Contemporary Issues Facing Teenagers Essay Paper

Contemporary Issues Facing Teenagers Essay Paper

Teenagers face real problems on a daily basis during the most awkward growth stages of their lives; between 13 and 19-years-old. During this time, teens are exposed to some overwhelming external and internal struggles. Teens go through, and are expected to cope with hormonal changes, puberty, social and parental forces, work and school pressures, as well as encountering many conditions and problems. Teens feel overwhelmed when faced with unprecedented stresses concerning school and college, and career confusion situations. Those who have absentee parents are exposed to more unfavorable states of life. The issues that teenagers face today vary but these issues can be dealt with easily if parents and other guardians can understand the symptoms of their problems. Parents need to approach their children, who have been suffering from one or more teenage problems, carefully and in a friendly manner to discuss the problem(s). Many teens feel misunderstood. It is vital that their feelings and thoughts are validated and that the validation comes from their parents.Contemporary Issues Facing Teenagers Essay Paper

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Surprisingly, all of these problems are connected to one another, like a chain reaction. When the teens face self-esteem and body image problems, they can become frustrated, resulting in eating disorders. The teens start feeling stress when they are exposed to peer-pressure and competition at school, or child abuse at home. Many teens take to drinking and smoking in order to relieve the stress. Many may run away from home, play computer games, and start chatting online with strangers. Computer games and online chatting can result in addiction. Many teens feel further stress when they get bullied online. Others may become easy targets of online predators and once treated badly, they turn to more harmful practices. Those who cannot find love at home or support at schools start to build relationships with friends in school or local areas, resulting in unsafe or underage sex, and possible teen pregnancy. Many become addicted to drugs and harm themselves when they cannot get results. Many teens resort to crimes once they feel they cannot get any help or support.

However, the most common problems teenagers face today are described below:

Self-Esteem and Body Image
Teenagers undergo and have to cope with numerous body changes. Some teenagers feel too fat, too skinny, too tall, too short, etc. This feeling leads them to spend time wishing they were not too skinny, too short, their hair was not too curly or vice versa. The problem with this feeling is that it affects their self-image. As a teenage boy or girl's body changes, so does the self. When they do not like something in themselves, they have self-esteem and body image problems. They also perceive others, particularly schoolmates, to view them as they view themselves. They can suffer more from these problems when they have trouble adjusting.

Hormonal changes have huge effects on the general growth and mood of the teens. Puberty changes tempt teenagers to compare themselves with people around them and when they find they do not match their standards, they feel low. They also compare themselves with those seen on TV, in movies, and in the magazines. Most youth's ability to develop positive self-esteem is affected by family life and parental criticism. Teenagers who experience negative comments about their appearances, the way they talk, etc stuff also develop poor self-esteem and body image.Contemporary Issues Facing Teenagers Essay Paper

Bullying
Bullying is one of the worst teenage problems and affects millions of youths. Bullying causes fear in the minds of kids, and makes them nervous going to school each day. The adults do not always witness the bullying in their lives. The teenage children may be subject to heavy bullying as they may not understand how extreme it can get. Any form of bullying is relentless, causing the affected teenagers to live in a state of constant fear. Two of the prime reasons teens are bullied are their appearance and social status. Bullying has caused many serious and life threatening problems for bullied teens. As they get bullied often in school, their academics, and mental health suffer.

Bullying can be cruel when it becomes physical attacks on the victims. Some bullies attack their targets physically while others repeatedly spew verbal insults, affecting the psychology of the affected teens.

The latest edition of bullying is cyber bullying . It can get as worse as it gets in the real life experience of the teens. Cyberbullies use cruel instant messages, text messages, emails online, and voice messages in many cases. Bullying is a very offensive behavior and crime. Bullying leads to more violent behavior in the bullies in their adult years. They eventually get rejected by their peers, lose friendships and become depressed as they age. Parents, teachers, and people in general should educate their teenagers about bullying and tell them to report any act of bullying to them. Media can also educate the teenage children about bullying when some teenagers are bullies.

