You are here: Home / Archives for Pressures & Privileges

The Caveats of Internet Gambling Among Young People

February 9, 2012 By

With the continuous advancement of technology, more and more people have embraced the use of the Internet to facilitate their communication needs. Some of the popular activities often performed by people are emailing, online social networking, audio and video streaming, banking, accommodation and airline booking, online forums, chat groups, news, sports or weather updates and even gambling.

Uncontrolled conventional gambling activities alone have led to problem gambling. With the rise of Internet gambling in all age groups in recent years especially among young people, there is a potential to contribute to problem gambling as well.

Internet Gambling Demographics

All age groups are represented in active Internet gambling. However, the numbers in young people are continually rising due to being updated with the latest trends of the Internet as well as mobile phone technology. The accessibility, availability, ease of play and the Internet’s immersive and solitary nature draws more people to Internet gambling. Internet gambling is likely to attract them more than conventional gambling forms.

A percentage of these people may turn into problem gamblers. It is a growing concern among adolescent and young adult gamblers who are at risk in developing gambling problems. When problem gambling occurs, it is necessary to address the situation through intervention, therapy as well as family members giving unconditional love and support to someone diagnosed with it.

INTERNET GAMBLING TIPS

Active participation in Internet gambling has a more interesting medium for amusement. It is imperative to handle finances well by setting aside a budget for the purposes of gaming or wagering. Like in anything we do, it is always best to do things in moderation to avoid gambling problems in the future. When someone you know has symptoms leading to problem gambling behaviors, it is necessary to seek help.

Filed Under: Pressures & Privileges Tagged With: , ,

Underage drinking

June 5, 2011 By
A wreath Kolsch Beer - LA Times of Kölsch. 

Image via Wikipedia

Underage drinking can be very dangerous and is completely illegal. Stopping the underage epidemic starts with the parents. Parents have a huge influence in their teenagers lives and should be discussing these types of issues before they happen.

Alcohol is the number one abused substance in the United States. Teenagers use alcohol more then they use tobacco and drugs. Most of the alcohol consumed by teenagers is in the form of binge drinking. This type of drinking has led to approximately 190,000 emergency room visits in 2008.

Some of the problems that underage drinkers may have include DUI arrests. This may present a problem getting employment in the future. Some employers look at driving and criminal records before hiring employees. Sexual assault can also be a consequence of drinking. All too often we hear about a young female being drugged while drinking or getting too drunk and ending up getting raped or even killed. Underage drinking can also lead to the use of illegal drugs. Once a teenager sees how good the buzz feels, they will want to experience other highs.

Having open communication with your children is key to avoiding these types of problems. Discuss with your child the dangers of drinking, drinking and driving, and what could happen if you drink too much. Educate your children. Some of the best ways to curb underage drinking is to show them the effects and what could happen.

Filed Under: Pressures & Privileges Tagged With: , ,

Raising a teenager

June 1, 2011 By
Two adolescent couples at the 2009 Western Ida... 

Image via Wikipedia

Raising a teenager can be a daunting task. Most teenagers will tell you that they know everything there is to know about life. However, it is your job to help them realize otherwise. Teenagers need to continue to be guided by their parents whether they like it or not. Here are a few tips to help you along the way.

First and foremost, listen to your teenager. Listening and paying attention to your teenage gives them someone to talk to when they have questions. Just think, if you are listening to them and giving them advice, who is?

Be their parent, not their friend. Some parents want to be their teenagers best friend. This can create problems by allowing the teenager to not listen to their parent. Your child needs to be given clear responsibilities and disciplined. If you are acting like their best friend, then you will have a very rebellious teenager.

Be firm with your teenager, but not overbearing. Give your child rules to follow and consequences for not following the rules. Make sure their are clear cut guidelines and not just rules that you make up as you go. Children want the feeling of protection and comfort from their parents and a routine and rules to follow will help them later in life as well as help you control your teen now.

With different parenting styles out there, there is no right or wrong way to be a parent. Just make sure that you raise the best child that you can with the circumstances that are given to you.


