Opinions

Millenials too focused on drugs, sex and dubstep

Don’t get me wrong, there are some great people in this generation of youth. There are people who will become great leaders and philanthropists in years to come. But the key word there is “some.” There are people within this generation that – in my opinion – are setting a bad example for the next generation and the younger members of the current generation. I spend a lot of time pondering why so many people behave the way they do, despite the fact that they could be ruining other people’s lives as well as their own.

For one thing, raves. After speaking to several people from my parent’s generation and my grandparent’s generation, raves are something unique to this era. I don’t want to offend anyone who goes to raves and doesn’t partake in the things they are infamous for – i.e. drugs and sex mainly. But to those who do go to raves and do these things, why? At the New Years rave back on the brink between 2010 and 2011, there were 62 medical emergencies, 17 hospitalizations, and 25 arrests. All from one rave. Granted, it was a large rave, but still, that’s a lot of things that shouldn’t be happening. Raves are not known for soft drug use. If you go to a rave, most likely you’re going to be offered hits of ecstasy (89% of rave-attendees reported using ecstasy at least once), or various forms of amphetamine’s. Those are some pretty hard drugs to be using. Ecstasy causes an increase in the chemicals known as catecholamine’s. “These chemicals cause blood vessel constriction and increase heart rate, which can lead to dehydration, high blood pressure, and severe rises in body temperature. It can result in complications like heart attacks, heart failure, strokes, and kidney failure” (Dryden-Edwards). And a specific amphetamine (methamphetamine) has several health risks as well. “Health risks include heart attacks, strokes, weight loss, malnutrition, fluid buildup in the lungs, and death. Methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug. It can damage nerve cells, thus causing mental impairment” (Dryden-Edwards). Are the risks of these drugs really worth using at these raves people insist on going to? My peers from high school liked to call raves “fun filled nights of innocent enjoyment.” Are they really that though? Statically speaking, most ravers use a large amount of hard drugs (of course these are chronic ravers, not those who attend one or two over a long period of time). I don’t see how drug use is even fun. Shouldn’t we be using the time we spend raving to do something better for ourselves and the world? There are so many other issues out there that could be solved if the money people spent on raves and the drugs involved were put to those issues instead. The fact that raves take precedence over starving children in Africa for a large amount of people is one reason this generation disappoints me greatly.

Underage drinking is another thing that makes me furious. Sure, it’s happened in all generations, and the prohibition of alcohol in the 30’s essentially made the alcohol issue worse, but with underage people having more access to alcohol than ever, the risks are even greater than they were decades ago. Frankly, I think people shouldn’t drink before age 25, when the brain is fully developed. Anytime before then is essentially ruining your already fragile brain. Not only that, but if you’re drinking underage, most likely you’re in school. The effects of underage drinking will negatively affect your schooling, so in turn, affect your whole life. Underage drinking is also responsible for 4,700 deaths per year. And another reason people shouldn’t drink (at least before age 21) is the fact that the younger you start drinking, the more likely you are to develop alcohol dependency; if you start at age 15, you’re five times as likely to develop this than someone who started drinking at or after age 21. Underage drinking contributes to more drunk driving accidents than of age drinking as well. Is it really worth it then? Personally, the idea of killing someone after making the stupid decision to drive drunk is enough to steer me away from alcohol.

This article has gone on for quite a long time, and there are a lot of things I wish I could cover. I want to briefly discuss sex before I leave you on your way. Promiscuity is an issue than has bothered me greatly for quite some time. Sex is great; it has health benefits, and really is just fun. There are, however, some disturbing statistics regarding this issue. USA has the highest rate of teen pregnancy; only 15% of people report still having their virginity by age 21; 10% of STDS are contracted by teenagers; 40% of teens don’t use condoms; 76.7% don’t use birth control pills. I’m all for sex – safe sex though. I don’t think people should be running around having sexual intercourse with whomever. And I know it’s been said time and time again, but I believe waiting till marriage is the best option. I’m saying this as someone who wishes they had realized that before they went and slept with someone who didn’t care about them. Personally, I think sex should come from love, not lust. Lust has all kinds of bad repercussions. Not only will a woman sleeping with several people be labeled a slut, but the chances of pregnancy and STD contraction will rise for said woman. Don’t get me wrong though, sex is fine. Go ahead and partake. Just think about who you partake with before you do. The issue of promiscuity is one that is far too great in this generation.