Depression
Depression is one of the worst problems that some teenagers suffer from and it can lead to more problems in the future. Depression may arise from poor self-esteem and body image problems. If that is the reason of depression in a teen, then parents should talk to the teen, listen to their child, comfort him or her, and accept their child for who they are. It is crucial that teens feel validated in their feelings and thoughts because what they are going through is a real part of their lives. Parents and guardians should not judge or criticize their feelings or thoughts. They should tell the teen how important it is to have high self-esteem and be comfortable in their body.Contemporary Issues Facing Teenagers Essay Paper

Depression symptoms in teenagers may be exhibited in various ways. Changes in sleep patterns, eating habits, declined interest in normal and healthy activities, dropping grades in school and college, and preferred isolation are all signs of depression. When teenagers exhibit one or all of these symptoms parents should intervene immediately. If teenagers begin talking about their depression, then they should be allowed to express their feelings, and parents should validate their feelings by listening to them without interrupting the conversation.

Drugs and Alcohol
Youths, particularly those who are in their early teens who drink, put themselves at risks for many problems. For example, they face problems with the law, at school, with their parents, and peers. In the USA, drug abuse is a major problem affecting millions of teenagers, along with their parents and families. It is an imperative that parents, schools, media, etc, educate the young children about the dangers of drugs and alcohol, and how drugs affect their bodies. If they are taught properly, then they will be able to make an educated choice.

Cyber Addiction
The Internet offers undeniable benefits in developing a teen's ability to grow with modern technology, technical ideas, knowledge and other skills. However, using the internet, particularly the social networking websites, unsafely puts the teenagers at very high risk for many problems. When children spend more than enough or agreeable time online they tend to be cyber addicts. As they spend more time on social networking, gaming, and other websites, particularly adult sites, they suffer from cyber addiction.Contemporary Issues Facing Teenagers Essay Paper

Cyber addiction can be just as harmful as addiction to drugs or drinking alcohol. Teenagers who spend unhealthy amounts of time on the Internet or online suffer from a condition recognized as Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD). Those who have IAD conditions may experience distress, withdrawal symptoms including obsessive thoughts, tremors, and other mental and physical problems. Cyber addiction impairs the quality of their lives. Parents should talk to their children and agree on a list of rules that clearly say when to use the internet, which sites they should visit and what safety measures they should follow. Teachers can also ensure safe browsing of the web at schools and colleges for teenage students.

Final Thoughts
Problems that teenagers are faced with today are multifarious but interrelated in many cases. One problem invites another, then to more problems. Parents, teachers and other guardians should be well aware of the problems that today's teenagers are facing and be prepared to eliminate the problems to their best abilities. The sad fact is, even in solid and stable family units, teenagers may face with uncertainly, confusion and wrong directions involving their lives. Those who have witnessed and experienced broken homes, unsafe sex, alcohol, drug abuse, and bullying issues, show themselves differently in the community they live in. Proper parenting is vital, especially in the very formative years of the children, so that they can grow up with the manners and teachings taught by their parents.

Today in the modern society, there a lot of problems, especially problems related with teenagers. A lot of factors influenced in this situation. For example some teenagers felt lack of love from their parents. Another factor is the lack of education because of poverty. In most of the cases the problems deal with drugs, alcohol, prostitution, teen pregnancy, depression, etc.
Drugs between teenagers is the most serious problem, because it causes a change in the behavior of any person and a physical change too. Most of the teenagers used them as an escape from their problems or sometimes they used them because of their friend's influence. Poor children used it too, to forget their cold and hunger.
Alcoholism is a society's sickness that affects all people, from teenagers to older ones. It is consider as a modern way to have fun and if you drink alcohol you are accepted between your friends. People who drink alcohol think that they can forget their problems and go out from reality if they do that. I think it is very bad to drink alcohol because it can turn in an addiction and when a person drinks, he or she isn't in their 5 felts to take any decision.
Another problem is the prostitution. Most teenagers have to do this because they don't find a good job and they need money. With this problem they can became sick with Aids and other diseases. Another consequence can be teen pregnancy because they don't have a good education and they don't know way to carry themselves. Contemporary Issues Facing Teenagers Essay Paper

THE video clip of two teenagers in school uniform hugging and kissing that went viral on social media recently has taken the public by surprise.

