Научно-исследовательская работа на тему: «Teenagers problems in modern society»
творческая работа учащихся по английскому языку (8 класс) на тему

Муниципальное бюджетное образовательное учреждение

«Средняя общеобразовательная школа №144 с углубленным изучением отдельных предметов»

Районная научно-практическая конференция

«Наука – дело молодых »

Секция «Иностранный язык»

Научно-исследовательская работа на тему:

«Teenagers problems in modern society»

Выполнила: Корнилова Валерия

ученица 8Б класса

Руководитель: Валиуллина

 Диляра Аликовна, учитель английского языка

г. Казань

2017-2018 учебный год

Content

Introduction

Relevance: 

Every grown- up sooner or later comes to conclusion that youth has been the happiest time of his life. But most young people complain that it’s the hardest time of their life because they come to realize that present decisions and actions may influence greatly their future lives. It is really hard to be young because you are to fight hard for your place under the sun. You have to adapt to the demands and rules of modern society and try to be confident about the best results in the future.

When studying the topic of "Problems of the children and the youth" we discussed the problems of youth in English lessons, and I was interested in the question of what problems teenagers have in my classmates.

The aim of our work is to find out the most common youths’ and my classmates problems and the ways of solving them.

The tasks of our work:

• To find out the main youths’ problems and the reasons of these problems
• To know what the teenage age is
• To find out the most common problems of our classmates

• To answer the question, who can help teenagers to cope with these problems

Methods of research: questioning, interview, comparison, analysis.

The actuality of the work is in genuine interest of people of all generations to the teenager problems because they are very acute and touch most families, most schools and most societies, especially nowadays.

Object of study:

• Young people (Teenagers)

Subject of study:

• Analysis of the survey «Teens’ problems»
• The practical significance of the project lies in the attempt to study the problems of adolescents with a view to understanding and solving some problems and enriching my vocabulary in English.
• Terms of the study: two months

 I believe that the problem of generations is an eternal question. It always remains relevant.

Teens’ life is not very easy, nowadays. Many problems are associated with being young. Young people want to enjoy life and be independent and be taken seriously, to express their individuality and do well at school, earn money and change the world for the best. The problem is that sometimes teens do not get what they want. As a result, teenagers try to rebel against the society and reject everything. That is why they have different problems. The reasons of these problems are rather various. We took this topic because this problem applies to all adolescents, both in Russia and in other countries, for example in the UK, the teenager also cannot get along with parents, friends, classmates and so on. Teenagers from the age of 13 told a variety of bad things, like what he allegedly useless. And then later enters into various groups such as «blue whale», «quiet house» etc.

Many teenagers are trying to be independent, and free in the way of living, making friends, spending free time, clothing, and style. But instead they are under constant pressure from their parents, which leads to misunderstanding, leaving homes by children, solving the problems with parents in the wrong way. Many teenagers can't listen to their parent's advice or just have a quiet talk; they choose to ignore all rules and regulations. Part of the problem is sometimes neither of the sides is willing to see the other side's point of view, so things are getting out of control.

Everybody says your youth is probably the best time of young life that being young means romance, love, new discoveries and so on. But it is also the most difficult time because you have to make some very important decisions, which will influence all your future life.

Things are not easy nowadays even for adults, but for teenagers, who have to find their own place in society, it's very difficult. It's necessary not only to adapt to your society, but also to be confident about your position in 5, 10 or 20 years time.

For your future it is essential to have a good job. Every girl or boy leaving secondary school should choose an institution of higher education, or if he or she doesn't want to study any more, choose a job straight way.

Put even if you are studying, you need money of your own t pay for extra clothes, tapes, books. It something the problem.

The work consists of introduction, the basic part, 4 chapters, social survey, conclusion, the list of literature.

1. Teenagers problems

1.1 Selfish and self-centered

As the ego grows and develops in extremely different directions most teenagers become more and more selfish and even self-centered at times. It is no surprise that in the coming years the “self” becomes more and more vulnerable and therefore there arise problems connected with self-worth, self-esteem, self-image, self-accusation, self-actualization, self-advancement, self-affirmation, self-aggrandizement, self-aggression etc.

Poor self unable to bear all these problems that have been set before him at such a young and immature stage of life sometimes fails in satisfying all the needs and demands that a young person thinks is able to overcome alone, all by himself. Thus it falls into a depressive mood. Time passes by and the young individual feels totally broken and helpless. The most destructive result in such cases becomes suicide or self-homicide. Suicide related concerns are one of the most wide-spread phenomena among young people. Especially failure in dating and partner relationships may cause a strong desire to kill oneself just trying to attract the attention of the one who has dared not to care, not to appreciate the efforts and the love offered. Love which is so pure and devoid of all types of conditions except the need to be loved in return. Things are much easier for many young male partners but for females things become tougher when problems connected with unplanned pregnancy crop up. The survivors are the ones who seek and find help and support of their family members.

