Health Tips for a Better Life

One of the newest problems faced on the roadways today is texting while driving. And since texting is somewhat of a new communication style, it is mostly happening among our teens. Teenagers get personal cell phones before getting a license to drive. Because texting is a natural form of communication for them, it is not surprising that they feel comfortable enough to text while they are behind the wheel.

So how does one stop this behavior? First of all, when giving teens their first cell phone, parents need to be clear about cell phone etiquette. For example, if someone is talking to you, it is rude to be texting someone else. If you are in class, it is rude to text over the teacher. If you are in a restaurant, it is rude to talk on the telephone as if you are the only person in the room. And finally, one should never, never, text while driving.

This one needs to be repeated up until the time they get their license.

In fact, for new drivers, if their cell phone rings while they are driving, they need to be taught not to answer it. That is what voice mail is for. They need to be taught that if they are expecting an important phone call, the safe and responsible thing to do is to pull over either to a parking lot, or onto the shoulder of the road and take the call.

Cell phones are distracting. They can cause you to run red lights, forget to use turn signals, and not pay attention to a stopped car in front of you. In fact, many police officers equate cell phone car accidents to drunk driving. Reaction time is slower and you are not focused on the road and the traffic around you. For teens, this is even more dangerous because they do not have the years of experience behind them to compensate and make quick choices.

If you are texting, you are not even watching the road; you are looking at your phone.

A texting while driving accident should cause one to loose his/her license for at least a year. Parents, educators, youth leaders, please help teach our teens to be more responsible with their cell phones.

Sending or receiving an average of 3,339 texts a month, or roughly 1 message for every 10 minutes? Is that even possible? Yes, according to the latest Nielsen study. The company analyzed mobile usage among American teens and some of the figures are simply eye-popping, to say the least. Check this out:

13-17 year old teen females send and receive 4,050 texts per month.

18-24 year olds send and receive 1,630 texts per month.

Texting currently ranks high among teens most preferred mobile activity. In fact, 43 percent admit that it is their main reason for living buying a cell phone in the first place.

In 2008, CTIA and Harris Interactive released the results of a study wherein 47 percent of US teens (54 percent if female) claim it would be the end of their life existence social life if they would be deprived of their cell phone, while 57 percent say their mobile phones improved their life in general. Texting has become so much a part of teens daily life that nearly half of those surveyed swear they could do it with their eyes closed.

Of course, if you ask other teens how much other forms of social media mean to them they would probably say the same thing about instant messaging, Twittering, commenting on YouTube videos of Miley Cyrus, playing games on their mobile phones, ad infinitum, which prompts us to ask: Are teens simply voracious technology users able to multitask with lightning speed or do they simply have too much time on their hands?

Teens have become so attached to their mobile buddies and dependent on texting that parents started fearing that it would stunt the development of their social skills? Mere paranoia? Not really. According to the same study by CTIA and Harris Interactive, teens regard texting and talking as the same and spend an equal amount of time with both. In fact, some even prefer texting because it provides an option to multitask, avoid face to face interaction, and because texting is more fun.

That is not all. There is also the issue of distracted teenage driving of which texting is one of the major culprits. In a November 2009 report by Pew Research Center in Washington, D.C., 1 out of 3 respondents admitted texting while driving. And in the September issue of Seventeen magazine, a survey of 2,000 teen drivers revealed that a third admitted to being involved in a near-crash because they or the driver was distracted. Distracted driving accounts for 16 percent of all fatal crashes.

Far too often Disney is pegged as a small child’s fantasy come true, however many people are surprised to find great rides at the Disney theme parks for teenagers and thrill seekers alike. Here you will find a sampling of the ten best Walt Disney World rides for teens.

1. Splash Mountain- If your teen rolls their eyes at the thought of following Brier Rabbit chuckle to yourself and get them on this ride! By the time, they reach a 52 ½-foot drop to the pool below they will be screaming in delight.

2. Mad Tea Party- Another ride that at first may leave your teen a bit squeamish at the idea of riding a kiddy ride, however the spin action on these teacups is great fun for people of all ages.

3. Mission Space- How many rides have you heard of that offer motion sickness bags to the riders. On Mission Space they do and for good reason.

This ride simulates a trip to Mars with all the appropriate G-Force in place!

4. Kali River Rapids- Summer time is known for hot days and a trip to the amusement park can quickly drain you. Refresh yourself on the Kali River Rapids, a perfect ride for teens. Just be prepared to get very wet!

5. Space Mountain- Roller coasters are the main attraction at any theme park and Disney Land is no exception. Space Mountain is not the most daring coaster ever but when you realize that the ride is completely dark, it ratchets up the excitement.

6. Soarin, The Land Pavilion- Thrills and chills are great fun for teenagers, but soaring over the park in a hang glider simulation has to rank well also. Challenge your teenager to this ride and see if they are grinning from ear to ear at the end.

7. Dinosaur- Reminiscent of Jurassic Park, Dinosaur takes you on a time travel to a land far away and long ago in search of a friendly dino.

However, things go terribly wrong and you have a heart racing return to the real world.

