By Aderonke Akinola-Akinwole
The rises in the level of technological inventions and the obsession for financial success without diligence have contributed to the high level of societal decadence. However, these innovations when harnessed for the right purpose can be quite rewarding and fulfilling.
It is important to note that this depravity have slowly crept into our society and the worse hit are the Teenagers who are at the verge of making major decisions and developing habits that would form the basis of their adulthood life.
Teenagers are therefore faced with the battle of creating a balance between the usefulness of these novelties and the various ills that come with them if not managed properly. All these pose a great distraction for them and their level of concentration and focus on the most important aspect of their teenage life (i.e. their academics) becomes a challenge for them to battle with.
The world has become a place without walls as the peculiarities of various cultures, religions and countries are been transferred from one part of the world to the other through the invention of technology. Teenagers are therefore jam-packed with several information and ideas that tend to shape their world view about issues. These ultimately form the basis of their opinions, values, beliefs and their actions which may most times negate the expectations of the authority figures in their lives.
Below is a list of Distractions that Teenagers face:
- Electronics: These include high tech gadgets such as phones, mp3 players, computers, televisions etc. They are the social media tools and they tend to pose a high risk of distractions for teenagers as they have uncensored access to information that may tarnish their sense of decency. It can also be considered as a time wasting tool that may deter them from concentrating on their studies as they spend ample time on these gadgets.
2.
Friends: Friends can be useful as well as distracting as the time spent chatting with a friend can be used in getting some school assignments done or reading to be ahead of the class. Another distraction that Friends could pose is the possibility of transferring the wrong values and opinion from a particular friend to the other.
3.
Opposite Sex Relationships: As Teenagers approach puberty, several changes in their physiology causes an attraction from the opposite sex and this causes a major distraction as some teenagers lose focus and this may sometimes degenerate into unwanted pregnancies which may halt the furtherance of education for the victim.
4.
Alcohol and Drug Abuse: Teenager’s involvement in hard drug and alcohol is largely traced to the influence of peer pressure and the wrong environment. These duos also pose a major distraction for Teenagers as the influence of these substances make them have an over magnified perception of themselves and lead them to engage in several evils of the society. It also increases the rate of school drop-outs and mentally challenged teenagers.
5.
Fashion: The recent trend in fashion poses a threat to teenagers as they tend to walk with the trend. Most cloths for the female gender are exposing cloths and when worn by teenagers, they face the risk of being raped while the male gender tend to put their trousers below the waist line (i.e. sagging) which gives a funny perception of them to the world.
6.
Social Networking: These are informal platforms where relationship is developed and maintained through several written interactions. Examples include Facebook, Twitter, Google plus etc. These platforms stand as distractions for teenagers as they meet several people from different backgrounds and share different information that could malign their current values.
Despite the several distractions available in our world today, Teenagers can still excel in their academics because Success and Failure is a personal choice and it is paramount that teenagers choose the path of success by making a decision to succeed. Surmounting the various distractions identified above would ultimately put one on the path of success.
The word
EXCEL comes from the word
‘EXCELLENT’ which means to be the best and the top of any productive endeavour, to surpass your contemporaries, to be distinct and outstanding.
To excel in the face of the several distractions identified above, a teenager must do the following:
1.
Know yourself and be true to yourself: Teenager must seek to know himself. An unbiased understanding of one’s self influences one’s decisions and actions. Self-Discovery is the greatest discovery on earth and this can be done by doing a thorough assessment of your strengths, likes, values, dislikes and interest.
2.
Take Responsibility: Responsibility bestows on an individual: Accountability, Think, Talk and Act in line with the trust bestowed upon you with the understanding that YOU are accountable to your Parents, Teachers, Community and Nation. Stand for what is right and learn how to say ‘No’ to evil practises.
3.
Have a Goal in mind and on paper: You must have a goal in mind and it must be documented on paper so that It reminds you often so as to keep you in focus. A goal can be defined as long term objectives for embarking on an endeavour. These objectives would guide your actions and inactions.
4. Learn to Prioritize: To avoid the risk of joggling in too many activities at the same time, it is important that a Teenager draws up a scale of preference with a list of priorities to specific time apportioned for each activity to ensure that he accords enough time to important tasks.
5.
Be Principled: A Teenager who wants to excel must be a person of integrity and high ethical standards. Your “Yes must be Yes and Your No must be No”. This naturally deters people who practise vices from interacting with you.
6.
Have the Right Association: A common saying goes that “Evil Association corrupts good manners”. A Teenager must learn to surround himself with people of good values and right attitude.
7.
Engage in Productive Ventures: A Teenager must learn to use his spare time in engaging in ventures that would be productive instead of engaging the social media platforms for fruitless ventures and damaging career, e.g. Volunteering. Studying, Taking tutorials for upcoming students, pursuing other courses etc.
8.
Find a Mentor: A Mentor is a bodily picture of the future we aspire for. Look for a successful person who represents your future dreams and request that He mentors you. This way, you get empowered with the right knowledge and prerequisite experience needed for a successful future.
In Conclusion, the potentials for excelling lies in every individual but using those potentials for the benefit of Self, Community and Nation becomes an individual decision. Living below one’s innate potential or settling for the common and regular is a sign of mediocrity and Mediocrity when allowed leads to obscurity.
It is important that every Teenager takes the bull by the horn in ensuring that they create a balance between the several distractions and a life of excellence.
Always Remember that
‘SUCCESS IS AN INDIVIDUAL THING AND IT BEGINS WITH A CHOICE’.
About the author:
Aderonke Akinola-Akinwole is A graduate of the University of Lagos and Babcock University where she obtained a Master’s Degree in Public and International Affairs and a Bachelor of Science Degree in International Law and Diplomacy respectively, Her work experience spans Community Relations, Corporate Relations, as well as Travel Management, Human Resources Administration and Internal Communications. Aderonke is a speaker as she has been privileged to speak to students of various secondary schools. She also has a flair for writing to motivate readers and help young people achieve greatness in their endeavours.
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This article was first published on 2nd May 2014
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By Aderonke Akinola-Akinwole
The rises in the level of technological inventions and the obsession for financial success without diligence have contributed to the high level of societal decadence. However, these innovations when harnessed for the right purpose can be quite rewarding and fulfilling.
It is important to note that this depravity have slowly crept into our society and the worse hit are the Teenagers who are at the verge of making major decisions and developing habits that would form the basis of their adulthood life.
Teenagers are therefore faced with the battle of creating a balance between the usefulness of these novelties and the various ills that come with them if not managed properly. All these pose a great distraction for them and their level of concentration and focus on the most important aspect of their teenage life (i.e. their academics) becomes a challenge for them to battle with.
The world has become a place without walls as the peculiarities of various cultures, religions and countries are been transferred from one part of the world to the other through the invention of technology. Teenagers are therefore jam-packed with several information and ideas that tend to shape their world view about issues. These ultimately form the basis of their opinions, values, beliefs and their actions which may most times negate the expectations of the authority figures in their lives.
Below is a list of Distractions that Teenagers face:
About the author:
Aderonke Akinola-Akinwole is A graduate of the University of Lagos and Babcock University where she obtained a Master’s Degree in Public and International Affairs and a Bachelor of Science Degree in International Law and Diplomacy respectively, Her work experience spans Community Relations, Corporate Relations, as well as Travel Management, Human Resources Administration and Internal Communications. Aderonke is a speaker as she has been privileged to speak to students of various secondary schools. She also has a flair for writing to motivate readers and help young people achieve greatness in their endeavours.
