Keeping Adolescence Healthy

During the teenage years we are molded into young adults by interactions with the world around us. For today’s teens, the world includes a high level of violence, pressure to look good even if it requires surgery, easy access to drugs and alcohol, prescription medications, fast food, videogames, and the list goes on. In this compelling and highly informative book, Dr. White explores adolescence and examines what research tells us about how factors like videogames, school violence, bullying, alcohol, drugs and diet influence how kids think, feel and act, as well as how adults can help protect teens from common pitfalls and influence their development in positive ways.

Chapter 1: What is adolescence and why is it so important? — Explores what adolescence is, why it happens and what normal adolescence tends to look like.

Chapter 2: Looking good at any cost – The pressure kids are under to attain aesthetic perfection — Examines the impact of magazines, TV and other media on body image. Discusses plastic surgery among teens and how adults can help teens cope with the pressure to look perfect.

Chapter 3: Diet, exercise and relaxation – What does it mean to be a fit teen? — Discusses what it means to be physically healthy during adolescence. Explores healthy food choices, vending machines in public schools, eating disorders, relaxation and other topics.

Chapter 4: The toxic effects of videogame violence on kids and communities — Looks at the impact of virtual violence on real thoughts, feelings and behaviors, and explores ways to help kids make healthy decisions around gaming.

Chapter 5: School violence – Bullying, shootings and what can be done about it — Takes a close look at the causes and consequences of bullying and school shootings, investigates how kids turn into killers and discusses steps to address the problems.

Chapter 6: Exploration, experimentation and teen drug use – Putting things in perspective — This chapter examines drug use from a developmental standpoint and lays out concrete steps for what to do once a kid begins sliding down the pathway toward dependence and addiction.

Chapter 7: Rethinking underage drinking – What science says about the risks and how to minimize them — Examines underage drinking and the harm it can cause. The question of whether parents should allow teens to drink at home is addressed, as well as how to spot a drinking problem and what to do about it.

Chapter 8: Protecting kids from disease – The immune system, how it works, and how to keep it healthy — Explores the immune system and its role in psychological well-being, discusses the safety of vaccines, and examines ways to strengthen the immune system and make adolescence a healthy stage of life.

Chapter 9: Puberty and “raging hormones” – What do they have to do with adolescence? — Examines puberty, what it is, how and why it happens, and how it relates to the social and psychological metamorphosis of adolescence.

Chapter 10: Birds, bees and adolescents – The facts about teens and sex — This chapter explores rates of sex, contraceptive use, teen pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections and violence in teen relationships.

Chapter 11: What happens when the road gets too bumpy? An introduction to adolescent psychological disorders — Investigates normal vs. abnormal teen behavior, discusses how to spot problems (e.g., ADHD, depression) and what can be done to help kids get back on track.

Chapter 12: Adolescents and the Internet – Keeping kids safe on the digital frontier — Issues like identity theft and sexual predation are examined, and tips are provided for keeping kids safe in an increasingly virtual world.

Author Biography

Aaron White, PhD is a psychologist and neuroscientist living in Durham, NC. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, Division of Medical Psychology, at Duke University Medical Center. His scientific research focuses on adolescent brain and psychological development. Over the years, he has appeared on major news networks in the U.S. and overseas, published more than 40 scientific manuscripts and book chapters, and spoken internationally about adolescent brain development and other topics related to adolescent health.