Thanks to the advancement of modern technology, everyone should realist how severe and ridiculous our social illnesses have become.

On the other hand, parents and teachers were undoubtedly shocked at such a wanton display of physical affection.

For immature and emotional teenagers, this recording may have caused hearts to melt.

However, for parents and teachers, it reflects immorality, insensitivity and causes embarrassment.

While there are many factors that contribute to the worsening social problems, the influence from the entertainment world, including music, movies, novels and social media, may be the leading factor for this unhealthy phenomenon.

It cannot be denied that listening to various genres of music, going to cinemas, reading novels and surfing the Internet have become commonplace.

Songs, movies and books with inappropriate content are indulged in inappropriately by the young.

The frequent access and excessive exposure to these negative sources of entertainment are likely to lead to frightening repercussions, especially when it comes to schoolchildren and young adults.

They will grow up having “dirty” minds, become disrespectful and dangerous and tarnish the good name of their families.

It would not be surprising if, sooner or later, people start to blame parents and teachers for the indecent acts committed by the two secondary school students in the video.

This is because parents and teachers are viewed as the main caretakers and educators of children.

While it is unfair to play the blame game, parents, teachers and society at large should work hand-in-hand to ensure that a similar occurrence involving inappropriate videos posted on social media platforms will not recur.

After all, who is to say that other schoolchildren will not create their own “sweet moments” with their boyfriends or girlfriends?

Immediate action by all parties will prevent the spread of such immoral behaviour.

For the sake of the country and our children’s future, schools and homes should remain educational institutions, to educate and produce intellectual children who practice good manners and decent behaviour.Contemporary Issues Facing Teenagers Essay Paper

Teach our children to admire and opt for good books, not good looks. Remind them that knowledge will open their eyes, hearts and minds, and make them rational thinkers who make rational decisions.

Above all, help them to discover the true and eternal beauty of life — kindness, forgiveness, inspiration, nature, parenthood, optimism, blessings and success.

Parenting a teenager is not easy. It is a responsible and hard work, requiring a good deal of patience and understanding. Going through different teenage phases is accompanied by the significant physical and spiritual changes.

Adolescence is no exception. It is the time of rebellion. Youngsters search for their place in the world and pave their road in life. And, of course, they make mistakes along the way. They give in to temptations and run into big and small issues. Keeping a trust-based relationship between parent and child is paramount here. Let’s consider some common teenage problems and solutions to them.

  • Bad Habits

Teenagers believe they are mature enough to smoke cigarettes, drink spirits or take drugs. They do this for several reasons. First of all, it’s trendy. All the bad guys are smoking and drinking. Many youngsters wish to be like them. Nobody wants to be a black sheep. Secondly, it is an easy way to escape from storms of life.

Teenagers run into many difficulties. Family troubles, bullying at school or peer pressure can make their life unbearable. That’s why they find alcohol and drug oblivion so tempting. Thirdly, adolescents adopt bad habits following their parents. If a father is a heavy drinker, his son will likely follow his bad example. Finally, teens get bad habits just out of boredom. They try to escape the daily routine and add colors to their life in such a way.

To help teens battle bad habits, parents need to show their love and care. No judgments. Tell you kid about the danger of drug and alcohol addiction. Talk calmly but confidently. Give advice on this matter.

  • Behavior Problems

Sometimes teens can be obnoxious. They may curse at their parents and do nasty things. They can make a scene without the slightest reason and get on other people’s nerves. They may even run away from home to hang out with a bad company. Introverted kids behave in a different way. They feel lonely and depressed. They tend to withdraw into themselves and ignore parents and peers. Therefore, it is important to find an individual approach to each child.

To deal with adolescent behavior problems, you should remain patient no matter what. Treat your kid as a mature person. Encourage them to find a passion for throwing out their negative emotions. Show your willingness to listen to their concerns. Your child needs you even if he or she doesn’t want to admit it.

