Most teenagers are curious about the adult world and most would try to imitate adults' behavior. They would also like to be seen as an adult and cool with their friends. So most would be social drinkers in their baby steps to being binge drinkers.
Ever remember when you were young and your friends were like boasting about the parties they've attended and the alcoholic drinks they've consumed? Or when you see your relatives and siblings drink cocktails during festival seasons like Christmas?
During these occasions, I'm sure you would want to join the party and behave the same as the rest. Even if you don't like the cocktail you are sipping, you conform by drinking and seem like to you are "enjoying" your drink. As your first drink goes by and the second and third went by too, you would be "used" to the taste and start to like the taste even.
Even though there were many reports about alcohol slowing the growth of intelligence, many teenagers doesn't really care about it too.
There was a recent report from BCC News that Binge drinking cause significant damages to teenager's memories ( for full story, please visit website : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7328863.stm ).
The news reported that a team from Northumbria and Keele universities compared 26 binge drinkers with 34 non-bingers in memory tests, and found the drinkers fared worse. In the study, the scientists looked at students aged 17 to 19 - a period when the brain is still developing. The males drank 8 units per session and the females drank 6 per sessions. All were testes on their memories after about 3-4 days.
They were shown a video clip of a shopping trip after being given a couple of minutes to memorise a set of tasks prompted by various cues in the film, such as remembering to text a friend at a certain shop, or to check their bank accounts after seeing a person sitting on a bench. The binge drinkers recalled a third of the items than the non-binge drinkers.
Teenagers may be affected more by memory lost in long term when their brain, especially the pre-frontal lobe , are still developing.
So it would be best to encourage teenagers not to start drinking too early by being examples to them. Role models play a very important part in influencing them on avoiding alcohol too. Show them they can be cool too without a drink and educate them on how to refuse the influence of peer pressure on drinking (normative social influence). Teach them the benefits and harms of alcohol( informative social influence ) so that they can have a better excuse to peers when rejecting their first cocktail. Try not to force them to accept your points in the beginning as teenagers are rebellious at their age as they want to identify with their peers but treat them as an adult and they will listen to you.
Reference :
BBC News, 3 April 2008 ,
Binge drinking 'damages memory'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7328863.stm
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5 comments:
I agree with your statements on educating youth on the pros and cons of drinking and making sure they understand that just because they engage in a supposedly adult and dangerous activity does not make them 'cooler' in anyone else's eyes but those of their shallow peers. Though I believe in young individuals having fun while they're still young and experiencing what they want, getting hurt is always the ever-present limit on not only young people but everyone who attempts to have as much fun as they can despite ever-present dangers (one has to remember theres not only dangers in activities such as drinking but also in supposedly 'safe activities people partake in such as gambling and water sports.)
When young, I used to drink often with friends and lingerie round the pub area till late nights. Though often do know that drinking could bring many harms and problems. But at the point of time, where we are still transiting the age to be a full grown up is really a pain. As one part of the heart want to be a child but on the other hand got to learn to face the society as an adult. Drinking with friends become a relaxation or venting time, when we would complain or vent out all our unhappiness and all could understanding each other. Drinking at that point is our soothing iteming which can help us forget the problems temporary. True to educate the young pros and cons about drinking but I think to help youngster over come their problems would solve more then drinking.
I think it should start at home. Parents have to play a very important role in educating their children on the harmful effects of excessive alcohol intake.
i think that it is sad that adolescents these days want to grow up so fast but i think that this is what they want in their age. The ability to go out and experience what is out there in the world and i guess drinking is one of them however they should know their limits to what they are trying. Like what you said binge drinking can have serious adverse effects and therefor youth should be educated on the dos and don'ts of drinking. More importantly i think that this should be done in a manner that can be understood by them and not just giving the facts and saying that drinking is harmful for them.
I agree with the fact that most younger adolescent have the same performance once they go pubs or clubs. They are easily frequently copy the same behavior from others around. Behavior copying such as smoking or drinking are very common to see among youth. Maybe it is the way of that youth find their groups belongs to, or a way to define themselves.
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