Young people are often told, "teenage years are the best years of your life - treasure it". In town, happy groups of secondary and college students roam the streets, appearing energetic and radiant. However, this is only part of the picture. In Singapore, many problems arise among teenagers. Yearly, figures of depression rates among teenagers escalate and we cannot help but wonder what is becoming of this new generation of young people.
Life for many youths of this new day and age involves a painful tug-of-war consisting of mixed messages, unanswerable questions, of emotions and incompatible demands from parents, teachers, friends and oneself. For youths, this period of life involves exiting the sheltered period of teen hood and reliance on others, and attaining adulthood and independence. This period in life is concomitant with many problems, as youths struggle to find answers to life, and fit themselves into the community and society. In this essay, I will explore the main problems faced by young people today, the reasons they arise, and the possible solutions to these problems. .
Firstly is a problem that most youths experience - peer pressure. The most common form of peer pressure is that which comes from friends. It ranges from the tiniest matter of name-calling and teasing, to the most extreme cases, whereby a teen is put under pressure to engage in activities that are deemed "cool" and risky, like drinking or smoking. .
In their teenage years, youths consider appearance to be an important element. They feel a great need to be accepted socially, and to know they belong to a group of friends. Something youths are very afraid of is being an outcast in their teenage years, ostracized and rejected by peers who think themselves of a higher superiority because of the risky activities they engage in. Thus few youths live up to their standards in fear of alienation from friends. In an attempt to make themselves appear "cool", or in their bid to gain popularity, fame and status, most youths give in to peer pressure and engage in these unsafe activities which place their lives at stake.
