growth cycle of human beings

Teenage years are one of the most important stages in the human development cycle. People grow physically, emotionally, and mentally, all of which contribute to their overall well-being. Physically, girls develop breasts and grow in size, indicating that they are no longer seen as children, but as young adults. They also go through puberty, which changes their typical daily routine. Young boys, on the other hand, expand in size and have wet dreams, revealing that their manhood has only just begun. The changes in these teenagers cause them to lose focus, especially in their academics and their relationship with concerned adults such as parents and teachers is also put at stake. At this stage, they believe they know everything pertaining to their lives and they consider their opinions important. Sometimes, they engage in bad behavior either in the name of putting up with their stresses or enjoying life just like the adults do. The bad behavior involves drugs and engaging in unprotected sex. The immorality affects their health.

It is, therefore, important to provide platforms, where teenagers can be open with their problems and solutions provided at the same time. They should be taught on the importance of maintaining good health and working hard in school to secure a good future for themselves. Health promotion will be endorsed by analyzing the dangers of drugs such as alcohol and smoking, which can lead to cancer and other diseases (DiClemente, Hansen, & Ponton 2013). In line with that, it is also important to teach them on the dangers of participating in early sex, as it could lead to unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS. Successful individuals should also volunteer with their stories of how they overcame the same challenges and how it has helped them in accomplishing their goals in life. The initiatives can also be put online, as teens enjoy using social media (Neiger et al., 2012).

References

DiClemente, R. J., Hansen, W. B., & Ponton, L. E. (Eds.). (2013). Handbook of adolescent health risk behavior. New York: Springer Science & Business Media.

Neiger, B. L., Thackeray, R., Van Wagenen, S. A., Hanson, C. L., West, J. H., Barnes, M. D., & Fagen, M. C. (2012). Use of social media in health promotion: Purposes, key performance indicators, and evaluation metrics. Health Promotion Practice, 13(2), 159-164.