No matter what social media app or website you use or the type of music you listen to, there are going to be references to teen drinking and partying. In the song “Tips”, by J-Kwon, the lyrics say: “Teen drinking is very bad; Yo, I got a fake ID though.” These lyics are clearly influencing teens to take part in substances they shouldn’t be involved in by mentioning fake IDs.

Abusing alcohol in the teen years is not only looked down upon because of the legality of it. Alcohol and teen minds can be a very dangerous combination. Not only are adolescent brains more influenced by peer pressure, practicality and perception, the brain is still growing and developing. This is something that could be detrimental to a society full of changing and outgoing teenagers. 

There are studies abot brain shrinkages when people abuse and intake alcohol at alarming rates. 

Through MRI scans, a team of researchers from University of Oxford found that the hippocampus, which deals with memory, was prone to shrinkage when related to immense amounts of alcohol. Although there are no specific studies pertaining to teenagers in this study, the same symptoms would most likely still apply. The thing that’s most concerning here is the lack of development that adolescent brains have. If at such a young age where the brain isn’t fully developed yet, brain shrinkage would be 100 times worse for a teen. 

It is important to advise the risks that come with abusing this substance. Even though there are harmful things that come with alcohol like drunk driving, and other well known matters, there are more long-term influences that people, more specifically teens, should be aware of.

Image courtesy of Pixabay.