week 6 relfection

We are talking about TEENS or adolescents which is one of the periods in our lives where we experience the largest amount of change in our lives. Where hormones are at high levels and most of us are on a quest of identifying who we are. It makes me wonder how kids growing up in the early 1800s are different than the ones growing up now. I think one of the biggest differences is the influence that our peers have on us especially during those adolescent years. I based a lot of my decisions on what my what my peers were doing and what they would think. Peers strongly influence teens today rather than the parents being the most influential most teens seek approval from their peers therefore basing a lot of their decisions to please them. This is a vicious cycle often changing the teen for the worst.

There was another interesting point about how teens (particularly girls) are developing way earlier than they used to. This can be a little concerning that teens today are already exposed to mature television programs and movies. When teens become sexually mature early they are not prepared to make smart decisions because their brains are not fully developed. This puts them at risk to make poor decisions early that will effect them through out their lives. All children need time to grow and develop into an individual. If they are growing up to fast they might miss important life skills thus affecting their quality of life. 

It also saddens me that in america teens are not eating properly and it is effecting their development. One might think that America would be the healthiest country with all the knowledge we have about nutrition and the abundance of food available. however, America is one of the unhealthiest countries and teens are not getting their essential nutrients which harms their growth and development. This is partly because of junk food companies advertising to teens to consume their products.