Drugs Affecting Minors Through Social Media

However, when the teens were shown a post of their friends, or people they know with drugs and alcohol; there was no effect to their pleasure center of the brain. Meaning that teens will most likely like / share photos of drugs and alcohol that their friend reshare without a second thought. The reporter in this article got her information from top scientist from UCLA Brain Mapping Center. In “Teens: This is How Social Affects Your Brain”, the researchers never tested adults only adolescent, to see the effect of social media on their brain. This article makes fine research material for a more scientific description of the teen brain, when using social media.

One fact from the source was that “Teenage drug abuse is one of the major international concerns that we are facing today. There are various reasons why teenagers begin using drugs. For many teenagers, getting high on drugs is their way of getting into the “in crowd.” As a result, teenage drug abuse is often rooted in the concept of social acceptance.” This fact is important because it explicitly explains the possible reason behind the behavior of drug abuse. Another fact is that “Teenage drug abuse may also be rooted in the concept of testing oneself. There is a fallacy floating around that if you are not able to handle drugs, then you are weak. Given this, teenagers begin using drugs in an effort to prove themselves. Many times teens take more and more of a drug to try to impress their peers. At a party, a teen may take repeated hits off a bong amid the cheers of their friends. With this level of support and praise from friends, teens often feel good about themselves, leading them to repeat this behavior.” This fact is important because it brings how social status and popularity could also be a major factor. My last fact is that “If a teen’s parents or other immediate family members have struggled with abuse and addiction, it increases the likelihood of the teen developing a substance abuse issue as well.” This fact is also important because it shows how it can be spread through family genes and that it has been a major problem for many generations. My third source speaks about a certain branch of drug abuse popular in teens called

In my hometown, I have noticed an abundance of drug use. Many teens get peer pressured into doing drugs by their friends. They tell it’s cool, and how it can easily clear your mind. Also on TV they act like are fine. But what they don’t tell you is how it can totally ruin your life. You can become addicted and get into a lot of trouble. After recent research, I conclude that teens using drugs are a major problem in Piedmont and nationwide.

In “Drugs in Schools: Myths and Realities,” Peter Venturelli (2000) discusses the reasons as to why many students and young adults turn to drugs and how the increase rate in drugs encouraged schools to adopt a policy on them. It is evident that there has been an increase in the use of licit and illicit drugs among teenagers in the United States. According to Venturelli (2000), drugs are defined as “any substance that modifies body functions.” With that being said, drugs can affect an individual’s perception of reality through their attitude, personality, and behavior. The article reports an increase of drug use from teenagers aged 12 to 17 and indicates the rate has increased from “11.7 percent in 1992 to 18.0 percent in 1995” (Venturelli, 2000). As the public became aware of the results, many schools decided to implement a policy of zero tolerance for drugs for safety and education purposes. For example, drugs can create problems for students because it can affect their thinking, which can hinder their education. In addition, researchers realized that education on drugs and TV advertisements, has had little to no effects for frequent drug users (Venturelli, 2000). Venturelli (2000) thoroughly discusses the reasons as to why teenagers turn to drugs for help. Individuals between the ages of 13 through 18, also known as adolescents, experience changes as they begin to discover the world around them. Adolescents bodies begin to change as they go through puberty. For instance,

Children’s aid Society Teens who use drugs to have fun or to forget their problems may never really learn

Summary Response: The article titled the “Psychological Effects of Drug Use in Adolescents,” makes the argument that most adolescents who use drugs are unaware of the psychological effects that abuse of such substances cause. According to the article’s main source, not all depressed adolescents become drug abusers and not all drug abusing adolescents are depressed. The article then goes on to say that a adolescent’s brain can be more vulnerable to the effects of drugs, because chemical pathways are interrupted when a adolescent uses drugs. A adolescent on drugs has trouble thinking clearly. Their cognitive skills and behavior control is inhibited. The article argues that because of peer pressure an adolescent will try a drug and become addicted. It also says that adolescentss who “have family history of addiction, teens who have suffered abuse or neglect, teens who use drugs early and those with mental disorders such as depression and anxiety” (Schaffer) are more likely to become addicted to

On the other hand, there are also those adolescents who try drugs just to experience the high and have no real factors that led them to be more likely to try drugs. (Newcomb, PhD, Maddahian, PhD, & Bentler, PhD, 1986) The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is quoted by (Venturelli, 2000) as reporting “between 1996 and 1997, current illicit drug use increased significantly for youth age 12 to 13, rising from 2.2 to 3.8 percent” (pg. 73) It is also reported that in 1998, the highest rates of drug use were found among people ages 16 to 17 at 19.2%, followed by 18 to 20 year olds at 17.3%.

