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 Global Teenager COLOR CODE KEY Marika Tripodes-Purple- research, wikieditor Katherine Roemer- Blue- research Anmi Zheng - Orange- research, wikieditor Angelique Singh- Red- research Mr.Asher-Black

Hello. Thanks for your invitation to join. I need to know exactly what color each of you will be. I will be black. Please post your color legend at the top of your page. I look forward to interacting with you on your Wikipage. See you in class. Mr. Asher

toc =Introduction=

We are doing research on "teenagers" in history. This website provides some research and comparison between teenagers of different time periods.

=Teenagers Now=

In our generation of teenagers, we face many kinds of problems that the previous generations had not experienced or were only minor issue in society. Also, some of the style of fashion and other trends have changed over the period of time. Our group will be looking at the change in teen culture and teens themselves. We will be asking the questions; Why do teenagers act differently in different parts of the world? and How will our modern world affect the teenagers of today and of the future. We will also be examining the lifestyle of certain teens and destructive behavior that has developed.

=Teen Statistics=

Time watching TV: 7 hours, 12 minutes Having meaningful Conversation with parents: 38.5 per week Text messages sent per month (Female): 4,050 Text messages sent per month (Male): 2,539 Teens that save their money: 40% 12th graders who have gotten drunk in the last month: 27%

=Biography of Oracle=

Our Oracle is Dena Tripodes. She is not only a mother of three teenagers but has much experience with children and young adults. After studying biology and history at UCS she taught history courses to GATE students at Cal State LA. She has also volunteered her time to teaching science at Marengo Elementary School. For the last 22 years she has taught Middle School Byzantine history at the Pasadena Hellenic Center.

=What is a Teenager?=

What is a teenager?

A teenager is a person in the transitional stage of physical and mental development which occurs between puberty and legal adulthood. This period in life is typically defined to be between the ages of 13 through 19, and might even extend into the early twenties.

Quentin Crisp once said, "The young always have the same problem - how to rebel and conform at the same time. They have now solved this by defying their parents and copying one another."

* see quotes like these on quote page

Are teenagers the same around the world? This is a common topic of discussion among social biologists and anthropologists. In 1983 anthropologist Margret Mead wrote a report about teenagers in Samoa, which argued that in Samoan culture teenager do not go through the same difficult transitions into adulthood as American teenagers. Many scientists disagreed with Mead saying that the differences in teenager behavior in these cultures is due to nurture not nature. Also, that Samoan teenagers might still experience the same hormonal, mental, physical and physiological changes as American teenagers but that their culture suppresses it; or that American "teenager" might simply be a byproduct of the media's attempt to subdivided adolescence. =Research Graph=

X-Axis: Change of teenagers mentally, physically and psychologically. Y-Axis: Change of culture(s) and subculture(s) in society. Top: Newly developed culture in teen world. Bottom: Static teen culture with traditional values/customs. Left: Low maturity of teens, adolescence in its beginning years. Right: Highly mature teens reaching adulthood. Quadrant I: Technology in teen world. Quadrant II: Bullying and peer pressure in teens. Quadrant III: Precocious puberty in modern times. Quadrant IV: Hearing loss in modern teenagers.

=Early Puberty=

There is an unusual trend that is occurring in many western nations called “Precocious Puberty”, where children are reaching puberty at younger ages.

Generally girls develop the first signs of puberty at age 10 and above and boys at 11 and above. But know some children are beginning as young as 7 == years old. Although the exact causes of this phenomenon are not yet known many European scientists believe it could develop from a few key factors: calories, pesticides and population, and genes. Calories: Research has shown that children that are overfed and obese start puberty yearly than children who are not.

Pesticides and Pollution: Many pesticides (specifically the controversial pesticide DDT) mimic human hormones which could be attributed to altering a child’s physical development. German studies have shown that children that have emigrated from countries with heavy pollution and heavy use of pesticides are 80% more likely to develop precocious puberty. Such countries include India and Colombia

Genes: In the UK and the US some scientist attribute this early onset puberty to a protein called GPR54, and if mutated could interfere with a child’s development; however it is not yet conclusive.