Filed Under: Pressures & Privileges Tagged With: , ,

How To Tell If Your Teen Is Taking Drugs

May 29, 2011 By
drugs.

You may want to keep a record of all the different kinds of strange behaviors or behavior changes your teen might have. Keep an eye out to see if your teen is stealing money or other valuable possessions. When someone has a drug problem they need a lot of money to pay for it. Also keep an eye out for where their own money goes.

Another sign of drug use is if your teen looks different. Rapidly gaining or loosing weight, poor hygiene, fatigue, bloodshot eyes, and dilated pupils are all signs of drug use. Extreme changes in behavior are common as well such as being happy and hyper one minute and tired and moody the next. Sickness is very common as well. If your teen appears to be sick more than usual, this could be a sign of drug use. Simply talk to your teen and let them know about the dangers of drug use.

Filed Under: Pressures & Privileges Tagged With: , ,

Dealing With Your Teens Drinking

May 4, 2011 By
Drunk girls 

Image by Fernando Ariotti via Flickr

Many parents are not sure what to do when they find out that their teen is drinking underage. They don’t want to make a mistake that will cause their child long-term side-effects, or that will encourage them to rebel and to drink even more.

Luckily for parents, they are not alone on this issue. There are many different forms of support networks that they can rely on so that they can work together with their teen on this problem.

When it comes to alcohol, it is easy to become addicted. Getting your teen into an addiction recovery course can help them look at the root of why they are choosing to drink. It can also give them the tools and support that they need to stop drinking. There are also groups and programs that many churches have to help parents as well.

It is important to address the issue and start dealing with it before your teen ends up in the court system, and then ultimately in juvenile detention or even jail. Having firm boundaries in place from the time that they are young is the best approach, but if your already dealing with a drinking teen, then you want to get as much support as you can.

Making it harder for them to access alcohol in your home and setting firm limits is a great start, but getting them into a 12 week program with Alcoholics Anonymous may be the best thing that you can do for them right now.

Filed Under: Pressures & Privileges Tagged With: , ,

College Admission More Competitive: Help Your Teen Prepare Early

April 20, 2011 By

College admissions are becoming more competitive due to a variety of factors. The first is more people are going back to college and there are only so many spots open for certain degrees. Second, funding cuts limit the ability of a college to accept students. With so many qualified applicants, it is important to start helping your teen prepare for college early.

The time to start looking at what is required on a college application is while students are still in high school. Don’t let teenagers put off applying until the last week of their senior year because by then, it is far too late. A quick search on elearners.com will put teens in touch with the school to which they’d like to apply. This will give them a good idea of what they need to get together for their college application.

Good grades are important. However, grades alone won’t guarantee college entry. You will need good scores on the SAT and ACT to get you a spot in class. Taking practice tests beforehand is a way to prepare for this highly crucial part of your pre-college experience.

Colleges also like to see extracurricular activities such as participation in sports or volunteer work. This shows that the applicant is a well-rounded individual. Even if your grades aren’t in the top percentage, having a few extracurricular activities looks good on your college application. It shows an interest and involvement in being part of a team or helping the community.

Colleges look at more than just grades. To beat the competition, you have to start looking at colleges now.

Filed Under: Pressures & Privileges Tagged With: , ,

Making A Difference At Any Age

April 15, 2011 By

It is important for parents to help their own children realize how fortunate they are. Kids today see a lot of different things every day in school. They see children they know are poor, with tattered clothing, and hand me down back packs. A lot of kids feel there is nothing they can do; they are too young to make a difference. It is up to parents to show their children just how much of a difference they can make.

The majority of today’s youth are good kids. With a little guidance they can find ways to be big contributors to today’s social problems. There are so many ways for them to make a difference. As parents, it is a part of the job description to encourage children to be the best they can be. There are so many ways to help out. There are organizations who need our youth to generate interest in their programs. Kars for Kids is a charitable organization where you can donate a car and the profit made from that donation is used to fund important programs for kids. While our youth do not have cars to donate, their parents do. A charitable donation by a parent teachers their children the importance of getting involved and helping those less fortunate then themselves.

