10 Most Common Problems Teens Face | Fenced.ai

Teenage is the transitional phase between 13-19, where they go through several growths and development. Teens are neither labeled as children nor adults; thus, it can be an awkward phase in their life.

Growing up as a teenager is an overwhelming period as they go through several physical, emotional, hormonal changes. Teens are often misunderstood by their parents, adults, and societies.

During this phase of growth and transition from childhood to adulthood, teens face struggles that adults aren't able to understand. There are several teen issues that are a matter of concern, and it is necessary to address these situations.

Nowadays, the problems teens face are way different from what our parents and elders faced during their teenage phase. With advancements in technology and growing digitization, teen problems have significantly arisen.

Teens struggle on a daily basis, whether it is physical, emotional, educational, career situations. Let's look at the most common problems teens face today in the post below.

10 Most Common Problems Teens Face

These are the 10 most common problems teens face. Take a look.

1.Peer Pressure

Going through the transitional phase, teens are worried about fitting in. So, where do they fit in the most? The answer is their peers.

Peers play an essential role in how teenagers behave and develop as an individual. Peers can have both positive and negative influences during the teenage years, and teens can experience peer pressure in various forms.

Teens form bonds and friendships with their peers the most and can be influenced to do the same as their peers to fit in. They can't say no to their peers, leading to different issues that may develop into habits and affect them in the long term.

Peer pressure is mainly seen when teens are pressurized to experience alcohol use, smoking, and other substance abuse. They want to be termed "cool" amongst their peers and engage in risky behaviors.

2. Anxiety and Depression

Anxiety and depression are the most growing and common teen problems nowadays. Teenagers are going through stressful changes, and with all the physical, emotional changes and on top of that, societal, parental, peer pressure, academic performances, self-esteem issues can lead to teen anxiety and depression.

Suppose you ever noticed your teen behaving out of their character, being alone most of the time, detaching from their friends and society, and changing health habits. In that case, it could be the symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Parents should regularly check in with their teens, understand their feelings, and try engaging in healthy habits. Teens should be supported and encouraged to share their feelings with their parents.

3. Teen Pregnancy

Over the past years, teen pregnancy has grown significantly in numbers, and it is one of the most common problems teens face. Teens want to experience short-term joys in life, leading to unprotected sexual activity.

With the rise of the internet and social media apps, the hookup culture through online dating has increased teens' rate of sexual activity that can lead to teen pregnancy.

Teen sex and pregnancy are viewed as taboo in our society from a moral and ethical point of view. Most importantly, it can have adverse health complications.

Teen pregnancy is widely prevalent nowadays, but it is considered a social stigma. Parents should not view sex as a conservative topic and educate their teens about sexual activity, safe sexual practices, birth control methods, and the consequences of teen pregnancy.

4. Teen suicide

Teen suicide is one of the increasing causes of death among teenagers. While anyone can have suicidal thoughts, teenagers are the most affected as they often lack proper judgment and perspective on life.

Teens may develop suicidal thoughts due to family conflict, mental health issues like anxiety and depression, body image issues, stress in academic performance, relationship problems. They usually take this step impulsively and think suicide is their way to solve problems.

Teen suicide is often related to social media nowadays. Is social media contributing rising teen suicidal rate? To some extent, yes, it is one of the causes of death in teens. Social media and the pressure that comes from it can affect teens' moods, making them sad and stressed about various situations.

Parents should look into their teen's behavior, and if they have any suicidal thoughts, they should be provided professional consultation and help on suicide prevention. Talk to them about processing sadness, grief, and stressful situations in a healthy manner.

5. Bullying

Bullying is one of the common problems teens face. Bullying has been a real issue for several decades in age groups of all ranges, and it is seen chiefly prevalent in schools and teens.

Teens can face bullying from their peers, making them excluded from their friend's circle spreading hate and rumors. Bullying is consequential not only for the victim but also for the bullies. They can go through several mental health problems, and often bullies tend to be involved in criminal and illegal activities in the future.

The advancement of the internet and social media has given rise to cases of cyberbullying and cyber-flashing. Online bullies are not afraid to be physically seen, and that's why online bullies can harass and abuse others without any fear, and it is becoming a severe problem.

Bullying can lead to serious problems in the long term and can even lead teens to face real issues in life. The parents and teachers must engage their teens in educational counseling programs, clubs, and positive social groups to make them aware of bullying.

