Adolescence is dangerous for the appearance of addictions, as it brings many difficulties for both parents and children themselves. Due to modifications in the hormonal balance, the mood changes rapidly, and the appearance becomes more adult. Teenagers try to understand the world around them and find themselves. Moreover, parents’ authority is no longer enough, since older children notice their imperfections and mistakes. As a result, socialization with peers, the desire to find their place in the company and keep up with others comes first. Despite the significant danger of adolescent addictions, they can be prevented through proper upbringing, motivation, and support.
Modern studies note an increase in the number of adolescents using various substances. According to research “Recent surveys show the use of any illicit substances to be 15% by the time teens reach 8th grade, 28% by 10th grade, 39% by 12th grade, and 41% by the time adolescents reach college” (Truong et al., 2017, p. 475). Moreover, the number of ways to use them is extending, for example, electronic cigarettes and vaporization (Truong et al., 2017). The problem is global in scope and relevant to different localities. For instance, according to Evans (2016), among nearly 7,500 people who died in Virginia from an overdose during the 2007-2015 period, most were teenagers. Experimenting with substances becomes a common part of adolescent life – smoking, alcohol, and drug use are frequent among adolescents worldwide.
Apart from substance-related dependencies, many researchers express concern about the distribution of non-substance-related disorders, including Internet addiction, dependence on video games, and others. Many factors can be a trigger for the use of various substances. The features of adolescents complicate the situation – often, their body is already quite developed, but the brain only continues to evolve. Relationships with family and friends, lifestyle, financial situation, and even simple interests can affect the decision to accept or not accept a new addiction.
As a rule, at this age, the first test of psychoactive substances occurs, as well as increased involvement in their use. Relationships with peers and family can influence the probability of addiction’s appearance. Dependencies, in turn, can have an impact on relationships – predominantly negative but also a positive. For example, according to a study by Savolainen et al. (2018), teens often use alcohol to get close to friends and build trusting relationships. The same study suggests that teenagers who are dependent on the Internet, often thus protect themselves from communication with their family, seeking support among the same peers online. However, this addiction, as well as drugs and gambling, can negatively affect social ties. In turn, social relations development can be a protective mechanism to help prevent the emergence of these dependencies.
The right education of a kid from early childhood, authoritative example and parent’s help in understanding the world around have a beneficial effect on the whole subsequent life of a person. Thus, they will be able to identify the good and bad for themselves and choose a company by interest. In their study, Lee et al. (2016) prove the positive effect of love and serving others on adolescents recovering from addictions. The results of their research can also be applied to the prevention of abuse of various substances. Serving others can contribute to the development of the right life priorities in adolescents and help them in the search for a personal place and purpose.
Thus, the problem of adolescent addiction has a serious spread. Tobacco, alcohol, drugs, as well as addictions to games and the Internet negatively affect the health of not yet sufficiently strengthened individuals. It can make a bad contribution to the entire subsequent life of the teenager. However, it is possible to prevent this problem by increasing the awareness of both children and parents. Proper education and spiritual development will help to protect adolescents against negative influences, thus enabling them to be more resistant to temptations. Future studies should aim to find and develop effective methods for educating and communicating about addictions.
References
Evans, K. B. (2016). Majority of fatal overdoses in Virginia are younger adults. Richmond Times-Dispatch. Web.
Lee, M. T., Pagano, M. E., Johnson, B. R., & Post, S. G. (2016). Love and service in adolescent addiction recovery. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 34(2), 197-222.
Savolainen, I., Kaakinen, M., Sirola, A., &Oksanen, A. (2018). Addictive behaviors and psychological distress among adolescents and emerging adults: A mediating role of peer group identification. Addictive behaviors reports, 7, 75-81.
Truong, A., Moukaddam, N., Toledo, A., &Onigu-Otite, E. (2017). Addictive disorders in adolescents. Psychiatric Clinics, 40(3), 475-486.