It's been a while since I was a teenager, but I truly don't remember being as foolish as some teens seem to be today. In case you haven't heard, YouTube is full of videos, which essentially teach teens to do the most outrageous stunts–such as choking themselves to get high and hitting others with a folding chair to see how much they can take. Sadly, not only is this insane trend hurting kids, but it's also killing them. And I simply can't understand what makes a teenager be so stupid?
I know that sounds harsh, but I have two small children who one day will become teens themselves and I can't help but feel like they'll have to be attached to me 24/7 in order to prevent this kind of idiotic behavior.
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I wanted to make sure these videos actually exist, so I did a quick search on YouTube and I'm sad to report that I found countless examples. The videos are not easy to watch. First because they're so graphic in nature and secondly because they scare the hell out of me. They remind me of the power of peer pressure, the need for teens to fit in, to be accepted, as well as how we erroneously believe we're invincible at that age.
Unfortunately, not all of these stunts have a happy ending. For more than one teen, imitating what they see on YouTube has ended up killing them. And sometimes we're talking about children as young as 11 or 12 years old. Of course, the video website is not the only one to blame. While I want to run away to a deserted island with my family when I hear stuff like this, I know deep down inside that it is of utmost importance for parents to have an open relationship with their children and to be aware of what he's doing and with whom at all times.
Even so, I'm sure that many times, even the kids who have the best relationship with their parents are tempted to follow what others are doing. And with the easy access to examples of many stupid stunts in the Internet, it doesn't seem like dealing with this disturbing behavior will get easier any time soon.
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