In general, most teenagers are impressionable, naïve, and gullible. Because of these weaknesses, teens are easy targets for drugs such as Adderall and Marijuana. These kids mistakenly believe that drugs can alleviate the problem in their lives. This falsehood is further exaggerated by the influence of social media. Although the causes of why kids try drugs for the first time is not easily identified, one can speculate that a key factor might be stress from school, corrupt home life, or peer pressure.
One of the most obvious causes of kids trying drugs is stress from school. Students can be overwhelmed by the constant flow of work that a teacher assigns them. These students can possibly see this work as strenuous. This could cause a …show more content…
A kid’s home environment is supposed to be a peaceful escape from the struggles of school, but kids who try drugs may have a hostile home life. For example, Lynda Barry, the author of “The Sanctuary of School”, had a hostile environment at her home, but found solace at a public school. However, some teens are not as lucky as her and find consolation in drugs. Additionally, kids who experience physical abuse at home by a parent or guardian might turn to drugs for comfort. In other words, they want to forget about the pain of being betrayed by their guardians. A point often overlooked, is simply neglect. Negligence for a child is the worst punishment a parent can give. This results in severe depression, which could be one of the main reasons why a child uses drugs for the first time. To sum up, kids who deal with a hostile environment, physical abuse, or negligence could be on the path to drug …show more content…
At some point, everyone has faced some form of peer pressure. For example, wearing the latest fashion trends or adopting modernized slang. In order to fit in, kids will conform to the pressure of changing themselves. The same goes for drug usage. Many teens just want to fit in with the ‘cool’ crowd. Most adolescents are even persuaded by their friends to start using drugs. These teens will, more than likely, try drugs, because they trust in their friends. The need for peer acceptance plays a huge role in first time drug users. Another form of peer pressure is social media. Celebrities, classmates, and even complete strangers influence adolescents with pictures and videos on sites such as Facebook or Instagram. This media, in turn, creates curiosity in teens to try what is forbidden. These famous celebrities and their movies unknowingly advertise the use of drugs throughout the nation. In other words, teens will identify these drugs as stress- relievers. To summarize, adolescents are vulnerable to all types of peer