  • Cyberspace Addiction

Youngsters are hooked to the Internet these days. 92% of them go online daily, and it’s from their smartphones only. They chat on social media, play games, and watch funny videos. This all seems fine. However, kids tend to forget about the limit. They can surf the Internet all day long. They can text someone when being at school. Some of them keep checking their cell phones even at night.Contemporary Issues Facing Teenagers Essay Paper

And it’s a real problem. Cyberspace addiction can lead to sleep deprivation and serious mental problems. Teenagers can plunge into a virtual world and, eventually, lose touch with reality. In addition to that, the Internet is full of online predators and cyber criminals.

To overcome Internet addiction, parents should monitor their kids’ online activity. It’s quite simple to do with parental control apps. You can do it with apple i Cloud tracking or any other comfortable for you way. It would be good to reduce the time of smartphone usage and make a clear schedule. Don’t be afraid to set the strict rules and establish boundaries. The end justifies the means.

  • Depressed Mood

Children in their teen years are prone to seclude from the outside world. They ignore their family and refuse to discuss their problems. It’s because they may suffer from depression, which makes them feel empty, hopeless, and downhearted. The reasons for this are varied. These can be problems such as school issues, poor health, hormonal changes, cyber bullying, negative peer influence, etc. The biggest danger here is that a severe and prolonged depression can lead to suicide.Contemporary Issues Facing Teenagers Essay Paper

The possible signs of depression are as follows: apathy, lack of appetite, insomnia, reticence, and wearing all black clothing. If you recognized those symptoms, make a move. Ask your child to share their feelings with you. Come up with a new hobby together. Teach them to appreciate the small things in life.

Now you know how to deal with teenagers and their problems in a smart way. Help your kid go through this stage of life as smoothly as possible. And remember one thing. Love and support can do wonders.

Being a Teen in the world today is very different to how it was 100,50 or even 10 years ago. The evolution's of digital technology and the immense increase in population has resulted in the teens of today facing much more advanced problems and problems teens of the past would never in thought of. Teens today have higher levels of stress and anxiety according to the APA (American Psychological Association) than that of their adult counterparts. I put out a census to 800 of the teens in greater Johannesburg and received 87 responses back in which teenagers expressed what is driving their anxiety levels through the roof. 4 major topics came up, these were social media, a struggle of sexuality and acceptance, pressure placed on them by school and parents, and the idea that everything they are doing now is not going to be good enough because there will always be someone better that comes along after.

Social media has evolved so much over the centuries. On one hand it can be a powerful tool for both teen and adult alike, but on the other hand it can make a teen of today’s life very difficult. All the time we are hearing,” Watch what you put on the internet kids because it will be there forever,” which has never been more true. More and more employers, universities and schools are looking at what people post and are tagged in to watch out for what people got up to as teens. This aggravates our stress levels because it means, kids cannot simply be kids and we have to be even more mindful of how we spend our time and who we associate with because we are always being watched. Social media is also a new platform for cyber bullying and increases the amount of FOMO ( fear of missing out ) teens experience. Teens love it but at the same time, teens hate it.

Sexuality in South Africa is a topic that is very taboo. On one side of the coin international support for the LGBT community is growing and overseas they are widely accepted and proud of who they are, but on the other side our generation of teens in South Africa is at a split. One half of our teens are open and accepting of diversity and change but the other half is still filled with homophobia and other conservative ideals, however members of the LGBT community fall on both sides. This results in teenagers not accepting themselves for who they are and hiding who they are away which causes unnecessary stress and paranoia.

Teenagers of today have an incredible amount of stress placed on them by their parents and their school. Teenagers are finding it difficult to manage the little time that they are given. We often hear parents reminiscing about the good old days of getting out of school and only having to come home at sundown to start their work, or older siblings talking about Saturdays of cartoons and spending entire weekends at friends houses. Unfortunately, teens of today get much less of that and rather we receive stressful deadlines and copious amounts of work that we drown in all the time, the only teens that seem to be on top of their work are merely ignoring work they hadn’t done yet. Schools make things worse by making every piece of work we do important for the final exams and force us to keep work from grade 10 that we will use in matrix without any revision on the subject matter almost two years down the line. Parents have set extremely high standards and schools work to reinforce them. Often, we miss out on that party or that weekend away with friends because we are so far behind on work, that we won’t even see again, that we have to stay at home and skip the joys of being a teen. This increases stress levels significantly as teens do not have a way to release their stress and often it comes out on harmful ways.Contemporary Issues Facing Teenagers Essay Paper

Often, we have adults pushing us to be our best, guiding us towards what they think will be a brighter future. They shepherd us to what they believe would give us happiness and they aren’t wrong to do it. Teens today however are beginning to feel that teen efforts are in vein because in such a fast expanding World nothing will ever be good enough to last them long enough like it has been for people of the past. Teens are finding that more work equates to less reward and it increases their levels of stress significantly.

