ipl-logo

Peer Influence In Sarah Dessen's Keeping The Moon

547 Words3 Pages

Teens can be influenced by many factors, the most common one being peer influence. Most teens grow up feeling insecure about themselves and try to fit in, this causing them to act a certain way that they aren’t used to. “I was trying to make friends… i didn’t realize it at the time, but it was an initiation into the crew” (Akinsanya). Segun Akinsanya had lost his mother at a young age, eight years old, due to a car accident because of the weather condition leading to killing her instantly. He had moved to a different location with his father and sister and he went to a park to go look for friends. Little did he know this group of friends was a gang and he ended up being part of it. Because of the terrible loss at a young age, he started to …show more content…

Sarah Dessen is an author who has written lots of novels based on her life and on what teens go through. In one of her novels, Keeping the Moon, Nicole Sparks, the main character, gets help from her mom to lose forty-five pounds and still is rejected by her peers because of her appearance so she ends up dying her hair to see if it will help her make new friends. Whether it be a girl or boy, those who think that getting “thinner” will help them make friends can end up having an eating disorder and sometimes it can lead to having anorexia. Teens always figure out a way to fit in, and if they don’t, then that’s when they think they’re just not “good enough”. “Youth struggling with depression are more likely to engage in risky behaviors … acting violently, sex, hurting themselves and ultimately, suicide”(Everett). Everyone goes through depression at some point, Everett writes about Josh Devou, who thought depression was when one was sad all the time, but he figured out that being depressed was feeling alone, isolated , and even scared. “One in four teens will experience symptoms of depression, says Dr. Sibel

Show More
Related

  • Brief Summary Of Saplings In The Storm By Dr. Mary Pipher

    925 Words  | 4 Pages

    Young girls are naturally assertive and energetic. They are interested in the world around them and many have “tomboyish” personalities—basically, they are mentally healthy. However, the same cannot be said about teenage girls. Teenage girls across America are renowned for their self-critical and depressed behaviors. Movies, books, and society in general consistently portray teen girls as insecure and dim-witted.

    Read More

  • Should The Book Fahrenheit 451 Be Banned

    1318 Words  | 6 Pages

    Many books are challenged in the 21st century and banned for their content, some of these include The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Animal Farm, and Fahrenheit 451. Many of the reasons given for banning are the same. The reasons include violence, language, symbols, and religion. This makes it very difficult for educational professionals; which books should be taught and which ones should be banned, when does protection become unnecessary censorship? Although Fahrenheit 451 shows some dark themes such as banning books, disregard for human life, and suicide, it should be included in the school curriculum because it shows the dystopian future that awaits the world if the events in the book become a reality.

    Read More

  • Identity In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    295 Words  | 2 Pages

    We live in a society in which conformity is not only encouraged but often rewarded. As my grandfather used to always say, “It’s the [penguin] who is different that gets left out in the cold.” Sure, many try to push the narrative that we ought to lead, and that being divergent is what makes one “special.” But while this may be true in a purely academic sense, socially, those who do not abide by unspoken norms are typically outcast as pariahs; they are considered the “undesirables.” As such, many teenagers change their personality by emulating others in attempt to gain acceptance into certain social cliques.

    Read More

  • Social Media Rhetorical Analysis

    1348 Words  | 6 Pages

    Teenagers have become much more focused on what he or she looks like. This is because, they are searching their identity, and trying to be someone that the media expects them to be. With social media, comes the stereotypical version of what a man or woman should be like. For example, women are expected to dress sexy, and have the perfect barbie doll body. Whereas men, are expected to be muscular and tall.

    Read More

  • Essay On Depression In Adolescence

    2164 Words  | 9 Pages

    Adolescence may develop this depressive disorder through learning patterns of negative thinking. Teenagers who are taught to think pessimistically, to give up and rely on others for their own happiness often are more likely to suffer from depression than the outgoing, optimistic teenagers. These patterns of thinking normally generate from their parents. Children who go through their lives with the mindset that when something is a challenge they should give up and not try to overcome an obstacle, often get depressed as they get older and are faced with more

    Read More

  • Effects Of Low Self-Esteem

    1780 Words  | 8 Pages

    The people most susceptible to low self-esteem are American teenagers. Several different factors contribute to a person’s self-esteem. Often teens face pressure to be skinny and or pretty from friends, family, and social media. Comments made by anyone, but especially an individual’s close friends, can be negatively impactful. New studies have allowed advances in the understanding of eating disorders, “Recent research also suggests that low self-esteem in adolescence may be a harbinger for poor longer-term outcomes, such as fewer years of post-secondary education, greater likelihood of joblessness and financial difficulties, as well as poorer mental/physical health and higher rates of criminal behavior” (Pediatr).