6. Drugs and substance abuse

Teenagers are always on the verge of trying new things, especially to fit amongst their peers and be seen as mature. Following this, they can start experimenting with drugs and alcohol, smoking, and illegal substance abuse. Many teens begin with substance abuse and underage drinking for fun but can't eventually stop.

Using drugs and alcohol and substance abuse is often initiated due to body image issues, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, etc. Drugs and substance abuse at such an early age can ruin their perspective in life, changing their thoughts. It can lead to physical injuries, aggressive behavior, eating disorders, violence, and illegal charges.

If you find your teen immersed in such activities, try to talk to them thoroughly about the consequences of underage drinking, drugs and alcohol, and substance abuse on their developing brains. Use positive words, and in a serious situation, seek proper medical guidance.

7. Identity crisis

Teenagers can be seen struggling with their identity and aren't accepted by their parents and adults. Teens are rebellious and try to portray themselves as unique from their parents and fit in their peer groups.

In search of their identity, they can imitate their images and behavior from various famous internet idols public figures too, and they can lose their real identity in the process. Imitating others' behaviors from social media can also lead to an inferiority complex seeing their lifestyles and successes.

Teens should be given plenty of space and feel accepted for what they are, no matter what. Parents should give them their way to identify themselves to shape their future better.

8. Body image issues

Lack of self-esteem and body image issues are becoming more prevalent in teens, primarily due to portraying unrealistic body images from social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook.

Teens struggle with their body image, especially girls who have to deal with this problem. They are bothered if they are too skinny, too fat, too short, and want to be seen as perfect as others on social media. They aren't aware that their physical beauty doesn't matter but negatively impacts them.

Teens facing body image issues can show symptoms of anxiety, depression, insomnia, anorexia, bipolar disorder, OCD that can be detrimental to their physical and mental well-being. So it is necessary for them to know that they are unique in their own way, and not everything in social media is true.

9. Social Media addiction

Social media plays a massive role in teenager's development as most teens are hooked on social media platforms. But do they know when they are addicted to social media?

Teens like to post, share, communicate and hang out with their friends on online platforms rather than in reality. While it is a great way to be connected and get educational perspectives, it can be a real problem once they are addicted to social media.

Social media can lead to stress and anxiety, social withdrawal, isolated feeling, loss of confidence, and low academic performance. In severe cases, it can lead to violence and porn addiction too. So parents must manage their teens' electronic devices and social media accounts.

Parents can use software safety guides and parental controls apps to look into their electronic devices and social media activities and ensure their online safety.

10. No adult supervision

Teens lack the ability to judge and perceive things in life correctly. And without proper adult supervision, they can't see the right way to do something.

Absenteeism of proper role models and guidance can affect a teen's developmental phases. They require the utmost care, support, and guidance during this phase to mold their character into a positive individual.

Lack of such role models can be due to family conflict in teens. Teens struggle with proper decision-making capacities, and with these conflicts and stresses, teen issues are amplified. It can increase the risk of major depression that affects teens in their progressing years.

So there should be proper involvement of parents, schools and related authorities, care centers in case of absenteeism of parents.

Conclusion

Talking with teens isn't easy, and it is necessary to understand their feelings and emotions properly as they might often feel misunderstood for being a teenager. They often think they are being lectured and questioned by their parents and elders.

And coming up with the topic of teen issues is undoubtedly something they would like to talk about. Parents have to listen to their feelings and thoughts to validate their feelings from the most influential persons in their lives. Parents need to support them to deal with the most common problems teens face.

Without being judgmental, parents have to identify the real issues they face and how they affect teens and set boundaries on their behavior and activities.

Frequently Asked Questions

i. What age are the teenage years?

The age group from 13- 19 is regarded as the teenage years.

ii. What are the 5 common issues faced by a teenager?

The common problems teenagers face are:

• Anxiety and depression
• Eating disorder
• Body image issues
• Drugs and alcohol abuse
• Teen suicide

iii. What should a teenager do?

Teenagers should engage in healthy habits such as spending their time with parents, teachers, peers, making daily activities, practicing mindfulness activities, engaging in social clubs, etc.

iv. Is being a teenager hard?

Yes, being a teenager is challenging as they go through several physical and mental changes, puberty, societal, peer, and parental pressure. With no acceptance from elders, they feel emotionally distant and different, which may cause several teen issues such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, low academic scores, etc.