1.2 Drugs

The problem of drug addiction and alcoholism is the greatest tragedy of every country in the world. The lives of millions of families are destroyed because of it every year. Drugs do not discriminate based on social or financial status of an individual, nor because of certain ambitions or views. Today, drugs have penetrated the circles of scientists, politicians, artists and entertainers. Medical professionals are unable to provide a solution for this problem, and the only help the doctors can offer a drug addict is to ease the pain of withdrawals, but the addiction remains, and the drug finds its way back over and over again… Every drug addict is a potential criminal, who is ready and willing to commit a crime any day for a dose of the drug, and becomes a useless member of the society…..“Exodus” ministry has an enormous experience in reaching out and providing help to those individuals who have found themselves in this problem. Over 2000 people have become free from drug addiction in the 6 years of the ministry's existence. More than 100 families were formed and more than 50 babies were born. Every minister on our team is him herself an addict in the past. We are able to help not because we know the problem theoretically, but because we have personally experienced the problem. You will be able to find information, news, video and much more about our ministry in different cities of Russia, Ukraine, England and USA, as well as chat with our ministers and individuals that received freedom from addiction in “Exodus”. We would be more than happy for you to join the Exodus International Ministry movement through our forum. "Our mission is to help one more addict turn a hopeless existence into a new and better life and become a stable member of the society."^[1]

There are three main kinds of drug -- hard, soft and legal. They can all cause addiction, serious illness and even death.

Hard drugs include heroin, cocaine, LSD and crack. Soft drugs are -- marijuana, amphetamines (speed), solvents (glue) and ecstasy. Legal drags include tobacco, alcohol and certain tranquillisers. How do addicts live? They steal money, lose their friends, hurt their families, are cheated by dealers, destroy their health. The government in all countries tries to help the young addicts save their lives, stop their sufferings and the sufferings of people. Special hospitals have been opened; big antidrugs campaigns have been organized in schools. Many schools have a drag-education programme for children as young as 8 or 9. Programmes like these include books, videos and cassettes. Some schools even arrange visits from ex-addicts. One of these is Phil Cooper (in Great Britain); he travels around the country giving teenagers two-hour drag-education lessons.

Advertising campaigns also play an important part in the war against drugs. If the crisis is serious and international, so is the war against drugs. Each of the campaign has a message -- for example, 'Just Say No', 'Stop the madness', or 'Don't Do Drugs' Each one has also featured a lot of famous TV, movie and pop stars. Some anti-drugs campaigns have tried to schock young people. They showed how heroin could completely destroy addicts' lives, how dirty needles spread AIDS.

As for teens today are having many problems dealing with drugs. Teenagers get influence by ads in magazines, ads on TV, people pressuring them, and from everyday life. Drugs and Alcohol does not help anything in the world. When teens are having problems, some of them do drugs or even drink alcohol to get rid of their problems, but that won't do any good it just causes more problems.
             There are many types of drugs that teens can use. For example, Marijuana, Ecstasy, Cocaine, Heroin, LSD, Speed, Morphine, Nicotine, and Tobacco. These are the most known drugs that Teenagers use. 1,000 teenage girls were surveyed from across the country and 100%; all of them said that they have used Marijuana. Then Ecstasy came in second with 25%. Problem with using drugs is that it just causes more problems to your life. Teens don't know that drugs won't solve any problems they have, it just messes it up more. Some of them don't even have problems; they just do it to be cool. Teenagers say that when you try it once, you just get hooked and can't seem to stop. Teenagers know that it's bad for them but they do it anyways, some teens are smart and know that being a "Pot-Head" is not a good idea. It's bad for your health and for your life; it will only bring more problems. .
             What really influences teens to do drugs? Why exactly do they do it? Well there are so many reasons why, because it's cool, it solves a problem they"re having, depression, to get high, everyone is doing it, and to escape reality. These are not brilliant ideas to start smoking. Now what influences them to do it? Well, they see their parents do it, friends, they see ads on T.V and magazines, and also, they see celebrities doing it. Some teens look at their favorite star and say that we want to be like them, and if we see them smoke or drink then we may want to do the same thing.^[2]

1.3 Alcoholism

Smoking, taking drugs and alcohol are dangerous and serious problems of teenagers. Unfortunately, these problems always were and will be. They are serious problems for society because teen drinkers are likely to become criminals and heavy drinkers as adults according to new research.

Why Do Teens Drink and How Does It Affect the Body?

Alcoholism is an illness that needs to be treated just like other illnesses. Alcohol is a depressant, which means it slows the function of the central nervous system. Alcohol actually blocks some of the messages trying to get to the brain. This alters a person's perceptions, emotions, movement, vision, and hearing.

