Race to Nowhere – Pressures on Today’s Teens

The pressures on today’s teens are extraordinary. I remember when preparing for the S.A.T. test was, “Do you have an extra #2 pencil – I forgot mine?”

Today, children are pressured to take AP classes, volunteer, play a varsity sport, excel in all classes, strive for a 4.+ GPA – watching my own daughters go through this was terrifying. I urge you to watch this short video trailer explaining the Race to Nowhere movement. Why? For the reasons cited below the trailer.

Why We Must Reduce the Pressures on Today’s Teens

Quoting from the U.S. Surgeon General’s 2007 Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking, “In graduating from elementary to middle school, from middle school to high school, and from high school to college or the workplace, adolescents move in and out of different social contexts and peer groups, which exposes them to new stressors. These transitions lead to increased responsibilities and academic expectations, which are also potential sources of stress. This is important because research shows a link between stress and alcohol consumption [among adolescents].”

Chronic stress can change a child’s brain, making that brain more susceptible to taking drugs or drinking alcohol to excess. Not only that, but alcohol and drugs work on the brain’s pleasure/reward pathways, which is why anyone drinks or uses drugs in the first place. If it didn’t make a person feel better, the person would not consume [think of drinking 2 glasses of water vs 2 beers or 2 glasses of wine, for example].

To help you understand the adolescent brain and why it’s more vulnerable to drugs and alcohol, please visit:

Science of Teen Brain Development in a Nutshell by The Partnership at DrugFree.org

HBO: Addiction: Addiction Among Adolescents

Bottom line – we need to keep in mind the adolescent brain is not the brain of an adult.

 

The physical effects of puberty create dramatic changes in the sexual and
social experience of maturing adolescents that require significant psycho­
logical and social adaptation. Together with hormonally induced mood
and behavior changes, these sexual and social maturation stressors may
contribute to increased consumption of alcohol during the adolescent
period (Tschann et al. 1994). In graduating from elementary to middle
school, from middle school to high school, and from high school to college
or the workplace, adolescents move in and out of different social contexts
and peer groups, which exposes them to new stressors. These transitions
lead to increased responsibilities and academic expectations, which are
also potential sources of stress. This is important because research shows
a link between stress and alcohol consumption.
The physical effects of puberty create dramatic changes in the sexual and
social experience of maturing adolescents that require significant psycho­
logical and social adaptation. Together with hormonally induced mood
and behavior changes, these sexual and social maturation stressors may
contribute to increased consumption of alcohol during the adolescent
period (Tschann et al. 1994). In graduating from elementary to middle
school, from middle school to high school, and from high school to college
or the workplace, adolescents move in and out of different social contexts
and peer groups, which exposes them to new stressors. These transitions
lead to increased responsibilities and academic expectations, which are
also potential sources of stress. This is important because research shows
a link between stress and alcohol consumption.
The physical effects of puberty create dramatic changes in the sexual and
social experience of maturing adolescents that require significant psycho­
logical and social adaptation. Together with hormonally induced mood
and behavior changes, these sexual and social maturation stressors may
contribute to increased consumption of alcohol during the adolescent
period (Tschann et al. 1994). In graduating from elementary to middle
school, from middle school to high school, and from high school to college
or the workplace, adolescents move in and out of different social contexts
and peer groups, which exposes them to new stressors. These transitions
lead to increased responsibilities and academic expectations, which are
also potential sources of stress. This is important because research shows
a link between stress and alcohol consumption.
Lisa Frederiksen

Lisa Frederiksen

Author | Speaker | Consultant | Founder at BreakingTheCycles.com
Lisa Frederiksen is the author of hundreds of articles and 12 books, including her latest, "10th Anniversary Edition If You Loved Me, You'd Stop! What you really need to know when your loved one drinks too much,” and "Loved One In Treatment? Now What!” She is a national keynote speaker with over 30 years speaking experience, consultant and founder of BreakingTheCycles.com. Lisa has spent the last 19+ years studying and simplifying breakthrough research on the brain, substance use and other mental health disorders, secondhand drinking, toxic stress, trauma/ACEs and related topics.
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2 Comments

  1. Mike on November 24, 2009 at 7:44 am

    thanks for the post. Great video
    It seems to hit all the ‘good’ points regarding the pressures to fit in, succeed, be popular.
    When is the release date again?

    • LisaF on November 24, 2009 at 8:30 am

      I agree — I thought it was so well done. Thanks for your comment.

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