If there is one bit of advice I would give to every parent of a teenager, it is to stay one step ahead of your teen. That means you have to be knowledgeable of what teens are facing and going through.
Keeping up on teen fads, fashions and trends will help. All you have to do is Google something like “dangerous teen trends” and you will find a wealth of information at your fingertips. I also suggest watching Dr. Phil who often has shows on the latest teen trends. It is very eye-opening.
I recently read a Consumer Reports list of the ten most dangerous teen trends. Top of the list was cutting. Probably most of us have heard of this disturbing new way that some teens choose to deal with difficulties in their lives.
However in addition to the danger of cutting, some teens are also engaging in sucking blood. I guess I’m not too surprised with the recent fascination of vampires found in books, television shows and movies.
The second most dangerous teen trend is wearing decorative contact lenses. Now you are able to not only buy contact lenses that change the color of your eyes but can give you a Lady Gaga look, with the appearance of having big doe-eyes. Doctors are concerned about the damage these contact lenses can do to teen’s eyes.
Third on the list is prescription drug abuse. Guess for what kind of medicine? It’s found in too many households across America. It’s ADHD medicine. I truly believe this is an over-diagnosed condition. Now teens are sharing their medication with others.
Number four on the list are tobacco products. This isn’t your everyday cigarette smoking problem, no; it’s smoking something called a hookah. Teens are also using no-spit oral tobacco. I really encourage parents to investigate the latest ways teens are getting their hands on tobacco.
At number five is what is being called “tanorexia,” which is a fixation on getting tan. Teens are exposing themselves to the dangers of skin cancer by using tanning beds. This increases their chance of getting skin cancer by 75%.
The other five trends on the list were: tattoos, piercings, using technology into the wee hours of the morning, texting while driving and noise exposure that results in hearing loss (loud music).
Stay one step ahead of your teens. Be an informed parent. Then you know what signs to look for in your own teens to determine if there is a problem.
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