When teens drink alcohol, it's absorbed into their bloodstream. From there, it affects the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord), which controls virtually all body functions. Because experts now know that the human brain is still developing during our teens, scientists are researching the effects drinking alcohol can have on the teen brain.

Just about everyone knows that the legal drinking age throughout the United States is 21 but most teens can get access to it. And according to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, almost 80% of high school students have tried alcohol.

There are several reasons why a teenager may take alcohol. Some teenagers are just bored and like to experiment, while others do it to be accepted by their peers. Teenagers who are shy, lonely and lack self-confidence often find that drugs and alcohol transform them into life of the party. For them, these vices are the key to social success. Other teens that drink put themselves at risk for many problems - problems with the law, at school, and with their parents just to name a few.

On average American has his or her first drink around age 14. It's a fact of life that teenagers are likely to experiment with drugs, alcohol, clothes and makeup on the fast track to adulthood. Experimentation with alcohol during the teen years is common. Some reasons that teens use alcohol are:

• curiosity
• to feel good, reduce stress, and relax
• to fit in
• to  feel  older

According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, almost 80% of high school students have tried alcohol.  Adolescents who drinks regularly also often have problems with school. Drinking can damage a student's ability to study well and get decent grades, as well as affect sports performance. Teens with drinking problems can't stop drinking until they are ready to admit they have a problem and get help.

Alcohol puts your health at risk. Teens that drink are more likely to be sexually active and to have unsafe, unprotected sex. Teen drinkers are more likely to get fat or have health problems, too. One study by the University of Washington found that people who regularly had five or more drinks in a row starting at age 13 were much more likely to be overweight or have high blood pressure by age 24 than their nondrinking peers.

In some states, this treatment is completely confidential. After assessing a teen's problem, a counselor may recommend a brief stay in rehab or outpatient treatment. These treatment centers help a person gradually overcome the physical and psychological dependence on alcohol.

1.4 Smoking

Other problem with many young people is smoking. Do you smoke? Have you ever stopped to think about how smoking is affecting your body and your life? Many teens are aware that people who have smoked for awhile can get bad health effects, but many don't know about all of the bad things that smoking can to them right now. Now, let me tell you why teenagers smoking, and what are the effects to them, and how can they quit?.  ^[3]

Why teenagers smoking? First, many teenagers like to try the new stuff that they never tried before. They want to know what does smoke taste like, and how it feels. Second, they learn it from their parents who smoke and want to give it a try. According to American Medical News, January 24, 1994, p. 11, one of four million adolescents who smoke, more than three-quarters come from homes where one or both parents also smoke. Also, many teens like the feeling that smoking gives them. This good feeling is from the nicotine in the cigarettes, and many teens feel like smoking gives them a sense of freedom and independence, and some smoke to feel more comfortable in social situations. Overall, those are the reasons why teenagers smoke. It doesn't only damage their own health but the health of those around them. It kills 2,5 mln people a year. Each cigarette knocks five minutes off life. It's just kissing an ashtray. In recent years, smokers have suffered more than any other group in society. In many countries, the price of cigarettes has gone up because of heavy government taxes. Some people even have lost their jobs because they smoke. Millions of teenagers know it's bad for them, but they still do it. Why? Here are some of the most common reasons. It relaxes the person when he's nervous; he likes the taste; his friends smoke; it has become a habit impossible to resist.

What are the effects of teenagers smoking? In my opinion, , smoking can cause serious health problems. First of all, it can cause heart disease, high blood pressure, lung cancer and much more. Second, smoking can make them weak. According to Interventions for smokers, teenage smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to be socially precocious, rebellious, risk-takers, miss school, have low academic and career aspirations, and have low self-esteem and poor self-image. Also, smoking makes you smell bad, gives you wrinkles, stains your teeth, and gives you bad breath. As you can see, smoking can cause teens many health problems and make them weak.

1.5 Emotional problems

Emotional problems for young people can be far more difficult than financial ones. The typical teenager problem is drug-habit. Some young man use drugs, because they think that will be cool guys. But they don't understand that it's wrong. Some of them can't stop that, and they become dependent on drugs. And they commit different serious crimes, because they need some money to buy drugs.

Youth is also the time to meet your first love. It is, of course, wonderful, but, as it is widely known that first love often has an unhappy end, this also increases young people's problems.

We also face the problem how to spend our free time. We can do it in different ways. Some of teen-ages spend their free time in different night clubs. Other young people spend their free time in the streets.

Another typical problem for most of the teenagers is problem with their parents. Leo Tolstoy said: “All families are happy in the similar way and unhappy in its own way”. And happiness or unhappiness of any family mostly depends on relations in it.