In conclusion the teens of today are plagued by social media and are forced to hide behind walls and pretend to be someone else as a result of homophobia and not accepting themselves for who they are. Teens are also put under tremendous strain by adults who enforce their own agendas believing what they are doing is right when in fact they are permanently harming the child and do not realize the effects of their actions. Lastly teens are filled with dread as they lack the self-confidence to believe that they can keep up with an ever-expanding works with less and less opportunity.

However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. As teens work to better understand each other, the less we worry about social media’s grip on us. The more time we spend together the more we become comfortable with who we are and grow to accept one another for who we are. The more pressure our parents and schools place on us the tighter we hold onto our friends for support and lastly the more scared we are of the future, the more we come together as teens of today and I believe we are a generation that will do great things because we are a generation that never gives up and we are a generation that is quickly breaking the thoughts of the past and learning to love each other for everything we are. So, among st all the hardship and strife, we will excel.Contemporary Issues Facing Teenagers Essay Paper

What does it look like to be a teen today? Society is constantly changing; morals, goals, expectations and emotions are completely different now than they were in the past. Being a young adult welcomes many prejudices and biased assumptions. We spoke with some people from generation “Z” as well as adults from previous generations about the lifestyles from then and now. The differences between generations is obvious and not everyone is understanding of the world we teens live in today.

When we asked sophomore, Bella LeCompte, what she thought about the differences between older generations and ours, she says, “Our parents grew up completely differently and they were raised to be different and they had different expectations than we do today”. She displays how obvious the change has been. We spoke with another student here at Woodland Park High School about the difficulties of being a teen in the 21st century, they say, “…we have an unrealistic set of standards for who we should be and what we should look like, and how we should act…”. The standard that teens are held up to put an extreme amount of pressure for us to succeed. Bella states a list of issues that our generation has encountered, Bella says, “Drugs, suicide, self harm, depression, anxiety, mental illness”. These issues can be an effect of traumatic experiences. During some of the most difficult times in one’s life teens often look to a place where they are able unload the stress.

Many adults notice a large change between teens in the 21st century and when they were teens. The contrasting lives between adults and teens leaves much frustration. We spoke with Mrs. Snook, an instructor here at Woodland Park High School, she says, “Kids don’t know how to be respectful now days, it was demanded back when I was growing up”. It can be apparent that there is tension between generations. Snook says, “I feel like kids are expected to grow up so much faster, be an adult so much faster…but when we were in school, it was okay to be a kid, it was okay to fail…”. She addresses the maturity level of kids now days and kids back when she was growing up. Making mistakes is a big part of what makes us better people. Since teens are unable to make mistakes without tremendous consequences, there is much stress on us to never fall short of perfection; and for some of us, we have stopped caring completely.

Counselors here at Woodland Park High School have a in depth understanding of what teens go through in the 21st century.When speaking with counselor, Mrs. Johnston she stresses the impact technology has had on teens,saying, “I think there is more pressure to grow up faster because of the television shows, the media, and the music…”. Johnston says that the technology is much different then when she was growing up and it’s adding more stress to our lives. Johnston explains that with every generation, expectations, morals, and judgments change. Teens of all generations have and need to learn to adapt and understand that changes with constantly be happening. Being a teen today can mean many things to several different types of people. However, being a teen has always meant growing in many different ways.Contemporary Issues Facing Teenagers Essay Paper

The youth have been facing have been facing a lot of challenges in the past years hence barring them from achieving their full potential in the society. This are but a few of their problems.i. Employment creation

There are about 500,000 youth who graduate from various tertiary institutions yearly ready to enter the job market every year. However, due to the slow economic growth, corruption, nepotism and demand for experience by potential employers, 75% remain unemployed.

