ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES ON TEENAGERS

Environmental influence refers to either the positive or negative impact which one’s environment has on one’s life. It can also be described as those factors which easily determines how a person's life turns out to be. The environment plays a vital role in the life of teenagers. It is the environment they grew up in that they will adapt to their way of life. While growing up, teenagers are exposed to many things in their environment which can have effect on them both positively and negatively. Several factors ranging from poor standard of living, lack of good and quality education, unemployment and a host of other factors could be responsible for some negative behaviours displayed by teenagers.

Let’s briefly take a look at some of the factors responsible for some negative attitudes:

Poor standard of living

Poor standard of living has its numerous disadvantages on teenagers. Let’s take a look at a rural setting that is composed of many uncompleted buildings, garages, beer parlours, etc. In such environment, many vices and atrocities take place. For instance, uncompleted buildings are where hooligans smoke Indian hemp, marijuana and so on. Beer parlours are where people drink, smoke and take prostitutes to while some garages serve as a warehouse for area boys where they hide different fighting weapons. Imagine a teenager growing up in that kind of environment, you can agree with me that there is a high possibility of such teenager taking up those vices. This will hinder the individual from moral, academic, spiritual and social development.

Lack of quality education

In the same vein, lack of good and quality education in this era causes a lot of things to teenagers. A teenager who doesn't have proper education won't have the ability to think out of the box. Such individual will lack knowledge on certain things related to how to live in the real world. Real world here implies a world outside one’s vicinity. Most of them with one talent or the other won't have the necessary knowledge on how to showcase those talents, thereby hindering them from fulfilling their dreams.

Unemployment

Unemployment is another factor that fuels negative environmental influence.  Many people due to lack of job tends to be frustrated and bothered thereby pushing them into doing what they are exposed to in their environment. There is an adage that says a frustrated mind is the devil's workshop. Such individual will go into deviant behaviours as a result of unemployment.

The negative effects of environmental influence are not far-fetched. The environment especially rural areas hinder teenagers from developing personally. It exposes them to social vices like pick pocketing, gangsterism, hooliganism and prostitution. Most of them become victims of different atrocities like rape and child abuse which sometimes lead to death.

Effects of environmental influence

While some teenagers are raped in an uncompleted building in some rural areas by hooligans, some are forced into robbery (common among males). Some others are influenced into smoking Indian hemp while others pickpockets. All of this is traceable to the influence passed on to them by their environment. 

At the same time, we cannot forget to mention some of the positive influence some environment has on teenagers. An environment that is calm and peaceful allows teenagers to read well and understand. They will not be exposed to different social vices. They will have the ability to compete with other teenagers outside.

Also, some ghettos serve as a motivational force on some teenagers, encouraging them to work hard. It also reminds them of where they came from and why they need to work harder to achieve their goals in life. 

Solutions

Through findings and research, some of these solutions were recommended in reducing the negative impact of environmental influence.

Ø  Setting up an orientation programme for teenagers living in rural areas where they are oriented on how to live a life of their dreams and the necessary measures to take to achieve these dreams.

Ø  Setting up a forum where teenagers talk about their dreams, talents and goals in life. This will enable them to share their minds and make them understand the necessary steps to take.

Ø  Through different NGOs, many teenagers with creative minds apart from education like fashion designing, use of beads in making accessories and other skills are taught different skills on how to use their creativity.

I am sure if these recommendations and others are put in place, it will help in curbing negative impact of environmental influence on teenagers and it will breed talented and enthusiastic youngsters that will benefit their countries and other places in the world.

WRITTEN BY

Rodiyat Muhammad

Lagos.