Why Teach Media Literacy with a Focus on Drug Prevention?
Growing up in the new millennium presents new challenges for youth. While the stresses of adolescence are unchanging, the environment in which young people live is vastly different than the social world of teens in earlier times. Nearly two-thirds of American young people think life will be worse in ten years. Learning to cope with stress is one of the most important tasks of adolescence and the stresses young people experience around relationships, families, school, and work life are substantial. What can caring adults teachers, parents, and community leaders do to help kids manage the complicated process of growing up. Drug Use and Adolescents More young people are using drugs to temporarily alleviate the stress they experience in their lives. Ten percent of Pennsylvania 7th graders have used marijuana, according to a recent study, and middle school students use of marijuana has doubled since 1991. According to the 2001 Middle School Research Initiative commissioned by Drug Free Penn