Each family establishes its own relations in its own way. It has its own traditions and customs and its own unwritten constitution including rights and duties of every member of the family. The level of democracy is also different in different families, which mostly depends on the viewpoints of adults usually not coinciding with a child's point of view. So the problem of misunderstanding becomes urgent. Some people can it generation gap. It as a rule sharpens as soon as a child approaches his or her difficult teens. And both sides (parents and children) should be patient and tactful and it's the only way to settle down all the problems and stay friends.

Parents say that its difficult to discipline children. But experts state that parents will get the best results if they try to prevent or stop misbehavior in natural, logical and when possible fun ways. Here are some pieces of advice to help them keep their kids in line.

1.6 High - tech and children

The fewer children play video games, or watch TV, the less aggressive they become, suggests a scientific study. The American research looked at the effects of reducing the amount of computer games played, or TV watched by third and fourth graders, who are aged approximately eight or nine.

The children assessed how violent their peers were, and it was judged that the more TV and computer games the children had seen, the more aggressive they were. This means that TV, and, more recently, games, have a direct influence on such behavior.^[4]

There are potential benefits in reducing the amount of access children have to TV or computer games. This is supported by the findings of reductions in physical and verbal aggression in children who have limited exposure to TV, video and computer games. The world becomes less scary for such children.

Watching aggressive behavior shapes the way children see the world and their behavior. They learn that angry people do aggressive things and start to imitate if the circumstances prompt similar solutions. High technology now has every opportunity to make the picture on the screen look real with the super quality image, pure sound and even close-to-the natural size.

There is a difference between watching a cartoon where the characters are aggressive but not real. A real aggressive person is a different thing. It is more realistic. Another important development is that if children watch less TV they start interacting with their peers and develop social skills.

The idea of experiment was simple. A computer was installed on the wall facing a slum. Researchers then started watching what was going to happen. Children in the slum were intrigued by the icons on the computer, and without any help gradually figured out how to use the computer and access the Internet.

A computer study is a subject in many schools and many young people have personal computers. About one in three hundred computer owners spend almost all their free time using computers.

Some parents worry about computer games because they think their children won't be able to communicate with real people in the real world. But parents do not need to worry. According to research computer addicts usually do well after they have left school. Parents also do not to worry that computer addiction will make their children become unfriendly and unable to communicate with people. It is not the computer that makes them shy. In fact, what they know about computers improves their social lives. They become experts and others come to them for help and advice.

For most children computer games are a craze. Like any other craze, such as skate-boarding, the craze is short-lived. It provides harmless fun and a chance to escape.

If we did not have these computer addicts, we would not have modern technology. They are the inventors of tomorrow.

1.7 The problem of computer addiction

Information is becoming the drug of nowadays. The research, conducted among 1000 managers in Britain, America, Europe and Far East shows that, as information sources such as the Internet and the cable news channels proliferate, we are witnessing the rise of a generation of dataholics.

The guest for information can lead to stress. Almost two-third said their leisure time had been curtailed as a result of having to work late to cope with vast amounts of information, 70% reported loss of job satisfaction and tension with colleagues because of information overload.

The study also investigated the habits of the children of 300 managers and found 55% of parents were concerned their children would become information junkies. Forty-six% of parents believed their children spent more time on their PCs than interacting with friends.

My friend  switches on her computer every day when she returns from school. "I'd confess to spending up to 4 hours a day in the Internet looking for information and speaking to friends. It is like an addiction", she said.

"If I can not get on to my computer or Internet, I do get really frustrated". She spends most of her time finding out the latest information on pop groups and facts for her homework.

"My parents have to tell me to get off the computer, and they complain a lot, but they also see it as a good thing. Practically everyone in my class has a PC with Internet access so all my friends are also on-line. It is the way forward.

Although Internet is intended for getting knowledge, only few users employ it in this way. Other users employ the ICQ programme only for chatting. They can sit for 22 hours at their displays carrying on endless chats with newly made friends. And it is a great problem of the present and future. Such young people do not eat, sleep, work or learn properly. They are only interested in their e-mail boxes. The best way for them is to go on chatting with their ICQ partners without meeting them. In general, all the problems of the youth are linked with the present rather than with the past or future.

An international group of psychologists has recently suggested that anyone who surfs the Internet for long periods is clinically ill and needs medical treatment. According to their report, Internet addicts should be treated in the same way as alcoholics, drug addicts, compulsive gamblers and people with eating disorders.