ii. Empowerment and Participation

One of the greatest challenges in Youth Empowerment and participation is how to ensure that young people are passionate about causing transformation in Kenya. Youth Empowerment and Participation is the quit essential force for causing such transformation.
Young people need a youth branded platform from where they can speak powerfully, take appropriate action, and inspire belief that will have a catalytic impact all over the country through youth-led development initiatives. Youth empowerment and participation is a dynamic cycle.
Overall, it is anticipated that the outcome of Youth Empowerment and participation is strong contribution to National prosperity, economic competition and reduced unemployment. When empowered, young people can contribute greatly towards good governance and democracy with a passionate desire to be catalyst for National Development. Contemporary Issues Facing Teenagers Essay Paper

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iii. Health
The uneven distribution of health facilities in the country continues to widen disparities in affordability and access to medical care. Statistics indicate that only 42% of the population has access to medical facilities within four kilometers and 75% within eight kilometers. Medical personnel are also too few to sufficiently address the health needs of the population, let alone those of the youth. Currently there is one doctor for every 33,000 people in the rural areas and 1,700 in the urban areas and it is estimated that only 12% of the health facilities are youth friendly.

Health has become a major issue among the youth. Apart from the traditional health problems like malaria, tuberculosis and the more conservative sexually transmitted diseases, the exponential spread of HIV/AIDS and drug abuse have become issues of major concern.
Mental health is increasingly becoming a common problem among the youth. Depression, anxiety, eating disorders, psychosis and substance abuse are also becoming leading mental problems among the youth.

Furthermore, reproductive health is one of the issues with the greatest impact on the youth. Some related problems and side effects include teenage pregnancies and abortion.

iv. Education and training

The 8-4-4 system of education was geared to imparting appropriate skills to enhance self-employment. However, due to the high costs, poverty and lack of facilities, there have been high school dropout rates.Contemporary Issues Facing Teenagers Essay Paper
Most of the youth either drop out of school or graduate without necessary skills for self-employment. Many girls drop out of school due to early pregnancies.

The country’s training institutions are also either inadequate or lack the essential facilities and technology to prepare students for the challenging market demands.
Recently, sub-standard training institutions have come up to take advantage of shortage of training opportunities to exploit desperate youth. In most cases, there is no linkage between the training institutions and either the formal or informal (jua kali) sector. The youth trained in these institutions cannot, therefore, be immediately absorbed into the job market.

v. Crime and Drugs

The early mid 1980’s saw a rapid growth in crime, drug and substance abuse among the youth in Kenya. Alcohol, cigarettes, khat (miraa), and cannabis sativa have remained the most popular abused substances in the country.
There is a fast emerging trend of injecting drug use especially narcotic. Moreover, abuse of drugs is highly associated with the risks of contracting HIV/Aids and other sexually transmitted diseases especially among the youth.

Violent criminal attacks, including rape, mugging, armed carjacking and home invasions are increasingly being associated with the youth these days. Over 50% of all the convicted criminals are young people aged between 16 and 25 years. Contemporary Issues Facing Teenagers Essay Paper

vi. Leisure, recreation, and community service

Leisure, recreation and community service are important for the psychological and physical development of the youth. It contributes to their personal development by promoting good health, personal discipline, leadership and team building skills. It also provides opportunity for appreciation, participation and creative experience in leisure, music, art, dance, drama crafts, novelty events service and cultural activities.
This helps engaging the youth to make good use of their leisure time, express their beliefs and values as well as promote and preserve local art and culture for the benefit of the future youth.

However, current investment in leisure and recreation has not reflected its importance. The sector suffers from inadequate funds and facilities while the talented youth lack motivation and are often exploited by organizations. Due to these constraints, it has not been possible to tap fully the talents of many youth.

vii. Youth and Environment

Degradation of the environment, through pollution, poor waste management and deforestation, is a major challenge for Kenya. With the ensuing destruction of water catchments, depletion of fish and other marine stock, pollution of rivers and destruction of plants and animals, the youth cannot be assured of quality life in the future.Contemporary Issues Facing Teenagers Essay Paper

The need to conserve the environment has become increasingly important and many youth organizations are engaged in activities to protect the environment such as tree planting, clean-up campaigns, bio-diversity conservation, wildlife preservation campaigns and ago-forestry.

viii. Information and Communication Technology

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) may arguably be the most powerful tool for social and economic change. Rapid and continuing growth and development in ICT is transforming the ways in which youth live and work.