It is still not clear whether it is a problem that many children are entering puberty. Although children who enter puberty earlier statistically are more likely to become pregnant, drop out of school, and have lower incomes. However with more people having children at an older age, this might be a good thing, potentially reversing trend of top heavy aging populations. However as Swedish Professor Olle Söder from the Karolinska Institute says either way, "it will have a societal impact," he warned.

=General Puberty=

Puberty is the process of physical changes by which a child's body becomes an adult body capable of reproduction. It is an awkward time for teenagers and a hard transition period through their lives.

Girls Boys
 * Age || Development ||
 * 7-14 || Growth of pubic hair ||
 * 7-13 || Growth of breasts ||
 * 9.5-14.5 || Body growth ||
 * 10-16.5 || First period ||
 * 2 years after pubic hair shows up || Growth of underarm hair ||
 * 2 years after pubic hair shows up || Acne ||
 * Age || Development ||
 * 10-15 || Growth of pubic hair ||
 * 10-13 1/2 || Growth in male parts ||
 * 10 1/2 -16 1/2 || Body growth ||
 * 11-14 1/2 || Change in voice ||
 * 2 years after pubic hair shows up || Growth of underarm hair ||
 * 2 years after pubic hair shows up || Acne ||

=Troubling teen trends=

Teenagers in nowadays have many troubles, and many of them are done typically. Below, there are several issues that relates to electronics ("high-tech bedrooms"), fashion of celebrity, etc..

There is a vampire movement afoot thanks to the glamorous portrayal of teen vampires on the Twilight series and The Vampire Diaries and the popularity and the popularity of HBO's True Blood. Besides the serious bacterial dangers of human bites, it can be a mode of HIV transmission.
 * 1. Biting and cutting**

It is said to be made popular by Lady Gaga and Youtube, circle lenses create a big doe-eyed appearance and have become popular among teenage girls. Illegal to sell without a prescription, but easily bought online, doctors are concerned about risks of blinding infections and damage to the cornea.
 * 2. ﻿Circle lenses/decorative contact lenses**

The same drugs being used to treat attention deficit disorder are being freely shared by some teens on college campuses and high schools to give them an edge at preparing for exams. Not only is the stigma gone, but kids who have the prescriptions are the go-to favorites during finals. If a child uses ADHD drugs, warn him or her against sharing. If your child doesn't, make it clear that these are serious medications with side effects, not stugy aids.
 * 3. ADHD prescription drug abuse**

Many teens are convinced that, unlike cigarettes, smoking a hookah or using chewing tobacco is not harmful. In fact hookahs do use tobacco which comes in a variety of flavors - including apple, strawberry, and coconut - intended to create a "graduation strategy" so that kids get hooked by starting them with milder tasting, more flavored substances. This trick is also used with a product called "snus", a non-chew, no-spit oral tobacco that's also available in variety of sweet and fruity flavors. Also, increasingly popular with teens, using Snus lets them stay under the rader at school and still get their nicotine fix, because it's stuffed between the lip and the gum.
 * 4. Tobacco escalation products**

Even though exposure to tanning beds before the age of 30 increases a person's risk of developing melanoma by 75 percent, this real danger is dampened by television shows that depict it as trendy and fashionable. One study of university students found that more than 90 percent of tanning-bed users know about the risks of premature aging and skin cancer but continue to tan because they think it looks good.
 * 5. Tanorexia/Tanning salons**

Tatoos have become extremely popular among teens. Although most states have laws prohibiting minors from getting them, they arepoorly enforced. Recent data suggest that more than one-third of adults in the U.S. under the age of 35 now sprt at least one tattoo. Outbreaks of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) skin infections among tatoo recipients have been related to sloppy infection control practices. And tattoos areestimated to account for more than twice as many hepatitis C infections as injection drug use. Other infections, including HIV, can also be contracted through tattooing. If your kids insist on tattoos, make sure that they go to a licensed practitioner.
 * 6. Tattoos**

Here are some things to keep in mind when thinking about getting a tattoo.