I want to underline that fact that at times I also have to accept that I have also become a computer-addict and this has changed my life completely. I don’t spend much time on reading, meeting my friends in real and visiting my relatives like before. The worst is that our relations are becoming more and more formal and tenser than they should have been.^[5]

«Computer addiction» is becoming one of the modern diseases. The truth is that we all are unable to take this fact for granted. It is high time for all of us to realize that it is just a waste of time sharing all types of garbage on social networks. It is better to start doing something really rewarding both for our personal growth and for the benefit of people surrounding us. It is time to settle down and decide which is the next expected level that «social network addiction»is going to take us all to? If we all stop for a moment and brood over it we will be able to find a way to cure the solid roots of «eternal time-wasting on social networks». There are likely to be found some effective methods of treatment to be found. An easy way is just stopping «hanging out on social networks» and sharing so many loathsome «positive photos», «stupid selfies» and «useless information».^[6] Frugality and reserved behavior in social networks can become more and more enjoyable for all our  social network team members. Probably an hour a day will be quite enough. This will help to get out of the habit of « computer addiction» and stop spending our precious time on the vainglorious image creation on social networks. It is better to start working on our image and self-perfection in real life. The more time we spend on self-actualization and self-knowledge the more we shall benefit from the successful results.

2. “Nobody understands me”

Many teenagers   experience some problems on the personal emotional level. One of the most wide-spread problems is the widely known “nobody understands me”. The truth is that many parents continue to treat their children as “little babies” trying to prevent their connection with the outer world. These parents are probably unaware of the fact that their children have grown out of the tender age and at certain stages of life they are inclined to consider themselves as grown-ups with their own problems and views on the things going around them.^[7]

Besides the personal issues there are also some global problems that young people have to face everywhere. These problems include smoking, drugs, early sexual intercourse, teen pregnancy, venereal diseases, juvenile crime, etc. These are problems that really do exist in all modern societies and they can not be ignored or avoided somehow. Unfortunately, these problems can leave a greasy track not only on the development of personality as well as on the child’s future behaviour.

2.1 The problem of love and friendship

The problem of love is very important for the young people. Romanticism and idealism very often accompany the love of the young. Their belief in eternal love can end dramatically. Today nobody doubts about the depth of their passion. It is regrettable, but the young are not always ready to have stable relations.

2.2  Teen Suicide - Why Does It Happen?

Many teenagers get upset or depressed when they can’t cope with their problems and they see the only way out - to stop living and they commit suicide.
Across the United States teen suicide is the third leading cause of death for teens from 15 to 19 years old. Some of the risk factors are as follows:

• Psychological problems: Depression, previous attempts at suicide, and having received psychiatric care in the past.
• Personal failure: Unmet high standards set by the teen or parents, including failing grades in school or poor performance in sports.
• Recent loss: Death of a close friend or family member, divorce, abandonment by a parent, pregnancy, and the breakup with a boyfriend or girlfriend.^[8]
• Substance abuse: Abuse of alcohol and other drugs as forms of self-medication for overwhelming depression. A combination of depression, substance abuse, and lowered impulse control can lead to suicide or attempted suicide. Substance abuse in other family members can also lead to suicide.
• Violence: Violence against the teen either at home or outside the home, including physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, or bullying. Violence at home or against the youth teaches teens that the way to resolve conflict is through violence, and suicide is the ultimate act of self-violence.
• Communication problems: The inability to discuss anger or other uncomfortable feelings with family members or friends. These feelings can include loneliness, rejection, and awareness of one's gay or bisexual sexual orientation.

I want to underline the widespread reason is an unhappy love. Here are some teenagers' letters with the answers of psychologists which were published in the youth magazines such as "Just seventeen", "Jackie", MIZZ".

Now we hate each other.

"I am 16 years old and have been going out with my boyfriend for 2 years, and I thought I really loved him. Then one day we had sex and it was the biggest mistake of our lives. We now both hate each other and can not look each other in the eye. We have not spoken for nearly a month and I feel really dirty, and I know all his friends are calling me a slag because he told them what happened. Now everyone thinks I am easy. What can I do?"

Answer: I hate to say it but this boy deserves a bit of a sharp slap. Doesn't he realize that he played quite a major part in this whole messy venture? So sex did not work out and that is no one's fault. The first time isn't always brilliant despite what some films show, so do not judge this unfortunate experience as the norm. You have nothing to feel guilty or bad about as you haven't done anything wrong. On the other hand, he should be ashamed of his behavior. People's reactions to his comments will blow over and they will see him for the idiot he really is. Till then, keep your head up. After all, you have done nothing wrong at all.

Scared of kissing.

"People at school make fun of me because I have never snogged a boy. I have had several chances, but every time it happens I end up chickening out. People think I am weird and I am beginning to worry there must be something wrong with me.”

Answer: Kissing with someone should be seen as some sort of test to pass, and there is nothing wrong with wanting to wait until you find a boy you feel confident with. Stop worrying that there is anything wrong with you and try to accept that you have every right to take things at your own place. Take it from me - kissing is nothing to be afraid of!

