Society plays a huge role in molding teens’ behavior, character and attitude. It determines how they see other people, their general outlook, and their ethics. You as parents can influence all these things as well, but the things that will stick with the kids for long haul are learned from the society. Now society comprises of a lot of different things that include media, neighborhood, laws, and school. Let’s briefly go through how these components influence the mindset and behavior of teens, and shape them into the kind of people that eventually grow up to become.

The Impact of Media on Teens

Media has really expanded these days. Now it’s available in the form of films, TV, video games, social networking platforms, radio, etc. They all play a huge role in shaping up your teens. If the latter see violence all over the news against people of one race, then they might grow sympathetic towards them, or spiteful towards the oppressors. However, if the same news channels start to show those same victims as the bad people, then they will most likely develop a strong hatred for every individual in that race. That’s how racism has managed to stay around for so long. There’s a feeling of superiority in some societies and it’s generated solely by the media. Teens form their opinions based on what they see on the media, and their behavior is guided by these opinions.

The Effect of Crime in Society on Teens

The rate of crime and how law enforcement reacts to it also play an important role in affecting the behavior and mindset of teens. If kids find crime to be prevalent around them, then they may accept it as something normal, and might even indulge in it eventually. However, things can be entirely different if the situation of law enforcement is better in the neighborhood. If teens see criminals getting punished for their crimes, then they will know that walking down the wrong path has its consequences, and thus refrain from making a similar choice. Both of these scenarios are triggered by society, while you don’t have a huge role to play in this.

The Influence of School and Peers on Teens

Schools also play a huge role in shaping up the mindset and character of teens. They meet all sorts of people there, and in many cases it’s their friendships that determine how they turn out. Good, caring, and civil friends will improve the overall behavior of the kids, whereas bad company can ruin them. They can get addicted to drugs, alcohol, and even get involved in petty crimes.

Just because society plays a huge role in shaping up the behavior, mindset, and character of your teen doesn’t mean that you simply sit idle. You have a responsibility to nurture the positive effect of society, while discourage any negative impact. At the end of the day, what kind of person your teen grows up to be depends just as much on your parenting as it does on the society.