When you transition from being a child into your adolescent years it can be an immensely difficult, stressful, and confusing time. As a parent you know from your own experience what it felt like to grow up being a teenager. So the same process is applicable to your child now, just in a different way. Understanding and showing compassion to your teen is important so that you can demonstrate that you are supportive when they need you the most. These are some examples of what your teen may be experiencing today.
For more on this topic, check out the full All About Teen collection
Social Media Pressure To Look Perfect
When you were a teenager yourself you most likely did not have the internet. And certainly not a smartphone in which you could access the web and take selfies. Young people today are increasingly susceptible to the damaging effects of continuous social media usage and a decline in their mental welfare. With around 97% of 13-17 year olds on at least one social media platform a day, it is easy to see how they can be drawn into unrealistic expectations. Here the images and persona on social media is that everything looks ‘perfect’. But as a consequence, this can have an extremely negative impact on your teen’s self esteem and expectations to ‘look a certain way’. It can also lead to a particular lifestyle because they see celebrities doing this.
Keeping Up With Drinking Trends
It is no surprise that your teen will be delving into the world of alcohol when they start meeting up with their friends outside of school. Particularly in the evenings or when they head out to parties. There is no way to totally avoid this. But it is useful to read up about the short-term effects of alcohol on the brain if you do begin to notice that they might be drinking and hiding it from you. Ideally you would want to catch this before it develops into habitual drinking. It can be easy for teens to feel as though they must keep up with their friends, particularly when they are filmed doing a dare, and it is posted onto social media for the rest of their friends to see.
Sharing Inappropriate Photos To Impress Someone They Like
Again, social media features prominently again. This time in the form of peer pressure to send inappropriate photos of themselves either partly clothed or even completely nude. The ramifications of this once it is sent to another user, even if your teen knows the person, means it will never really be private. Once it is shared with another use,r it is likely to end up on the internet. Which is impossible to remove as a digital footprint.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, you need to be aware that the social pressures that teens face nowadays is going to differ from when you were young. Figuring out how you can be supportive and available to chat when they feel ready to speak up about an issue is key. It is also important that your teen understands what types of outcomes their decisions can cause. So be open and discuss these topics together before they get out of hand.
For more on this topic, check out the full All About Teen collection