Dumped for a new boyfriend

“ I am feeling really angry at the moment and I do not know what to do. Ever since I was about three I have been friends with this girl, we have been through everything together. And now she has dumped me for a new boyfriend. I am really sick of it, she totally ignored all this week and has gone off with her boyfriend. I do have other friends, but I am just so upset she has just thrown away our friendship after all these years. I do not know what to do about it now. What do you suggest?"

Answer: Try talking to your friend, perhaps she is so caught up with her new boyfriend that she really does not realize she's excluding you. Unfortunately, if your friend purposely chose to dump you for her new boyfriend then there is nothing you can do but review your friendship. Ask yourself - is your friendship real? And remember, friendships change with time. Often the best friends we have from childhood grow up and away from us but it is natural and normal. Other best friends will take this place.^[9]

I hate not having a boyfriend.

I'm having a problem at school. My best friends all have boyfriends and they see them all the time. They go out every Saturday with them, and even though they ask me along, I feel like a leftover. Sometimes at break their boyfriends will come over and they'll all ignore me completely. I wish I had a boyfriend -1 really hate not having one. I know this situation would be so much better if I was like my friends.

Answer: When you say that your situation would be better if you had a boyfriend I believe that you want a boyfriend for the wrong reasons. There are plenty of people who are single and yet have friends who are not. Having a boyfriend does not make you more of a person, only you can be that. Your friends are being pretty silly if they cannot see how important it is to keep their relationships going. Friends can last a lifetime, but boyfriends come and go. Try explaining to your friends how out of place you are feeling. After all, they know they need you as much as you need them.

Shy and spotty.

I am a 15-year-old girl and I have a very serious problem. At my age I should have had a boyfriend by now, but I have not. I feel no one is attracted to me. I do not know if it is because I am very shy around boys, but I think it is to do with how I look. I am quite spotty and quiet. I wish I could have plastic surgery, but I cannot afford it. Please, could you help me?

Answer: A recent survey showed that boys prefer personality and a sense of humor above looks when it came to picking a girlfriend. I am sure if you asked girls they would say the same thing. Most people are shy in certain situations, and no one will think any less of you for being this way. And if a person has spots, so what? You do not need plastic surgery - you need a serious dose of self-confidence. In time your spots will go. Remember, it is not what you look like; it is who you are that matters.

Hanging has replaced self-poisoning from car exhaust fumes and taking an overdose as the most common suicide method among 15- to 19-year-old men. The number of male suicide in this age group rose from 55 per million of the population in 1970 to 100 per million of the population at the turn of the century. Statistics underestimates the true extent of the problem because coroners prefer to classify many suicidal deaths as "accidental". It is always a mistake to look for one single cause but it is probably a crisis of confidence among the young people.

A crisis of confidence could arise for a variety of reasons including psychiatric disorders, disturbed family or partner relationships, unemployment and involvement in crime, leading to contact with the judicial system. A culture of drugs, alcohol delinquency is blamed for teenagers turning to suicide when their grip on life spirals out of control. Yet another reason is genetic variation and inability to regulate one' mood and anxiety levels. Suicide rate among girls in the 15-19-year-old age group has decreased slightly. Suicide rates are the highest in Finland and Hungary, and low in Italy and Spain. UK levels are about the European average.

To choose a good friend is a very important problem. It is a well-known proverb “ A friend in need is a friend indeed". That is why everyone tries to make friends with cheerful and true persons who can understand you and with whom it is simple and interesting to speak.

3. Ways of solving these problems

3.1 Drug problems

This problem can be solved with teachers, parents or even friends help, who can try to keep them far away from those vicious. In many cases, teenagers are influenced on doing bad things by the group they are spending their free time and don’t listen to the advice that are given by the ones who care about them and they only want their best.^[10]

Parents are out of touch with the problems faced by teenagers. That's the finding of a survey by the Get Connected helpline. It showed that almost 42% of all parents who were questioned think drugs are the biggest problem faced by teenagers. But the survey showed that teenagers are more worried about relationships and health. 

There are many non-profitable organizations that help teenagers to cope with drug use. There are help lines, community services that offer information about drugs, and individual counseling is available almost in every education institution. There is help available to those who seek it.

3.2 The problems of free time

The problems of free time can be solved with the help of the Municipal Authorities: for example, a youth centre should be built, and in this centre different clubs will be housed: Book Lovers Club, Internet Club, Cinema lovers Club, Computer Programs Creators Club and so on. There would be also a Center  for problem teens. It would reduce teenagers’ crimes.

3. Some school and family problems

They will be cracked if we are tolerant, polite towards our teachers and parents, and if we are more organized at school. Don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today.

