Teenage is a fundamental stage of life for every human being, which determines how a person develops into an adult. Young people have to work through a broad range of issues as they move from childhood to adulthood, including changes that happen to their bodies during this period. At the same time, teenagers explore their identities in terms of sexuality and gender identity during this period, which makes them at risk of falling in wrong groups due to peer pressure ( WHO, 2018) . Children who lack family support experience the most out of these issues affecting their lives. This paper looks at some of the contemporary problems teenagers face today.
Mental health is one of the most significant issues teens face today, with over 70 percent experiencing anxiety and depression over their teenage years. The chaos and strain of fulfilling expectations in their personal, social, and academic lives put them under risk of mental health problems. For example, depression is one of the major contemporary issues that teenagers face today due to the pressures of technology and social media. Factors such as bullying have led to an increase in the mental health issues in teenagers. Studies have shown that young people are constantly bullied because of their body image, cultural and socioeconomic background or sexual orientation ( Morin, 2015) . As a result, they may experience a lack of sleep or poor eating habits that may also take a toll on their physical health
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This bullying and mental health issues have increased the issue of teen suicide across the country, making it a significant challenge teen’s experience. It is one of the leading causes of deaths for teens with more women attempting suicide and men dying from the same. Teen suicide is another problem that has been associated with a considerable percentage of teenage deaths in the United States. Research has shown that many adolescent girls have attempted suicide due to issues due to bullying, depression, as well as social media pressure. About 30 percent of teens in the United States have been involved in bullying at school or through social media ( Morin, 2015) . The bullying can be through the direct target or indirectly through gossip and rumor-spreading. Many kids have faced cyberbullying that has the potential to affect their behaviors.
Drug use is another contemporary issue affecting teenagers today that severely affects their lives. Underage drinking and use of illegal drugs is a problem for teens due to peer pressure. A majority of high school teenagers reported drinking alcohol or engaging in drugs such as cigarettes and marijuana. A 2017 study of drug use among teens in the US has shown that 40 percent of all teenagers had experienced alcohol or drug use ( WHO, 2018) . Drugs can cause changes in the behavior of any teenager as well as having an impact on their lives. They can damage the developing brain of a teen and affect their academic performance or engage in other costly mistakes.
Furthermore, teenagers have been experiencing issues of unplanned pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases due to their engaging in sexual relationships. They are in an age where they can easily participate in risky sexual activity and behavior. Research has shown that a majority of teenagers in the United States engage in sexual activity by the age of 18, which increases the risk of sexually transmitted diseases ( Morin, 2015) . The use of drugs and alcohol increases the risk of engaging in sexual behaviors and activities.
Teenagers have been grappling with issues of body image, where they dislike the way they look and wants to appear like someone else in pop culture. During the teenage years, the bodies of a human being are morphing into new shapes and sizes, which makes them uncomfortable as they struggle to come in terms with the image. Media and pop culture can negatively affect teenagers in several ways, often influencing their body image and appearance ( WHO, 2018) . The media supports a cultural idea that only thin women are beautiful or that specific body muscles are needed in men. The pop culture has also reinforced the importance of money and status symbols, as well as influence them into engaging in several risky behaviors.
Eating disorders have also emerged as an essential contemporary issue teenagers face, often influenced by peer pressure and issues with body image. The problems of body image have resulted in eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia nervosa, crash eating as well as steroid use to build muscle mass. Teenagers seeking to appear as their celebrities in pop media have engaged in several cases of eating disorders to achieve their target. The disease starts just before and during adolescence, with over 95 percent of eating disorder cases being reported in teenagers ( BBC, 2017) . The condition can affect the health, mood, relationship as well as day-to-day functioning of a person. A majority of eating disorder cases are also reported in teenage girls more than boys as they are obsessed with their body image and how they look. Some may overeat due to depression, while others may slim eat to try and match a specific body size.
Due to the eating disorders and bad eating habits, obesity has grown into one of the significant health issues affecting the youth arising from poor eating habits. Teens have been engaging in unhealthy eating behaviors, including the consumption of processed foods and other junk meals with high cholesterol, which is a risk to their physical health. Studies have shown that teens are at high risk of becoming obese today than any other age group ( Morin, 2015) . Obesity is associated with other health dangers such as diabetes, heart diseases, and some cancers of the body.
Teenagers are also facing stress from their homes and school that makes then unease and on the verge of poor performances. A large part of teenage stress involves time management, especially when dealing with school assignments and projects while trying to cope with social life. Teenagers have many things to do in their lives and may experience stress learning to juggle all the expectations of a teenage student. For example, they may be expected to act like adults and manage their work independently from their parents, with this pressure making them prone to anxiety and depression. At school, they will be expected to get good grades, excel in extra-curricular activities as well as be responsible for themselves, increasing the pressure of getting a healthy life ( WHO, 2018) .
In conclusion, teens experience pressure to conform to many unhealthy expectations regarding their behaviors, bodies, and appearances. The issues stem from the fact that their bodies are changing as they grow from childhood to adulthood. They are easily influenced by peer pressure to engage in certain activities, which may pose a considerable risk to their lives. The challenges can be minimized when teenagers get enough support from parents, teachers, as well as society at large.
References
BBC. (2017) Eight major issues teenagers everywhere struggle with. (2017, October 24). Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5v8mwBpnclDmPsJPW7Lt3hd/eight-major-issues-teenagers-everywhere-struggle-with
Morin, A. (2015, March 12). The Top 7 Health Risks Teenagers Face. Retrieved from https://www.verywellhealth.com/the-7-biggest-health-risks-teens-face-2611248
WHO. (2018, December 13). Adolescents: health risks and solutions. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescents-health-risks-and-solutions