In, doing this, researchers need to continue to increase their understanding of drug use among the youth, its causes, and manifestations. Second, researchers need to explore methods of reaching youngsters during the crucial years when drugs become an alternative. Evaluation findings show that schools, which implemented awareness programs, had few participants in the area to partake in drugs than those schools that did not have awareness programs. The findings also indicated that the target population needs more schools to implement educational programs like Planned Parenthood and the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program (D.A.R.E.). Heightening the risks of drug abuse among juveniles makes them aware of the consequences their facing in the future. Studies show children that are aware of the risks of drugs tend to draw away from drugs rather than those have no clue about what drugs can do. Therefore, it is important to implement programs of this type in all schools.

Drugs have been misused by people of all different ages but, mainly by young adults. They use them mainly because they are depressed or think drugs will help them escape their problems. In fact, the usage of drugs for a teen can cause more damage to their body than an adult, because the body is not fully matured.Teen drug addiction affects teens from all walks of life. This is because the factors influencing who will try drugs are the same, no matter what your family situation or social status may be. The most common reason teens try drugs is peer pressure. Friends or classmates might pressure you into trying a drug, reassuring you that they’ve tried it and aren’t addicted, so you’ll be fine too. In television and movies, teens are bombarded with images of kids like them using drugs with no negative consequences. It is portrayed as cool or harmless, and the kids who abstain are labeled as nerdy or weird. But with repeated use, that initial harmless taste can lead to a full-blown drug

drugs can be bought and used. Statistics show that teens have major ways of getting the drug

People are becoming more and more addicted to social media. This is becoming a bigger problem in society. The main reason this is becoming a bigger problem with adolescents and children even younger coming onto social media.

The people around us have an impact on decisions we make whether we realize it or not and today we see how people start their addiction younger and younger as time goes on. As a person begins their teenage years they typically begin to have more freedom and also begin to crave acceptance from those around them. At the end of the day young people tend to value their peers opinions on them more than their parents (Benitez 2). According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, ¨the rate among teens that have

06) Teens basically see or hear the medicine on TV or radio, and thinks it is okay to use it. “We've become a society that basically says, 'If things aren't perfect in your life, take a pill,' " Fay says.”This causes our young people to see drugs as an answer" (USA TODAY Section: Life, Pg. 06). But, if there no conflict with them, they will use drugs to help them relax and have more fun.”But teens drink and smoke for other reasons as well. In the survey, 41% of boys responded that "parties are more fun with drugs" -- an increase from 34% in 2008. More than half reported that drugs help teens relax in social settings” (USA TODAY Section: Life, Pg. 06).

To begin with, there are many main causes for substance abuse in teens. Firstly, many teens abuse substances to “have fun” and to create interesting stories to tell or to share a common way to entertain themselves with others. This reasoning is shown in a survey conducted by the surgeon general’s office in 1991, in which 41% of teens reported that they drank when they were upset, 25% drank when they were bored, and 25% drank to feel the effects of being high (Clark 6). This evidence suggests that teens are using and abusing substances for a form of pleasure and enjoyment, which is causing them to continue their use for the same feeling. Secondly, many teens abuse substances because their parents or peers pressure and even inadvertently influence them to do so. According to a study taken in 1978 within the North Carolinas, 59% of students with at least one parent that drinks regularly, will themselves likely become heavy drinkers (Clark 6). This evidence implies that parental use of substances is influencing and leading their children to use and abuse

Teen drug use/abuse is common. According to the U. S. Department of Health & Human Services, the most common drugs teens use are alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, and prescription drugs (2016). Other drugs used are inhalants, over-the-counter medications, and other illegal drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin. The use of drugs and alcohol increase the risk of injury or death. According to WebMD, alcohol and drug abuse is a leading cause of teen death or injury related to car crashes, suicides, violence, and drowning (2014). A drug is anything that can alter the mind or body.