Risk Taking Behavior Among Teenagers

Introduction

What is the risk we take? Are adults any worse than teens? Many adults and teens are engaging in unnecessary risk. This is leading to much debate on why and if there is a way to resolve the issue or at least lessen it. These are a few of the question we will look at in this essay and see if we can come up with a conclusion and resolution.

Coast Guard

The US Coast Guard spent 384 million dollars on search and rescue missions. There are two side to who should foot the bill on risk takers, the National taxpayer’s union believe that risk takers that know that what they are doing is dangerous should have to pay for the rescue, while the coast guard feel it is well spent money and they are them to save lives no mater the reason. Personally, I must agree with the coast guard on their view, if my tax money is to be spent I think saving a life no matter the stupidity of the act is a great reason.

Risky Behavior

In Arkansas a law was passed to prevent individuals from texting and driving. It prohibits this regardless of age. They have made it where the officer does not have to have any other just cause to stop you. They can pull you over solely for using a cell phone while driving. You can be given a fine of up to 100 dollars. This law was expanded to no hand-held device could be used in a school zone or whole highway work was being done. This also came with a fine of 50 dollars and double in a work zone. I must agree with this law, I think that you should be held accountable if you are not paying attention when you are driving, this is dangerous and preventable. The age limit makes it even better (regardless of age) because many cars today give you the option to be safe and even the phone companies caregiving your other options to tell your car to text Bob or call Betty Sue. You have no excuse today to have the phone in your hand.

Some of the factors in young people taking unnecessary risk, maybe it’s to impress their friends, looking for attention. There can be several things that come into play when it comes to the young mind. Taking risk and learning kind of go hand in hand. It is a way of forming one’s identity and defining one’s self.

To understand this, you would have to understand the development of the brain more so the adolescence brain. Let’s make it simple the pre-frontal cortex which is in the front of the brain is the part that controls reasoning (should I or should I not) it develops after what is called the amygdala which control your emotions and reaction to stimuli. With this said the prefrontal cortex have trouble saying no to impulse and knowing there are consequences to the actions. So many teens fall victim to peer pressure more often than the need of attention in my opinion.

Pokémon and Teens

In this respect for the game, teens seem to use less common sense than the adults. Where adults will not take the risk of trespassing or stealing a boat to get that fame Pokémon, teens are taking risk that is unnecessary. Teens are more at risk of this because they are going to locations that may not be the best to get play the gain. At times they have been rob or beaten and had their phone taken. Teens in a group playing this game have even more of an invincibility complex, they have an added element of peer pressure. Adult have a more responsible approach to playing the game and many do not take risk to finish the game.

Spectrum of Prevention model

First off, I would think this can be done on an educational basis within schools and college as an initiative to get the information out the riskiest groups. My first step would be to influence policy change from the company and work to change organizational practice. Maybe they can try to limit the location of the use of the app within general geographical location in an area. I would also mobilize community efforts this would help by having community centers, libraries, display and hand out pamphlets on safety on game use which would assist in promoting community education. We could have a volunteer within each community system that would help with this. This is a start to educating teens on the dangers that may be involved and the consequences of the risk they take.

References

1. Coastguard called out to rescue Pokémon Go players chasing rare creature across lake. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/07/19/coastguard-called-out-to-rescue-pokemon-go-players-chasing-rare/
2. Pokémon. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://cchealth.org/prevention/spectrum/pdf/new_spectrum_of_prevention.pdf
3. Taxes. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.glencoe.com/sec/health/pdf/taxpayers.pdf