• Teenagers sometimes have no obstacles to buy alcohol beverages and cigarettes. The sellers who do not comply with the requirements of the RF Law "On Restriction of Tobacco Smoking" which  bans  the sale of cigarettes to minors, should be controlled.

• A psychologist can also help us to solve some problems.

Smoking

Drinking

Discovering  child is drinking can generate fear, confusion, and anger in parents. It’s important to remain calm when controlling your teen and only do so when everyone is sober. Parents should explain their  concerns and make it clear that their concern comes from a place of love. It’s important that their teen feels you are supportive.

Steps parents can take:

Lay down rules and consequences: Your teen should understand that drinking alcohol comes with specific consequences. But don’t make hollow threats or set rules that you cannot enforce. Make sure your spouse agrees with the rules and is prepared to enforce them.

Monitor your teen’s activity: Know where your teen goes and who they hang out with. Remove or lock away alcohol from your home and routinely check potential hiding places for alcohol—in backpacks, under the bed, between clothes in a drawer, for example. Explain to your teen that this lack of privacy is a consequence of having been caught using alcohol.

Encourage other interests and social activities. Expose your teen to healthy hobbies and activities, such as team sports, Scouts, and afterschool clubs.

alk to your child about underlying issues. Drinking can be the result of other problems. Is your child having trouble fitting in? Has there been a recent major change, like a move or divorce, which is causing stress?

Get outside help: You don’t have to go it alone. Teenagers often rebel against their parents but if they hear the same information from a different authority figure, they may be more inclined to listen. Try seeking help from a sports coach, family doctor, therapist, or counselor.

4. Practical part.

Teenager problems in my school.

During my work I learned and analyzed articles from magazines, newspapers, dictionaries, fiction and the Internet, I’ve come to the conclusion that in reality to be a teenager it’s not easy and maybe it’s the most difficult and strange period in our life. Because teenagers are the happiest people on the Earth, they say, but at the same time teens have much more problems that in childhood or adulthood. So, a process of becoming a teenager is very difficult.

I know that most of my friends and classmates have some of these problems.

After studying different information about teenagers I decided to find out some facts about teenagers in my school  and   compare the results.

I made a questionnaire for teenagers in my school. Here are my questions and the answers (see Appendix1)

Also I compared lists of teen problems in Russia with teens’ problems in the UK, the USA and Australia:

  According to my questionnaire, teenagers in my school have less problems than I expected. But in general, Russian teens have the same problems. The most important problems for teenagers are the problems with parents, a shortage of free time, depressions, relationships with classmates and unhappy love. The most serious and dangerous problems are smoking, taking alcohol. The other problems are TV, computer games and mobile phones addiction, party life style, bullying, vandalism. Only few students face the following problems: communication with teachers and taking drugs.

Conclusion

As a result of this work, we have solved the following problems:

1. The psychological literature on this topic has been considered and approached to the disclosure of the concept of "teenager’s problems" which also analyzed.
2. The main youths’ problems and the reasons of these problems have also analyzed.
3. Carried out a diagnostic research of the most common problems of my classmates

At the end of my research work, I came to conclusion that being a teenager has never being easy. Teens can face a lot of problems with their parents, friends, teachers, and so on. For example, some teenagers may be teased by their older brothers and sisters, others feel embarrassed every time they go shopping with their mums. Many of teenagers are jealous of their best friends because they've got a better CD player or a mobile phone. Besides, young people often split up with their boyfriends or girlfriends and it's very difficult for them to get over this painful experience. They feel rejected and miserable. Moreover, quite a lot of teens have arguments with their parents when they are overprotective or keep nagging about their kid's schoolwork. 

     Who and how can help teenagers to cope with their problems? To tell the truth, I believe that all problems need to be talked about and sorted out. if you have any problem, the best way is to talk to someone and to share your feelings. First of all, try talking to your parents and friends. They may offer you some advice and can really give you a helping hand. Of course, sometimes teenagers don't feel like discussing their problems with friends or parents because they are afraid of misunderstanding. These feelings are normal, but it does help to talk. In this case, it might be a good idea to consult a psychologist. Very often it's better to talk to a complete stranger about your problems rather than someone you know really well. Psychologists are professionals: they will listen to you sympathetically and offer advice where appropriate.

     As for me, I'm rather a sociable person as I make friends easily. I get on well with all my classmates and we enjoy chatting and sharing our thoughts and feelings. Besides, I always help them if they have difficulties in doing their homework. Of course, we don't always agree about everything but we easily sort out all our disagreements. We have a very close but easy-going relationship.

