Подростки. Какие проблемы? Teenagers: What Problems? Подростки. Какие проблемы?

What is a teenager? Officially a teenager is anyone aged from 13 to 19. In other words teenagers are people who are in the stage of their life when they are developing from children into adults.

Are teenagers a problem? Adults often see the age between 13 and 19 as “difficult”. According to the older generation teenagers are:

- gawping (with the mouth open) at unsuitable films - Lazy (ленивые) - appallingly (ужасно) rude to their betters and elders - skeptical or cynical (скептические или циничные) - untidy (неопрятные) - too self-assured (самоуверенные) - wear ridiculous (нелепую) clothes - spend all their time listening to awful music - gawping (with the mouth open) at unsuitable films

Actually, it seems to be quite the opposite of the truth. Teenagers spend a lot of time thinking about their work (studies) , their families and friends and their hobbies, they also think of clothes, money, their bodies, how to behave in a certain situation. But isn’t it the same for most people? The majority of young people are polite, friendly, open, interested and hard working.

Do teenagers have problems?

- What’s going to happen at school tomorrow? - Why does Mum / Dad like my sister / brother better than me? - Am I too fat / skinny / tall / short…? - Does my boyfriend / girlfriend really like me? - How can I afford to buy…? - Am I stupid / shy / loser / lonely…?

Do you have any problems in your life?

I love school. And you? I love street and my skate.

Do your parents always understand you?

Do you have any friends?

What are your hobbies? Graffiti is great! It allows young people to express their feelings without getting into trouble.

It’s my style.

Sport is my life. I can’t live without my team.

I adore my pets. They are so funny.

What do you want to be? a singer? a supermodel?

a designer? a dustman?

a doctor? a cleaner?

a teacher? a popstar?

Sometimes teenagers have special problems. - It is a difficult time because it’s a period of transformation. - It isn’t easy to grow up and physical and emotional changes are often confusing and worrying.

As a result some teenagers may: - believe that only fit, healthy and glamorous people can be a success and copy fashion models and pop stars - become fans of a sport team or a pop singer and dedicate their lives to this passion - try to earn their own money and begin to neglect (презирать)their school and homework

- become net addicts and spend too much time with the computer

- get bored or depressed and think that nothing interesting can happen to them

- fail to think of what to do with themselves in their spare time and waste the best years of their lives - forget that parents remain the most important people in teenagers’ lives and become unsupportive

To solve their problems young people have to learn: - to compromise - to see other people’s point of view - to find real friends - to get over their complexes - to keep fit, say “no” to drugs, alcohol, smoking - not to shock people with their appearance and behaviour - not to make an idol of anyone - to develop a positive attitude to life and people

Teenagers in Britain - 20% of the British population is under 16. - Most school-age teenagers enjoy ‘going to the cinema’, followed by ‘seeing friends’. - 25% or under 19-s are living with just one parent. - 2 million schoolchildren have part-time work. - The most common part-time job is babysitting, followed by newspaper rounds. - About 100,000 young people run away from home every year, with up to 350 of them sleeping on the streets of London every night.

Words of Wisdom Anyway People are often Unreasonable and self-centred. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, People may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are honest, People may cheat you. Be honest anyway. If you find happiness, People may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today May be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, And it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.