External Influences That Influence Child Health, Reaction Paper Example

The adolescent stage is a very crucial stage in the life of an individual. During this stage, many things transpire in the livelihood of the child. The livelihood of the child takes various courses owing to the external influence posed by various factors. During the adolescent stage, the child is susceptible to external influences from many quarters, which include the peers, family, and the social media (Supple & Small, 2006, p.1228). It is important to note that during this stage, the adolescents are culpable owing to their quest to discover their potentials and experience so many things in life as per their wishes.

The social media poses a great challenge to the lives of the adolescents in that it influences the lives of the adolescents significantly. In many occasions, the adolescents tend to embrace the negative images shown by the media. This is evidenced by the change in the dress codes and the lifestyles of the adolescents to suit those of their favorite artists shown in the media. Secondly, the peers also play big roles in influencing the behavior and the lifestyles of their fellow adolescents (Ornelas et al, 2007, p.7). It is important to note that during this stage, the adolescents tend to cope the lifestyles and behaviors of their peers. The adolescents do succumb to the habits of their peers such as smoking, drinking, alcohol, and abuse of other drugs. Owing to their body changes, and mingles with their peers; the adolescents are bound to change their sexual behaviors. In this case, the adolescents are susceptible to irresponsible sexual behaviors.

In conclusion, it is evident that the adolescent health of a child is pertinent, and thus requires maximum attention. In this case, it is worth noting that the family, school management and other stakeholders should perform a collective responsibility in shaping the behavior of the adolescents. Proper guidance is a recipe in this case to avoid moral decadence.

References

Ornelas, I. J., Perreira, K. M., & Ayala, G. (2007). Parental influences on adolescent physical activity: a longitudinal study. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition & Physical Activity. Vol. 4, p3-10.

Supple, A. J. & Small, S. A. (2006). The Influence of Parental Support, Knowledge, and Authoritative Parenting on Hmong and European American Adolescent Development. Journal of Family Issues. Vol. 27 (9), p1214-1232.