Using internet for example, youth can get access to both domestic and international education and job opportunities on line.

Due to lack of access to information and communication technology (ICT) especially in rural areas, youth cannot exploit their career, business and education opportunities.

ix. Youth with Special Needs

The categories of youths with special needs have been identified as the: Unemployed youth; Out of school youth; Female youth; Youth infected and affected by HIV/Aids; Street youth; physically, and mentally challenged youth; and Youth in difficult circumstances.

x. Access to Financial Resources

Traditional financial institutions have avoided lending to youth due to their relative inability to comply with the high transaction costs, difficulty in assessing and managing their risk profile, and lack of the required financial documentation as well as collateral.

This are just but a few of the challenges the youth face in their day to day lives as they try survive and reach their dreams. Hopefully a solution can be found to the problem of the youth. This may include the launch of more youth groups and support from the government and non-governmental organizations.Contemporary Issues Facing Teenagers Essay Paper

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One such organizations trying to find solutions to problems of the youth is the moral foundation.The try to do the following to improve the lives of the youth:

1. Develop policies that will address unemployment problems and create an environment where the youth can exploit their potential through value adding initiatives.
2. Be a catalyst for youth empowerment and participation.
3. Collaborate with other stakeholders to research and come up with policies that would assist youth in this country overcome the challenge of  crime, drug and substance abuse among the youth in Kenya.
4. To take advantage of benefits associated with ICT to foster youth development.
5. Help the youth to be able to work towards the realization of their life goals that were hindered before by the tough regulations that in the past barred them from accessing credit facilities from financial institutions.

Today, there are 1.2 billion young people aged 15 to 24 years, accounting for 16 per cent of the global population. The active engagement of youth in sustainable development efforts is central to achieving sustainable, inclusive and stable societies by the target date, and to averting the worst threats and challenges to sustainable development, including the impacts of climate change, unemployment, poverty, gender inequality, conflict, and migration.

The World Youth Report focuses on youth education and employment, and explores the complex challenges facing the largest generation of youth the world has ever seen.

The Report provides insight into the critical role of young people in the context of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and related frameworks.Contemporary Issues Facing Teenagers Essay Paper

Advancing Youth Development

Far from being mere beneficiaries of the 2030 Agenda, young people have been active architects in its development and continue to be engaged in processes that support its implementation, follow-up and review. At the level of global policy, finance and measurement are major issues to be addressed as part of worldwide youth development efforts. At the national level, policy and programmatic responses to the Sustainable Development Goals have been slow and should be accelerated.

In education, 142 million youth of upper secondary age are out of school. In employment, 71 million young people are unemployed; and millions more are in precarious or informal work. Disparities within and between countries in education and employment among youth are stark, with gender, poverty, rurality, disability, and migrant/refugee status all being major elements of disadvantage. For instance, about 156 million youth in low- and middle-income countries are working poor (ILO), while almost 30 per cent of the poorest 12- to 14-year old have never attended school.Contemporary Issues Facing Teenagers Essay Paper

Evidence-based youth policies, tailored and adapted to national and local contexts, help ensure that youth development challenges are addressed. Key elements that help ensure an effective youth policy include providing political leadership and strategic vision; securing adequate budget and resource allocations; using timely and accurate data on the situation of young people; utilizing the knowledge, experience and expertise of young people in the design, implementation and evaluation of the youth policy; mainstreaming and integrating youth policies across sectors; taking into account the linkages and impacts of policy objectives; and developing a transparent monitoring and accountability framework.

The Report focuses primarily on the areas of education and employment, underlining the realization of targets under these Goals as fundamental to overall youth development. Issues related to other Goals—including gender equality, good health, reducing inequality, combating poverty and hunger, and action on environmental issues and climate change—are also addressed within the scope of the Report.Contemporary Issues Facing Teenagers Essay Paper