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* see video and related video on video page

In a world consumed with appearances and body image, many teens develop eating disorders. Some common eating disorders include: - Anorexia Nervosa, which is when a person is abnormally sensitive about being perceived as overweight. These individuals see themselves are heavier than they are and usually end up starving themselves until they continually lose weight and they become dangerously malnourished. -Bulimia Nervosa, is a habit of binge and purge rituals. People suffering with this disorder start will eat as much food as they possibly can and then vomit, so that their bodies do not absorb as many calories. Bulimic people tend to also throw up what they do eat, even if it is a normal quantity of food. They, as well as anorexic people, also get dangerously malnourished and should be treated. Many may say that mass media takes part in causing some of these disorders. This, however is for each individual to decide.
 * 7. Eating Disorders**

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* see video and related video on video page


 * 8. Bullying**

T ypes of Bullying:
• **Physical** – hitting, kicking, pinching, punching, scratching, spitting or any other form of physical attack. Damage to or taking someone else’s belongings may also constitute as physical bullying. • **Verbal** – name calling, insulting, making racist, sexist or homophobic jokes, remarks or teasing, using sexually suggestive or abusive language, offensive remarks • **Indirect** – spreading nasty stories about someone, exclusion from social groups, being made the subject of malicious rumors, sending abusive mail, and email and text messages (cyber bullying). • **Cyber** **Bullying** - any type of bullying that is carried out by electronic medium. There are 7 types including: 1. Text message bullying 2. Picture/video clip bullying via mobile phone cameras 3. Phone call bullying via mobile phones 4. E-mail bullying 5. Chat-room bullying 6. Bullying through instant messaging (IM) 7. Bullying via websites
 * According to bullying statistics, 1 out of every 10 students who drops out of school does so because of repeated bullying.
 * Harassment and bullying have been linked to 75% of school-shooting incidents.

=Hearing=

One of the issues are increased number of problems in hearing of the teenagers. It is assuemed that due to the increase in items such as mp3 player, iPod, CD player, etc., the world now faces 30 percent more, compared to 20 years ago, of the society's teenagers with hearing problems. Since these electronic items have larger storage, teenagers can listen to them longer than it was possible in the past, causing some of the severe cases of the hearing issues.

Recent studies have shown that teenager's hearing has gotten worse over the past 20 years. This trend is said to be the affect of new music technology. With the introduction of Walkman, CDs, MP3, and other head set listing devices developed over the last two decades, teenagers are having more concentrated noise directed strait into their ears, for long periods of time. Now with new head sets being created, which go directly into the ear, many teenagers are experiencing early hearing loss. This is something particularly specific to the modern teenager, because in the past such listening devices were not created that would have such an affect.

=Piercings=

Piercings among teens have become more than an accessory, it has become a form of expression and teens use body piercings as a way to express their individuality. This trend has rapidly grown all around the nation, as they are many times not permitted and can be removed later. Popular piercings include: - Navel - Nostril - Tongue - Gauging Earlobes

Although piercing can be a fun way for teens to express themselves, it can be very dangerous and come with lots of risks, such as contracting a virus (HIV) or getting an infection. Teens should always remember to go to a licensed professional when looking at getting a piercing, they should never do it themselves and always make sure the piercer is using clean and sanitized materials.

=Sexual Activity=

"Hooking up" is a term widely used among teens to describe their behavior with their significant others. It is broadly used to describe affectionately kissing to oral or vaginal sex.

> unintended pregnancy
 * Although only 13% of teens have ever had vaginal sex by age 15, sexual activity is common by the late teen years. By their 19th birthday, seven in 10 teens of both sexes have had intercourse.
 * On average, teenagers have sex for the first time at about age 17, but they do not marry until their mid-20s. This means that young adults are at increased risk of unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections for nearly a decade.
 * In 2006–2008, the most common reason that sexually inexperienced teens gave for not having had sex was that it was “against religion or morals” (42% among females and 35% among males).
 * Among sexually experienced teens, 72% of females and 56% of males report that their first sexual experience was with a steady partner
 * Seven percent of young women aged 18–24 who had had sex before age 20 report that their first sexual experience was involuntary.
 * A sexually active teen who does not use a contraceptive has a 90% chance of becoming pregnant within a year.
 * The majority of sexually experienced teens (79% of females and 87% of males) used contraceptives the first time they had sex.
 * 14% of high school students have had four or more sex partners during their life
 * 46% of all high school students have not had sexual intercourse
 * The more sexual partners a person has over time, the more likely he or she is to get an STD
 * 9 out of 10 teens say it would be easier for them to avoid sexual activity if they were able to have more open conversations with their parents
 * Teen girls with older partners are more likely to be sexually active, less likely to use contraceptives, and more likely to face an

