Researchers and scientists have been trying for years to figure out why addiction is so prevalent among teenagers. The causes of addiction are not only personal but societal as well. From family dynamics, school systems, peers, media influence, and more.
Many factors come together for addiction to develop in an adolescent’s life. Society has contributed through behaviors such as:
- Drug use at home or in public places;
- Making drugs accessible to teenagers; glorifying drug use on TV;
- Being too permissive with alcohol consumption during adolescence;
- Having parents who have substance abuse problems themselves;
- Lack of parental monitoring of Internet usage and computer games can expose kids to various addiction triggers and risk factors.
Drugs are a major problem in society, and the reason is that they are so easily available. One of the most common ways that drugs are passed around from person to person is through social media. The internet has made it easier than ever to buy things without having to see someone face-to-face.
For example, you can purchase drugs online with no questions asked. What’s worse is that many people do not even realize when their friends or family members have a drug addiction problem. This is due to the reason that they now think it is normal behavior for teenagers these days.
It often results in not doing anything about it until something bad happens like an overdose or death.
Society is a major cause of addiction among teenagers. Since we know these things about society’s influence on teenage drug abuse, we should be working to help young people build up resilience against addictive substances early in life so they can make healthy decisions later on.
Teenagers should be sensitized through education on the risk factors and negative effects that addiction can come with.