Adolescents Need Structured Activities

MANY TEENAGERS are being abandoned by their governments, communities, schools, and parents just when they need guidance and support the most. They are in danger of becoming lifelong casualties of drug and alcohol abuse, violence, suicide, teen pregnancy, and failed educational systems.(1) This frightening picture presents a pressing dilemma to the rest of us - especially including city councils, school boards, parent-teacher associations, leisure service agencies, civic organizations, churches, and concerned individuals. Perhaps part of the solution to this challenge might be to provide adolescents with wholesome leisure opportunities, constructive recreation activities, supportive adult relationships, and avenues for healthy personal growth.

Not all teenagers are caught-up in "binge" drinking, tobacco use, illegal drugs, gambling, thrill-seeking high-risk activities, thoughts of suicide, random acts of violence, gang-related acts, or other forms of deviate behavior. Some are leading purposeful, secure, and happy lives. But the problems are widespread and severe enough to sound a societal alarm.

Violent activities by teenage gangs within schools are having a devastating effect on academic programs. "The academic challenges are being made more difficult by the disturbing presence and growing fear of crime and violence... Reports of attacks, shootings, searches for weapons, gang activity, and other incidents have created fear, anxiety, and uncertainty..."(2)

Oftentimes, youth themselves justify their own bad behavior as a response to boredom. They say, "There is nothing to do." Even though we may know that this statement is not true, it's at this point that adolescents are extremely vulnerable to making poor choices regarding their free time. We adults must understand: it is possible for unoccupied hours to become a teenager's biggest nightmare.

There are some recognized causes of problems relating to adolescents. Movies, television, music, and mass media all influence the values and behavior of teens. The thousands of hours that many young people spend in passive contemplation are troubling. Then, there's the enormous amount of time teenagers spend talking on a cell phone, texting, and using other forms of social networking. Many of these are quite addictive; and, they can add up to hours "stolen" from the time they could use to gain the skills toward a more active lifestyle. Need we be reminded that people who are 13 to 19 are not immune to the dangers of obesity?

What, then, is the answer to the problems of this age group?

Perhaps a starting point is to recognize that adolescents need structured activities. This is especially true during their leisure - when they are free to do whatever they choose. There may be a smidgen of truth in the old adage that says, "An idle mind is the Devil's workshop." And, while we cannot - and should not - attempt to force teenagers into any particular activity, we at least should make possible a variety of attractive opportunities.

Attention: city park and recreation departments; YMCAs; Boys and Girls Clubs; school physical education, intramural, and extramural programs; community, school, or church orchestra, band, or choral music programs; Big Brother and Big Sister programs; 4-H clubs; camps; Optimist, Lions, Rotary, and Eagles clubs; church recreation and youth ministries; caring parents, and other concerned individuals; and, any other agency, organization, club, department, group, or business enterprise interested in our teenagers. Our teens urgently need you.

At best, a smorgasbord of recreation and leisure activities, programs, services, and facilities would be made available for all adolescents. These provisions would make possible countless hours of enrichment in planned, organized, and structured re-creative opportunities; and, would furnish ample areas and space for individually chosen play activities under the supervision and mentor-ship of qualified leaders.

Yes! Adolescents need structured activities. It's time. It's high time! In fact, it's past time for us to provide them - and to do so in top-notch fashion. If we don't, adolescents could become young "adult-olescents," and the futures of all of us may hang in the balance.

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(1) Peter Applebome, "Study Says Society Fails 19 Million Youths," New York Times (October 12, 1995): A-14.

(2) John Woestendick, "Survey Finds Rise in School Violence," Philadelphia Inquirer (November 2, 1994): A-3.