teens and health issues.

More often than not, the risk factor is always evident when it comes to health issues because I am quite positive that the population is aware of the effects, impacts or consequences that they will face if they were to indulge in any unhealthy activities. Take for instance, smoking habits. Cigarette boxes have unsightly pictures of oral cancer, dead babies and whatnot pasted on them and yet that does not stop smokers from purchasing these cancer sticks. They are all aware of the consequences that they may face by smoking and yet most of them do not feel the need to try to stop smoking. Eating disorders is also another example that may cause fatal consequences. Models have died form anorexia, while obesity has caused heart problems and yet girls are still starving themselves to stay thin and the population who suffers from obesity is still increasing. To inculcate awareness in the population regarding these health issues may have worked for some, but for some, especially the young, inculcating awareness in them is not as easy as it looks

As said, I believe that the population, especially the younger generation, has increasingly become risk takers in the society which may probably be the reason why some health issues among teens still persist. Despite the constant media attention that focuses on the health risk that people will be bearing such as the heavy consequences of smoking, eating disorders or even having casual unprotected sex, it still has not abstain them from such activities. Yes, perhaps, it might have struck a cord in them, but little effort is done for permanent abstinence. Some may blame westernization to be the cause of bad influence for Singaporean teens who have involved themselves in risky activities, while others hastily blame parents for the poor upbringing in the children that result those to be part of such activities. Despite the government’s efforts to censor programmes which contain heavy sexual or drug content, the internet is an easy source for such contents. Parents, on the other hand, are the first few people children interact with when they were young thus the values instilled in them, whether desirable by the society or not, are all up to the parents themselves. To some extent, both factors may partly be the reasons, but I think that individualism may actually be a bigger factor as to why the younger generations are increasingly becoming risk takers when it concerns health issues. Individualism is usually link to political issues, self-reliance or liberty, but in a more general sense, individualism also causes people to be risk takers, because they are free to make their own personal choices which also include certain health related decisions.

Giddens (1999) claimed that “acceptance of risk is also the condition of excitement and adventure” which is usually what most teens seek in their life and this can explain the comparison on the generation’s view in health issues now and then. I feel that the idea of following rules or matching up to the society’s expectations no longer appeal to them. Being different is commonly associated to the choices and decisions that they take, and gradually, it becomes a social trend among teens to be different and risky, or in other words individualistic. Coupled with peers who generally share the same sentiments as them, it will be tough to control how they should view certain health issues that still persist today. It is saddening to think that the only way the generation realize how serious the heavy consequences that they may face in the future is only when they are the ones who will bear it in the end.

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