts can not be avoided in a society that is undergoing rapid change. Youngsters are at odds with their parents on a wide range of issues, from how late they can stay up to whom they should marry. Now's the time to change these statistics. The number-one thing you can do to help teens is to be a good model. Accept them for who they are and show them that you are genuinely anxious about them. Look past the way they dress or wear their hair, and lean to understand their language so you can relate to what they have to say.

In the end, teens should and will make their own choices. But they're more likely to make the best ones if the adults in their lives do the right thing - communicate, pay attention and set a good example themselves.

The mode of life of Russian youth is mainly more passive. If we take leisure time three fourths of the youngsters prefer watching TV and meeting friends, two thirds are keen on listening to music and watching videos.

There isn't much place for active leisure in lives of teenagers: 17% of them are regular audience of theatres and concert halls and 33% of them never go there, 10% are frequent visitors of museums and exhibitions and 46% don't even think about it. This is the evidence of low cultural activity of the youth.

On a background of generally unfavorable influence of macromedia we can see morality standards falling while personal and pragmatic interests rising. The considerable part of youngsters have lost such traditional moral and psychological features as romanticism, honesty, conscientiousness, belief in good and justice, aspiration for the truth and search for the ideal.

Changes in the youth values generally concern the attitude to the material wealth and means of achieving it. Wealth and career are now the basic values of considerable part of young people. Most of the teenagers consider the following to be the signs of a good job: handsome salary, interesting work, a possibility of self-actualization.

According to the opinion of teachers the present generation of students is developed more intellectually and pragmatically, but less spiritually. Most of students are aware of what they want and how to get it and strive for learning the "necessary" subjects. They are more emancipated, self-confident and virtually don't have the sense of collectivism.

Questions:

1. Who are teenagers?

2. What period is difficult for teenagers?

3. Do teenagers have problems?

4. Are teenagers' problems different from anyone else's?

5. Why do young people run away from their home?

6. What are the causes of parent-child conflicts?

7. Who should help teenagers make the right choice?

8. How would you like your parents to behave towards you?

9. How can parents help their children?

10. Are teenagers a problem in your country?

11. What problems do young people have in your country?

12. What kind of lifestyle do young people in Russia tend to choose nowadays?

13. Make a list of human values of Russian youth.

14. What do you think is a road to success?