The Detrimental Effects Of Teenage Addiction

Teenagers have a “... need for independence, rebellion, and personal control,” (Source F). Marketers can use this in many ways. They can use it to their economical advantage by manipulating teenagers into buying their goods. But, PSA’s can really show teenagers the facts and promote good morals. Recent studies look into how advertisements affect adolescents, “... these studies show that social marketing has successfully changed health behavior such as smoking, physical activity, and condom use, as well as behavioral mediators such as knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs related to these behaviors,” (Source F). While it's true that it's easy for teenagers to be manipulated by commercials, a lot of other commercials can be a strong influence in building better lives for them. If people could focus on the pros rather then the cons, then they could see the big picture of marketing to

According to current statistics released by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, “In the United States in 2011, there were an estimated 25.1 million adolescents aged 12 to 17. In the past year, more than one quarter of adolescents drank alcohol, approximately one fifth used an illicit drug, and almost one eighth smoked cigarettes” ("A Day in the Life of American Adolescents," 2013, para. 1). Substance abuse is major problem amongst adolescents. Some are experimenting, but some adolescents may become dependent on a particular substance. If one becomes dependent on a substance as an adolescent it could be detrimental to their future health and success as an adult. Spear (2003) stated in an article titled Alcohol’s

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Keith E. Lyons, Walden University, Minnesota, MN 55401

According to medical guidelines, addiction is defined as “a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences” (Paola). Its symptoms consist of weakened control over the substance of choice, lack of ability to process proper thinking and an obsessive consideration for the substance (Wikipedia). When we do something pleasurable our brains are designed to reward us by releasing a chemical called dopamine. This chemical is released in high quantities when drugs are ingested, not only enticing the addict but encouraging him/her to seek after the source from which they obtained pleasure. This part of the brain is called the reward system (Shatterproof). In 1991, the American Medical

The abuse of prescription medication by adolescents, alongside their illicit drug usage, remains a prevalent issue in American society. As time progresses, the adolescent abuse of these drugs has intensified. This persists due to many elements such as social media and social networking sites, as well as other social-cultural factors. Not only do prescription and illicit drug use constitute a great crisis, but the medium that is used to expose and distribute these drugs is also a concern. Social media and social networking sites have popularized illicit and prescription drug use through their flexibility on what is posted and advertised on these web pages. Social media/social networking sites, the predominant sources of entertainment, play a

In some cases, the abuse of drugs doesn’t always make an addict. In fact, addiction can derive from the disguise of a smiling face and loving eyes. A living, breathing, and screaming reason to resist the madness and take a leap. However, as A Mad Girl’s Love Song by Sylvia Plath portrays, infatuation coexists within a diminishing nature. Despite the growing lack of love, withdrawal has found a way to take claim of the heart.

Addiction and substance abuse is a serious problem among teenagers. Teenagers begin abusing drugs because of peer pressure, or abuse in their life. Any type of drugs can be abused including over the counter medications. Since teenager’s brain is still growing any type of substance abuse can cause serious harm. The most abused drug is alcohol. Alcohol has a different effect the brain of teenagers different than that of adults. Children raised in a religious family, with religious friends are less tempted to use drugs. They have the support system in place to help them chose the right path in life. New drugs are always being created. There will always be a new drug that people will try and become addicted. Currently in Georgia there is a new drug called Flakka. The drug is readily available, inexpensive, and can be ordered by mail from China or India.

What would you do if you were to find out, that just by watching an advertisement on television, it can lead you to drug problems, health issues, or even death? With this, alcohol distributors poison the mind of the young and make them believe that drinking can really bring all the pleasures portrayed in the advertisements, like the beach parties, celebrations, and fun at sporting events Alcohol, that may be consumed, has been a very important aspect of the world. Many people enjoy being able to have the feeling you receive when they do drink any form of alcohol. Alcohol advertising influences not only adults but teens and children who are too young to purchase it. Parents have a large impact on children 's decision to drink, but marketing also has a greater impact on the children 's decision of underage drinking. Not only is the consumption bad for children, but it is also unhealthy for adults. Alcohol advertisements are advertising a person to kill themselves, because the consumption of alcohol will not end on a happy note. Alcohol companies spends so much money advertising their product through television, that almost every person in america watches. Alcohol companies see the money in youth and continue to advertise it to gain more control on the youth. Alcohol companies target the youth to drink it. They also see people they look up to such as role models that may drink alcohol which makes them think it is okay for them to drink. Advertising alcohol should not be

Alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco are thought to be gateway drugs (drugs that are the gate to adolescent use of hard drugs). Whether an adolescent goes through the gate to try harder drugs is based on factors greater than previous patterns of drug use (e.g. the era they grew up in). Drug and alcohol use can be symptoms of prior psychological problems. Adolescents who are substance abusers typically have problems with school, depression, dangerous activities, and unprotected sex. Substance abusers are also put at risk for health problems later in life such as cancer, heart disease, and kidney and liver damage. There are psychological, social, familial, and contextual risk factors for adolescent substance abuse. There are also protective factors

As a part of my first year seminar class I was required to participate in Fall Palooza. Fall Palooza is considered an ALE (applied learning experience). Fall Palooza is a health fair put on by staff and students in pre nursing. It is meant to spread awareness about prominent issues in our society, including substance abuse. Substance abuse is even more prominent in adolescents (aka college students). In fact according to Sharma(2015)“ 70.8% of students had ever drunk alcohol; 38.7% reported current alcohol use; 21.9% of students engaged in binge drinking; …….and 3.8% of students had ever used methamphetamines .  All these statistics point to the growing epidemic of substance abuse among adolescents.”(pg. 3). This topic was the one given to my class. After hearing what our class topic was my group decided to chose alcohol abuse. After lots of research and brainstorming my group knew how we were going to set up our Fall Palooza booth. We were going to make a game called fact pong. A play on the commonly known game, beer pong. Our game however would have cups filled with water instead of beer and contain a fact about alcohol abuse. Facts that pertain to college students such as “44% of students attending 4-year universities engaged in binge drinking (defined as 4 or more drinks in a row for women or 5 or more drinks in a row for men)”(Champion, Lewis, & Meyers, 2015, pg 58). Every Time someone made a shot they would match a number on the cup to a corresponding facts. The facts

drug users" and it was found that they all shared a similar lifestyle. All had

Perhaps one of the most devastating long-term effects of adolescent addiction is the effect that the drugs and alcohol have on brain development. The brain finally stops developing at the age of twenty five. Researchers have found that inhibitory control is developed during adolescence. “Basic cognitive processes are already well established in childhood. However, more complex cognitive functions, such as inhibitory control, undergo a substantial refinement during adolescence.” (Tamm et al) quoting Diamond and Goldman-Rakic, and goes on to say “it is during adolescence when this ability becomes more efficient” (Tamm et al).

buying it," even though he knows he cannot afford to pay for it, is a classic example. Even though the consequences may have severe effects on his daily life, the compulsive consumer buys anyway. As a result, normal activities such as opening the mail take on new meaning. For many compulsive shoppers there is a constant fear of being confronted by another large bill. Many try to hide both the bills and the items purchased for fear of being discovered. In some instances, people have even engaged in criminal activities in order to pay for their bills and maintain their line of credit.

Substance abuse among adolescents and youth has been a concerning issue for society for a long time. Abusing substances at an early age can alter brain functioning in areas essential for motivation, memory, learning, judgment, and behavior control. Therefore, it should not be of surprise that teens abusing alcohol and other drugs often have family and social problems, poor academic performance, health-related problems, mental health problems, and involvement with the juvenile justice system (Fowler, Volkow, Kassed, & Chang, 2007). However, a recent study done by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the University of Michigan, Institute of Social Research (2014) has shed a promising light onto the trend of substance use in youth populations. Together, NIDA and the University of Michigan conducted the 2014 Monitoring the Future (MFT) survey, which included 41,551 students from 377 public and private schools across the United States of America. The MFT survey focused on identifying trends in drug use and attitudes towards drug use among American 8th, 10th, and 12th graders. Participants were asked to report their drug use behaviors across three time spans: lifetime, past year, and the past month. The results from the survey presented enlightening news about current and recent drug use among youth and adolescents in high schools across the country. The findings show a decreasing use of alcohol, cigarettes, and prescription pain relievers, inhalants, and synthetic

These recommendations are based on: (1) our newly completed two-year study of previous mass media campaigns and innovative practices in advertising, marketing, and public relations; and (2) our experience in implementing the Harvard Alcohol Project, a research-based media campaign conducted in collaboration with the nation’s broadcast, advertising, and entertainment industries. What Can Mass Media Campaigns Accomplish In Health Promotion? When the broadcast media emerged as a major force, many public health advocates assumed that the presentation of factual information through public communication campaigns would automatically change attitudes and lead to more healthful behavior. Subsequently, when several such campaigns produced disappointing results, this boundless optimism was replaced by the highly pessimistic view that mass media campaigns to change behavior are doomed to failure. Investigators recognized that a campaign could reinforce existing behavior, but this was viewed as the most that could be achieved. Pessimists noted that the apparent success of commercial advertising had raised unrealistic expectations about the potential of mass media to change behavior. In fact, there are basic differences in the goals of commercial advertising and public health campaigns. Commercial advertising seldom is designed to bring about new attitudes or patterns of behavior; rather, it intends to