Facing the Teenage Drama

"...Encourage the young men to be self-controlled.  In everything set them an example of doing what is good..." Titus 2:6-7

http://ABCfamily.go.com

For some reason, I watch teenager TV shows.  You know, the shows with all the drama and the crying and the "he stole my boyfriend" plots.  Growing up I didn't watch these shows, but for some reason they intrigue me now.  And it drives my husband nuts.  He asked me why in the world would I want to watch a bunch of fake teenagers?  I guess teenagers fascinate me.  And now that it's been almost a decade since I was one of them, TV seems to be my way of learning about their issues. 

A good friend of mine told me recently that she was shocked by some of the problems that teenagers were facing in her church youth group.  On Sunday, I asked a teenager at my own church what issues parents should know about but probably don't.  Her answer was surprising and probably not appropriate for my blog.  Let's just say that ABC Family hasn't had an episode on all teenage problems.  Not all teenage activity is illegal (like underage drinking) but your heart would hurt if you heard about all the problems that teenagers today are facing. 

Thanks to technology, there really are new issues facing teenagers today.  Think about how easy it is to post information on the internet, and then imagine how damaging it could be to have the high school gossip post some untruths on their Facebook page.  Or think about how easy it would be for a girl to mass text something about a boy to half the high school.  Or think about how classmates can use their phones to record or take pictures of everything--including the locker room.  Think about it, one negative post or text (even if untrue) could taint someone's reputation for life!  Oh, and I haven't even started discussing the issues relating to homosexuality, sex, drugs, and depression.

Parents have the hardest job these days.  It used to be ok for a mom to not know how to use her email or new technology.  Technology just wasn't as easy or accessible when I was in high school. ( I mean, just 10 years ago I was still listening to cassette tapes!)  Today, mom has to be on Facebook and needs to friend the right people so she can monitor the activity.  Mom needs to be in her daughter's business to learn about the hallway drama at school and to make sure it's not trickling into cyber space.  Mom needs to chat with her son about problems he sees other kids dealing with.  And mom needs to know if her son is hanging with these kids.

People used to tell me how important it is to be a stay-at-home mom when my kids are little.  But I think I've just made a case for being a full-time and involved mommy when kids are in high school.  Since one internet post can ruin a reputation, hurt college acceptance, create a criminal record, eliminate employment opportunities, and cause long-term emotional damage, Mommy has a lot more to worry about today than just hoping her teenager doesn't reproduce while in high school.

So what do we do about it?  I hope to someday practice juvenile law, but I think that waiting for someday is too late.  For those of us without teenagers, we should start praying for the teens that we know.  We should take an interest in at least 1 teenager at church and invest some time in them.  We should be willing to listen to their problems, and we have to show them love and compassion.  But we can't try to be their parents.  And for parents, if you haven't become a prayer warrior, it's never too late to start.  And if you're not already in your child's business--it's time to go there!