8. Test Track- Boys and girls alike will love the Test Track. Filled with turns, banks, bumps and high speed this ride is definitely a teenage thrill seekers dream come true.

9. Body Wars- At Epcot Center there are many fun things to do but why not combine fun with a little education. Body Wars is a ride that takes you through the body to rescue a scientist. Visual effects and simulators will give you a great thrill ride, but do not go too soon after lunch!

10. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad- Take the wildest ride in the wilderness on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Enjoy authenticity of the scenery as you travel through a mine set during the gold rush. Falling rocks, earthquakes and beady eyes peering at you from the darkness come together for an intense experience.

Teens, adults and children will be hard pressed to run out of fun Disney World rides and adventures in the theme parks. Wild rides, soaking rapids and visual graphics make for a trip to remember.

When you are young, it’s easy to walk around as if nothing can ever go wrong in your life. Although you had acne for a few months as a teen, you got through that. Now the rest of your life is going to be smooth sailing. So what if there are a few extra hairs in your comb or caught in the drain after you finish your shower. This is nothing to worry about. Except the sad reality is that anyone, no matter what their age or gender, can lose their hair. It can be heredity, caused by some underlying medical condition, a side effect of a drug you are taking. The list goes on. Unless you are taking preventative measures to reduce the risk of hair loss, you need guidance on when to seek a formal diagnosis. Too early and you wasted your money because your doctor could find nothing wrong. Too late and there’s little chance of any treatment helping the hair to regrow. For the record, male pattern baldness can begin during your teens and this is permanent hair loss. Why permanent? Because the growth cycle shortens and every time you shed your hair, it grows back thinner and more likely to fall out. As this speeds up, your hair stops regrowing and there’s no cure.

This is what to think about. At some point, you will notice more hair than usual is falling out. Make a note of the date. If possible, get someone in the family or a friend to take pictures of your head so you can monitor any changes to the shape of the hair. Then watch what happens. Is the loss only occasional or is it continuous? If you have good days and bad days, think about what you eat and what you did. Is there a cause and effect at work? In particular, look for anything that might make the loss worse. Now look around the family. If you are cut off from most of your relatives, ask if there is any history of hair loss on either side of the family.

This gives you enough information about the emerging physical pattern and the rate of loss to share with your doctor. There will be a physical examination of your scalp to judge the appearance of your hair, e.g. whether any hairs are broken off. There is usually a pull test to see how many come out, and skin samples taken to eliminate the possibility of an infection. There will also be a review of your medical history and general wellness to identify any underlying problems such as thyroid disease that may be causing the loss. If this is simple male pattern baldness, the standard treatment is generic propecia. This is taken once-daily and, over time, slows loss and encourages some regrowth. The benefits are lost and hair loss will resume if you stop taking generic propecia. Some commitment to continuing treatment is necessary. More generally, there are preventative measures in changing the way you handle your hair and modifying your diet. Your doctor or dermatologist will advise on how to minimize the effects of hair loss.

Everybody needs a little bit of encouragement every once in a while, and the members of your youth group are no different. Teenagers and our youth in general need encouragement when they do something positive from their elders and the people that they look up to. As a youth leader and a role model a piece of encouragement from you carries a lot of weight. So here are a few different ways that you can encourage and motivate your youth ministry students throughout the year.
One of the best ways to encourage somebody is to help them look at themselves in a positive light. So a great idea to encourage your teens is at each meeting or Bible lesson class, had a segment of each class that is dedicated to sharing about each other’s lives and what positive things everybody has done in the past week. By having everybody open up and sharing something positive from their life that they have done in the recent past, you are recognizing their actions in a public forum, you are also having that students recognize their own actions when they most likely would’ve overlooked them.
Another great way to encourage her students is to recognize the small things in the small accomplishments.

Maybe you have a student who is shy and quiet. If that student participated even just a little bit more than their normal amount during a group discussion, a simple direct encouragement such as,” thanks for your input”, will go a very long way. By recognizing and encouraging your students when they have the ability to step out of their comfort zone, will only encourage your students in the future to continue to participate in a positive manner.
Another great way to encourage your students is to make sure that you never put them down in any manner. When you’re in a group environment it’s easy to crack a joke at someone’s expense and not mean anything by it. But some students and some people in general take everything to heart. Keep this in mind, and make it a point that if you are going to use comedy with your youth group that you yourself are the butt of the joke each and every time. By being a person who doesn’t crack jokes at someone’s expense you are seen as a positive figure and one who can be respected by their students.
Another way to encourage your students is by getting out and supporting them in their extracurricular activities. If one of your students is playing in a big sporting event, a great idea would be to have a field trip with the rest of your youth group to go and support the student playing in the big game. Do this with all your students if you can, maybe one of them is having an art show, plan a field trip with the rest of your youth group and show your support along with the group of their peers.
These quick and simple ways to encourage your students are simple yet very impactful when leading a youth group.

Jamie is the owner of ChristianTeenWorld.com a website dedicated to helping you take your Bible Lessons for Teenagers to new heights!

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