by Dorotea Marisa Caputo

Created on: May 01, 2009

High Pressure Teens

Far from the greatest time of an adolescent's life, high school is one of the most turbulent periods of time a young adult may ever have to negotiate. Popular culture has painted a picture of high school that is both idealistic and unattainable. The teen years are a time of seeking an identity. Television, novels, music, and magazines are more than willing to provide an image for today's youth to assume. The lack of parental guidance exacerbates a situation already compounded by peer pressure, the onset of puberty and a demand for overall scholastic excellence. If parents despise it, the media encourages it and peers are doing it, a teen will want to try it.

Peer pressure in the teen years is tremendous and it's not about which gaming system or iPod you might be lucky enough to have. Young people today are faced with life threatening decisions at a time when they are most likely, developmentally, unable to utilize sound judgement. On a daily basis high school students are weighing and deciding whether or not to engage in sexual relationships, take drugs, drink, steal and cheat. The desire to fit in is enormous; the possibility of succumbing to these pitfalls almost moot. Opportunities are available in almost every community that allow a teen to join a club, sport or activity with adult mentors. In some cases these will make all the difference for a young person. Too often though money and family time constraints make these extra-curricular activities unavailable.

Puberty is, by nature, a time of introspection and self-doubt. Teens don't want to look good. They want to look right. That's why they leave the house each morning the image of their parent's fondest dream, turn the corner and tug their pants down, pull their shirts out and turn their caps around. They want very much to please their parents but they feel the need to impress their peers even more. This is the time in life when kids are deciding who they are and what they stand for. Style and language trends are part of that. Many adults reject their children's choices out of hand because they are different from their own experiences and selections. Parents are not available to monitor every choice made by their children. More and more often enforcing compliance to social norms is left to the schools.

Scholastic performance has become the be all and the end all of the expectations adults have for their children. Combined with a job, MCAS, SAT's, college applications, and the daily stresses

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