The Pressure That Challenges Young People Now

Teenage-even under the best of circumstances-can be a turbulent time. During puberty, young people are attacked by new emotions and feelings. Every day, they are pressured by teachers and friends. They are endlessly influenced by television, movies, music industry, and the Internet. A report from the United Nations describes adolescence as "a period of transition that is generally characterized by stress and anxiety". Unfortunately, young people are often very inexperienced to deal with stress and worry in a positive way. (Proverbs 1: 4) Without proper guidance, they can easily fall into destructive behavior. For example, the UN report says, "Research shows that the onset of drug abuse often occurs in adolescence or growing up." The same is true with respect to other bad behaviors, such as violence and free sex. Parents who underestimate these things and consider them to occur only among "poor" or certain ethnic groups are often wrong. The problems experienced by young people today are not limited by certain economic, social, and racial status. "If you think that what can be a 'bad boy' is a 17-year-old from a minority group living in the city's slums and raised by poor mothers dependent on government aid, you've missed the news," wrote author Scott Walter. "Today's troubled children can be white, live in middle-upper class homes, under the age of (16 years below), and can be both male and female." However, why are so many young people at risk? Are not young people also faced with challenges and temptations? Yes, but we live in a period that the Bible calls "a difficult time to deal with." (2 Timothy 3: 1-5) There are various circumstances and pressures upon the youth that existed only at this time in history. Let's review some of them. Changes in the Family For example, consider the change in the situation in family life. "There are more than one-third of American children whose parents divorce before they turn 18," reports the Journal of Instructional Psychology. Similar statistics can be quoted from other Western countries. As their parent's marriage is destroyed, young people often have to endure heartbreaking emotions. "In general," says the Journal, "children who are new to broken families find it harder to meet academic and social expectations in school than children from whole families or families with single parents or stepparents who are already established . . . In addition, parental divorce often affects the child's sense of well-being or self-confidence. "Increasing numbers of women who participate in earning a living also change the family environment. A study of juvenile crime in Japan observes that it is more difficult for families whose parents work to care for their children than for families whose parents live at home. Indeed, many families need two incomes just to make ends meet. It also allows children to enjoy a more comfortable lifestyle. But there is a disadvantage: Millions of children come home from school to empty homes. When parents go home, they are often tired and burdened by problems from the workplace. As a result? Many teens are less cared for their parents. "In my family, we do not do activities together," complained a teenager. Many observers feel that this trend is not a good sign for young people. "I believe that the upbringing that has grown over the past thirty years has contributed to producing children who have no emotional ties to their families, difficulty communicating.