Teens have been waiting longer to have sex than they did in the recent past. In 2006–2008,11% of never-married females aged 15–19 and 14% of never-married males that age had had sex before age 15, compared with 19% and 21%, in 1995.

=Teen Relationships=

For most teenagers, the idea of dating is one that has been lost in all the hype about "going steady" or making a relationship "facebook official." However the basic concept still applies. Most teens start pairing off from the ages of 12-14 and may start getting seriously involved later in their years of youth. Most teenagers also participate in group dating, also known as "hanging out."

The groups give teens the opportunity to develop friendships with lots of people, and they take away the strangeness that kids might feel when they're alone on a date.

Dating can be a very good experience for some and not for others, however, it is indeed an opportunity for teenagers to grow socially. Despite the fact that the modern global teenager has started turning away from traditional dating, there are still many teenagers that are involved in steady relationships and one in three high school students have even been involved in an abusive relationship. This has become a huge problem in teenagers nowadays. 30 to 50 percent of female high school students reported having already experienced teen dating violence and most of this violence has been reported taking place in the home.

A staggering 87% of teenagers reported to have been in some sort of serious/steady relationship from ages 10-18. Although dating a serious relationships are a great way to grow socially and mature (for some), many teenagers get too involved, without necessary precautions.

=Pregnancy=

Pregnancy among teenagers has always been a taboo subject that has been over looked by many people. In recent years however, teenage pregnancy has become much more publicized in the media. Shows on popular networks suchas MTV have come up with shows they believe will help teens truly understand the meaning of being a teen parent. These shows, //16 &Pregnant// and //Teen Mom// have stirred up alot of controversy and critics say it is only "glorifying teenage prenancy". However here are some facts:

*Although the following describes the situation in the United States, it reflects some of the realities faced by pregnant teens all over the world. Comparing to other nations: Websites such as [|www.itsyoursexlife.com], and local health clinics like Planned Parenthood, are both dedicated to help teach teens about prevention and other options.
 * Four in 10 girls become pregnant before age 20—over 900,000 teen pregnancies annually.[[image:riska_626px.jpg width="366" height="262" align="right"]]
 * About 40 percent of teen mothers are under 18 years of age.
 * Children of teen parents suffer higher rates of abuse and neglect than children of older parents.
 * Only 4 out of 10 mothers under the age of 18 finish high school.
 * Nearly 80 percent of fathers do not marry the teen mothers of their children.
 * Only 30 percent of teen mothers who marry after their child is born remain in those marriages; teen marriages are twice as likely to fail as marriages in which the woman is at least 25 years of age.
 * Children of teen mothers are more likely to be born prematurely and at low birth weight, raising the probability of infant death, blindness, deafness, chronic respiratory problems, mental retardation, mental illness, cerebral palsy, dyslexia, and hyperactivity.
 * For every 1000 females 15 to 19 years of age in 1992
 * 4 in Japan gave birth
 * 8 in the Netherlands gave birth,
 * 33 in the United Kingdom gave birth
 * 41 in Canada gave birth
 * 61 in the United States gave birth

=﻿Links =


 * @http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4530743.stm
 * @http://www.digitaltermpapers.com/b3069.htm
 * @http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolescence
 * @http://www.tripletsandus.com/80s/index.htm
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 * @http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/health/hearing-loss-increases-in-teenagers-over-past-20-years-41203.html
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">@http://www.watchtower.org/e/20041008/article_02.htm
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">[]
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 * http://www.money-management-works.com/teen-spending.html
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