Written on Sunday, September 27, 2014.
I am certain that I could never truly understand the motivation behind underage drinking, much less given the copious amount of information that is practically shoved down our throats about the harmful effects of such action. I do have some vague idea, though, as to some possible reasons for this irresponsible decision that some teenagers unfortunately make. That which first makes itself apparent in my mind is peer pressure. This is not as prevalent at our school, it seems, as we create such a safe environment for everyone to be themselves; no action is required to “fit in” other than to be one’s self. At many public schools, however, many kids would do anything to be accepted by the community (or lack of) or by the popular group. This anything unfortunately sometimes includes underage drinking. Another possible reason could be self-destructive tendencies. Many mental illnesses are brushed over, joked about, or downplayed by the media and by communities. Just a short scroll through tumblr and one can see a short list of said illnesses, the most prevalent of which is probably depression. Someone with depression just might not care what the alcohol is doing to their bodies, but focuses only on the relief it provides for their mind.