It is absolutely true that the children of today are the world of the future. Teaching them now to be compassionate and caring about others, pitching in and helping out, volunteering for those less fortunate, will breed compassionate and caring adults. That is something this world definitely could use, with the future looking brighter all the time.

Filed Under: Pressures & Privileges Tagged With: , ,

Teen Drunk Driving

April 13, 2011 By
Relative risk of an accident based on blood al...

Image via Wikipedia-sourced BAC levels

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of youth deaths, aged 15 to 20 years. Many families are torn apart by death, but even more so when it’s a drunken teen behind the wheel. The social peer pressure on many teens today to drink and party with their peers is enormous, even as young as 14. The best way to avoid teen drinking and driving is to educate young adults about the dangers and risks involved in drunk driving. MADD(Mothers Against Drunk Driving)(MADD Colorado Recognizes Crime Victims’ Rights Week with Celebration of Life Candlelight Vigil (prnewswire.com)) is a program that visits schools and gives seminars about the dangers and horrors of losing a loved teen to a drunken accident. . A teen driven counter-part of this group is SADD(Students Against Destructive Decisions) The student driven program involves teens that teach their peers about the after effects and risks of destructive decisions, such as drunk driving.  Many times, these school programs include video’s of interviews of families that have lost a loved one, or speeches by such family members, or even survivors of such horrific accidents that are permanently crippled. Live re-enactments of accidents with students watching, and even donated wrecks of the cars teens were driving are often volunteered/donated(seeProsthetic Life Lessons – The Latest MADD Campaign Gets Up Close and Personal (TrendHunter.com) (trendhunter.com)), hoping to make an impact and encourage teens to not get behind the wheel while drinking, and not to drink in the first place.

Filed Under: Pressures & Privileges Tagged With: , ,

Avoiding the Stress of Vacation Budgeting

April 7, 2011 By

Vacations are supposed to be relaxing and fun. However, while planning the vacation itself might be enjoyable, planning vacation spending can be stressful because there are so many details involved with figuring out how to purchase the necessary items for the vacation and how to spend money without going over budget. Luckily, there are things you can do to eliminate the stress that comes with vacation spending and budgeting.

Here is a look at some stress-free ways to budget your vacation expenses.

Create a List

Many vacationers find they overspend when planning for their vacation by purchasing items like special clothing or accessories or a new set of luggage. To avoid making these unnecessary purchases, create a list of items that are mandatory for the vacation and when you are shopping vow to purchase only the items that are on the list. This will help eliminate impulse purchases and prevent overspending.

Use Prepaid Credit Cards While on Vacation

It can be hard to control your spending while on vacation as there is a huge temptation to indulge and overspend. Many vacationers purchase prepaid credit cards like the Reach Card prepaid Visa to use while on vacation. These cards only allow you to spend what was put on them and can help monitor spending while on vacation. They can also allow you to track your purchases so you know exactly where your vacation funds are going.

Creating a list and using prepaid credit cards can help you prevent overspending on your next vacation—which means you can just concentrate on having fun.

Filed Under: Pressures & Privileges Tagged With: , ,

Getting a good deal on car insurance for a teenager

March 18, 2011 By

A teenager will need to have adequate insurance on their car for obvious reasons. This group of drivers is not only at high risk but it is also the law in most places. If there is a wreck nobody wants to be left with the responsibility of paying for the costs that came out of the wreck. There are some tips that can be used to help defer the costs of car insurance for young drivers.

A clean driving record is a must! It is important to not push the boundaries and end up with multiple traffic tickets. These traffic tickets can cause a insurance company to raise your rates. Some of these insurance companies will not even provide coverage to you because you have had a few traffic tickets.

You may what to opt for a larger deductible if you want to pay the minimum on your yearly premium. This will save you on the yearly cost but if there is a need to file a claim then you will need to fork out more money at that time.

Insurance will cost you more on certain vehicles than it will on others. As a teenager, it may make more sense to get a car that insurance is more affordable because once you pay your insurance there may not be much left over for fuel money. This may seem dull to you but it does make more sense. You can actually get a car later that is more appealing to you when your insurance rates go down.

Filed Under: Pressures & Privileges Tagged With: , ,
« Older Posts