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Mental Health

    1591 Words  | 7 Pages

    Mental health in America’s youth has worsen as well. In 2012, 5.9% was diagnosed with severe depression. The percentage increased by 2.3 within 3 years (MHA). According to

    Read More

  • Human Development: Social And Emotional Development

    1174 Words  | 5 Pages

    At this time, they have erratic behavior due to environmental factors and sociability with peers. Teens who have reached a mature stage, the body is unable to accept the changes they have experienced and know how to keep yourself in a healthy way. In his late teens, they know yourself and start looking for cracks life. Teens are able to create new and more mature relationships with peers of different genders. They also have acquired a set of values and ethics to guide system

    Read More

  • Amygdala Vs Teenagers

    661 Words  | 3 Pages

    Teens want to be more involved with people their own age since they understand what they could be going through, instead of their parents or any other adult. Teens act different towards each other than they do with their elders. The two have different brains which causes them to react differently in most scenarios. While processing emotions, adults have greater activity in their frontal lobes than do teenagers. Adults also have lower activity in their amygdala than teenagers.

    Read More

  • Purpose In Walt Whitman's O Me ! O Life !

    1203 Words  | 5 Pages

    Depression can be caused by bullying, losing a family member or close friend, going through abuse, or having a serious illness. Depression can lead to things like self harm and suicide. In addition, having little to no confidence can influence whether someone will chase their life purpose or not. Sometimes, they have no support.

    Read More

  • The Negative Effects Of Teenage Depression

    1000 Words  | 4 Pages

    What is Depression and how does it affect teenagers? Depression, also known as Major Depressive Disorder is a common medical illness that negatively affects how one feels, acts and/ or thinks. (“Teen Mental Health”, 2018) states, “In a one-year period, approximately 7 percent of people will experience Depression. It is most common in women and in young adults, and the first episode often begins in the teen years or early adulthood.” Although Depression is common throughout society, it is different than feeling sad or down; one who deals with depression can not simply ‘snap out of it’.

    Read More

  • Eating Disorders: Anorexia Nervosa

    644 Words  | 3 Pages

    Up to thirty million people of all ages and gender suffer from eating disorders. An estimated .5 to 3.7 percent of women suffer from a disorder known as Anorexia Nervosa. “Anorexia Nervosa is a psychological disorder in which the individual deliberately and willfully starves, engaging in a “relentless pursuit of thinness” that can be fatal.” (Rumeny pp. 16) Although this eating disorder is prevalent in women, anyone can suffer from it.

    Read More

  • Invisible Influence On Teenagers Essay

    961 Words  | 4 Pages

    Teens try to be like friends, media personalities, musicians, and sports figures in an effort to establish self worth. You can't expect to keep your teens in a bubble. However, you wouldn't leave your teen in the care of people who show the morals and values seen in today's television shows. The first step is to know what are the invisible influences on your teens. Teens are in desperate need of good role models and mentors.

    Read More

  • Informative Speech On Depression

    1051 Words  | 5 Pages

    Keep in mind that depression is a condition that can only be accurately diagnosed and treated by a health professional.” [Body 1] Depression often emerges during adolescence, through long-standing research from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare statistics show indicating signs that 1 in 5 adolescents experience depression by

    Read More

  • Theories Of Depression

    1382 Words  | 6 Pages

    Depression is a condition that causes serious symptoms, which affect your mood, thinking, behavior and just any of the basic daily activities. According to ADAA (Anxiety and Depression Association of America), depression is one of the most frequent mental disorders in the United States. It is stated, that around 3 to 5 percent of adults suffer from severe depression and the number of children encountering the symptoms is of a great concern. The core symptoms of the intense depression are a loss of interest or pleasure and depressed mood. Gradually, other alternative symptoms may follow like weight gain or loss, insomnia, fatigue, inability to concentrate and suicidality, feeling of worthlessness.

    Read More

More about Peer Influence In Sarah Dessen's Keeping The Moon

Open Document