     I also get on well with my sister and she is my best friend, even though she's three years older than me. We go out together almost every weekend, and we always have fun. My sister doesn't tease or bully me. In fact, we've never had a serious argument! Unfortunately, I can't say that I have no problems with my parents. I'm just a basic teenager and want to go out and have fun with my friends. But I have no freedom at all. My parents are always trying to know what am I doing and with whom. All they want to do is to talk about how I should focus on my school. They don't understand that there can be more important things for teenagers than good marks in their school-leaving certificates. Nevertheless, I try to get on well with them as I understand that they do love me and just worry about my future. So I try not to upset them.

Social problems, family relationships and misunderstanding, school problems, lack of money on spending free time ... lead to increasing crime among young people. We are facing lots of problems but older people, first of all should think about younger generations, find the way out in solving the problems of the young and save them for the society, as youth is an integral part of it, it's our future.

So, as you see, it is very difficult to be young nowadays, as, need, it always was. But you only can be young once, and some wonderful things can happen only when you’re young.

If you wont to help teenagers with their problems, you’ll better  talk with them. To my mind, teenagers should have a hobby. People take up different hobbies: collecting stamps, old coins, stones, records, photography… we must spend our time on useful things: extra classes, sports, music, collecting things. Hobby helps people to learn many interesting things. Teenagers want to go somewhere, see new places and things. I think that if people have hobby, they are interested in something and all their free time they spend with their interests, know new things and spend their time with use.

Literature

1. Drozdova T.U., Brestova A.I.. The Whole World in Our Hands, Himera, S.-Petrburg, 1999

2. Drozdova T.U,. Brestova A.I. Everyday English, Antologia, S.-Peterburg, 2004

3. Ismagulova TM, Abisheva ZS, Zhetpisbaeva GD, Zhurunova MS, Iskakova U.B. THE PROBLEM OF DRUG ADDICTION AND WAYS OF THE SOLUTION // International Journal of Applied and Fundamental Research. - 2016. - No. 11-5. - P. 903-905;

4. Kubarcov G.L., Timohic B.А.. Topics, BAO-PRESS, Moscow, 2004

5. Krasnova S.V, Kazaryan N.R, How to cope with computer addiction, 2008 - 46 p.

6. Yurieva L.N, Bolbot T.Yu., Computer dependence: formation, diagnosis, correction and prevention: Monograph. Dnepropetrovsk: Thresholds, 2006.-196 p.
7. http://www.russlav.ru/narkotik/podrostkovay_narkomaniya.html

APPENDIX 1 Questions - "Problems of teenagers"

APPENDIX 2 - Results of experimental diagnostics

1. Do you have any problems of communication with classmates?

2. Do you have any problems with teachers?

3. Do you have any problems with parents?

4. Do you have problem of shortage of free time?

5. Do you have unhappy love?

6. Do you have depressions?

7. Do you smoke?

8. Do you use alcohol?

APPENDIX 3

Some ways to a happy life

• Love yourself. Almost no one is satisfied with the way he or she looks. Remember that you are you and you are unique.
• Be yourself. You cannot be “cool” all the time. And who determines what is cool?
• The advertising companies? MTV? The happiness from following the crowd is not lasting. Don’t sacrifice yourself to be with someone who doesn’t respect you.
• Believe in yourself – if you don’t, how can you expect others to?
• If you set yourself goals, always set goals that you can reach. If you have done enough, then award yourself. Smile at your face in the mirror and say: “I did great today”. Say it three times and mean it.
• Learn the power of colour. Blue is calming, red gives you energy, orange makes you more optimistic, turquoise makes you less shy and more confident in yourself.
• Believe dreams can come true; it’s the first step on the road to making them happen.
• Learn to say “No”. If you really don’t want to do something, say so... If this is difficult for you, say “This isn’t easy, but I have to say “no”.
• Eat breakfast. People who make time for it are slimmer and healthier.
• Exercise! It’s really worth the time and effort it takes. Exercise is fun. It strengthens your muscles. It’s a good way to meet people and make friends. It helps to get rid of pent-up emotions and anger and it can lift your mood.
• Beware of watching too much television. Once on, the TV can be difficult to turn off.
• Get eight hours sleep at night – you’ll feel and look better after it.
• Feeling low? Meet a friend, listen to music or just have a sleep. Reading something really gripping can also help.
• Expect to fail sometimes. It happens to everyone, no matter how successful. The important thing is to learn some useful lesson from your disappointments.
• Learn the power of positive speaking – sounding optimistic makes you feel that way.
• Worried about something? What advice would you give to your best friend? Take that advice yourself.
• Be social. People with friends live longer than loners.
• Join something – a sports club or a drama society. People who feel involved are more optimistic and more successful.
• Crying is an important way of getting rid of stress-generated chemicals that would otherwise build up in your body.
• Feeling shy? There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being shy. But it would’t hurt to make an effort to be more social.
• Do sport. It can give you energy to live.