What impact do the television and computer have on teenagers? Is it necessary to consider them drugs or more like an “elixir” for young people?
These are surely the factors that have determined the biggest changes in teenagers’ habits, mentality and social relationships. The computer has become a means of communication, thus presenting a lot of advantages. The negative aspect is, however, the absence of direct contact with the person with whom you are talking, so it is an “incomplete” communication, from which affective expressivity and other non-verbal elements that are so necessary to truly express not only ideas but also feelings, states of mind and attitudes, are absent. It is a “dry” and often superficial way of communicating; not rarely do teenagers hide their true personalities inventing fake identities. We are sometimes speaking about a duality that can have negative consequences: running away from reality, depression, anxiety etc. As for computer games, there are studies which show that they are dangerous for children’s and young people’s psychical balance, leading to some mental diseases such as schizophrenia.
Television can be dangerous from two points of view:
The time spent in front of it, which sometimes exceeds five hours, is far too much. The types of shows seen: unfortunately, TV channels are overwhelmed with kitsch. It is truly hard for little children’s minds and tastes not to be badly influenced. Here, family plays the decisive role: parents should thoroughly censor what the little ones see on TV. The consequences can sometimes be very severe and proof for this stand the children who have committed suicide or crimes inspired by what they had seen on television.
Teenagers prefer to spend their spare time with friends instead of their families. The family, however, has the most important role: to control the circle of friends and to support or forbid, when needed, those activities that don’t correspond with the social, moral or legal statute of the young person’s. This kind of education must be started early and not from 15-16 years old, when it’s far too late. The child’s tastes and aptitudes must be cultivated from a young age. The school and family have to discover as many diverse alternatives as they can. Unfortunately, spare time is often understood as a period when you don’t have what to do but wait for the street, bar or disco to offer you an option. I once more emphasize the major role the family plays, but also the society’s importance, which should offer teenagers other alternatives (welfare work, sports, trips, various forms of artistic creation).
Teenager’s psychical health – an impossible to reach state of balance or a naturally inherited one? I will start by saying that it is easier to prevent than to treat. Mental health is that state of balance and normality of all the processes’ functioning and of the personality as a whole. Puberty and teenage are shaken by identity and adaptation crises and this is why, again, family and school play a very important role in protecting, encouraging and favoring the young generation’s harmonious psychical development.
The external causes of any possible mental problems may be: exposal to a toxic environment, pollution, violence (emotional, physical or sexual abuse), stress caused by poverty or discrimination, the loss of important people from the young person’s life. We might avoid problems related to psychological unbalances through measures that belong to daily activities (healthy alimentation, a balanced schedule etc.) but mostly through an affective climate of encouragement and understanding, through an attitude leading to the development of teenagers’ self esteem.
Botic Narcise, Psychologist, School Counselor