It’s no secret that teenagers are heavily influenced by social media, TV, music, and the people they surround themselves with.

Teens who grow up in an environment that is negative and harsh and lacks intellectual stimulation are likely to exhibit the same negative behaviors. According to the Evolution Institute, an organization whose mission is to use evolutionary science to solve problems, in the article “Risky Adolescent Behavior,” “The dominant scientific paradigm for explaining… high-risk behaviors can be termed the mental health model, which assumes… that harsh social environments adversely affect children’s well-being, promoting disturbances in development….” Since kids are known for following in their parents’ footsteps and copying what they see, it is easy to see how their surroundings can impact them, which can be difficult or even dangerous if they feel it is okay to imitate what they see. This leads to a bad development as they get older because they are disrespecting others, thinking it is okay, when it’s not.

According to “Under the Influence of…Music?” by Tara Parker-Pope, teens receive messages that are unhealthy and even dangerous. Parker-Pope notes that “teenagers listen to an average of nearly 2.5 hours of music per day.” This lengthy period spent listening to music means that they are receiving a significant number of messages from the artists they choose to listen to. According to Parker-Pope, these messages “have a pronounced impact on childhood risk behaviors.” Parker-Pope goes on to say that it is not only music that conveys negative messages to teens, however. She notes that “exposure to images of smoking in movies also influences a child’s risk for picking up the habit. Alcohol use in movies… is also linked to actual alcohol use….” Parker-Pope feels that teens don’t think about the consequences of their activities.

Teens simulate the behavior/personality of the songs that they listen to, which interacts with their learning ability, possessing them to act up and be wild. According to Parker-Pope, “Unlike visual media, music is a powerful social force that also taps into an individual’s personal identity, memories and mood,” meaning that music is like a drug that, once people is attach to it, they become addicted. Eleanor Kwende agrees with this assessment. “If a teenager continues to listen to a certain type of music or genre, their traits as a person start to change because they have become influenced by what they are listening to; my little brother listens to rap music, and now he continues to use derogatory language.”

Social media is well-known for displaying drastic advertisement and images, especially when it comes to body images. Today, companies advertise products that go beyond the standard expectation of perfection and, as a result, affect the nature of what true beauty is. “Social media wrongfully influences teenagers because teens are heavily active on social media,” says senior Gloria Okeke. “Social media is prone to praising celebrities such as Rihanna and Kim Kardashian, who do not send out a good message to teens. For example, if Rihanna took a picture smoking, it will most likely be trending on Instagram, Twitter or Tumblr. Most recently, Kim Kardashian is a mother, and she was naked in an image; these kinds of images are praised and represent what most teens call “Bad” or, in other terms, cool. This leaving most teens with a low sense of morality,” says Okeke. In truth, overexposure to such images can have a serious impact on young person.

According to “Impact of Media Use on Children and Youth,” by the Pulsus Group, “The average child sees 12,000 violent acts on television annually, including many depictions of murder and rape. More than 1000 studies confirm that exposure to heavy doses of television violence increases aggressive behaviour….” These numbers, though shocking, are something that society must find the time and energy to deal with. Teens and young children are strongly influenced by what they see and are likely to act upon what they see and not worry about or be aware of the consequences.
This lack of concern or awareness of consequences is something English teacher Ms. Gibboney responds strongly. “Take Yik-Yak,” says Ms. Gibboney. “If someone is posting anonymously, he or she is a coward. Never listen or give a care about a coward’s words.”