Environment impacts teen health
By: Brooke Cantie
Family
Family can greatly influence teens health. Having family members that you can talk to about things that are troubling you can really help in tough situations. A strong relationship between kids and parents where there is good role modeling in the household can develop good communication and it is less likely for them to do things behind their parents back. However, if your home environment has alcohol, drugs, etc, this can make the child think it is okay to do these things with friends or think other behaviors are okay to do.
http://www.childtrends.org/news-release/the-family-environment-affects-adolescent-well-being/
Media
The internet is everywhere. Not even young children can be protected from it. Media sets an image in kids head at a young age. Teens have grown up with social media. They may think they should look a certain way because the media says so. This is called body image. Or they may think something is "cool" because it is presented this way on the internet. It could drug use, alcohol, or any kind of bad influence. Stereotypes are also widely used on social media based on gender, race, religion and so forth.
http://oureverydaylife.com/society-affect-behavior-teens-4728.html
Peers
Although peers can pressure individuals into bad actions, they can also have a great influence. The right groups of friends can be accepting and share the same interests as you. They can also be excellent role models. For example, if one gets good grades or makes an accomplishment, that can help another peer want to strive to do the same or achieve a goal of their own. With the right friends, teens will have people to talk to, new experiences, and encouragement to do the right things.
Social Media
Social media can be a great way to express yourself. There are so many positive messages and advice that can be shared. Many teens can come across that and use helpful tips or just keep positive thinking. So many great ideas and good influences can be spread just by a tap of the finger nowadays. Many people take advantage of this to do great things and teens definitely do see that just as much as they see things they shouldn't. Plenty of teens communicate positively on social media.