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| Understanding Youth Culture |
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Understanding Youth Culture
An Introduction
"It's 10 o'clock. Do you know where your child is?"
This popular slogan was designed to encourage parents to get involved in their children's lives.
Now that we have entered a new millennium, a more appropriate question could be, "It's the 21st century. Do you know what's influencing your child?"
Recognizing expressions of youth culture is a major step to understanding your teen. This understanding can help you keep the lines of communication open between you and your teen. Making it clear that you do not want your child to use alcohol, tobacco, or illicit drugs is a proven factor in reducing teen drug use.
These pages are designed to immerse you in expressions of youth culture, explain what youth culture is and how it is reflected everywhere, its influence on youth's attitudes and behaviors, the role of media and music in the culture, and the importance of media literacy in a media-driven society.
These pages also include 
BRIGHT IDEAS, a feature that offers suggestions for starting conversations with youth about various topics, including alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs, and media influences.
Being a parent is one of the most challenging jobs there is. Parents must feel confident and comfortable talking to their teens, whether it is about sex, drugs, or other important issues.
The choices teens make and the Christian values they adopt can determine whether they become happy, productive adults.
The older a teen becomes, the less likely it is that parents will talk to him/her about these topics. Sometimes parents may feel intimidated or unsure of their roles as teens grow more independent and subscribe to a youth culture that may be unfamiliar to adults.
However,teens still want and need their parents support and guidence during this pivotal period.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's. 1999 National Drug Survey of Drug Abuse, almost 11 percent of youth ages 12 to 17 currently use illicit drugs.
New drugs like ecstasy, ketamine, and Rohypnol - commonly known as "club drugs"- are always emerging, and parents need to stay informed.
It is important for parents and caregivers to continue to discuss alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs with their children early and often.
We, at Doc Gospel Ministries, hope these pages can help you start a meaningful conversation with your teen, and help you maintain the open, two-way communication that is essential in building strong Christian family connections.
Cultural Expressions
When we witness our adolescent's "strange" clothing and behavior (such as tattooing and piercing), and hear "meaningless" and provocative language and song lyrics, we may hope that they are passing fads.
However, what we are actually seeing and hearing are the expressions of youth culture.
Cultural expressions are constantly changing, and attempts to describe them are usually out-dated before the ink is dry.
To give you a "snapshot" of some of today's cultural expressions of youth, click on the STAR. The examples in no way represent a comprehensive list.
To return to Doc's Home Page click on the red ball
If you do not want to follow the STAR and tour the pages on youth culture, you may select the area below you wish to visit.
Decades of Teens
Expressions of Youth Culture
The More Things Change ....
The More Things Stay the Same ....
The Power of Youth Culture
The Power of Music
Slang Terms for Drugs
Ecstasy Facts
Bright Ideas 1 -2
Bright Ideas 3 - 4
Bright Ideas 5 - 6
 
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