Förebilder, Media & Okunskap!

Läste precis en artikel av Jordan Low, Northwest Asian Weekly där Low beskriver "the impact" av förebilder, media och okunskap.

Låt mig dela med mig delar av artikeln:

"... Despite your best efforts and drive to get faster, you still cannot improve. You have reached your limit. Then one day you read of a shoe that is more lightweight and has been proven to greatly improve your time. You use the shoe. Wow! They work! But there’s a side effect. Every time you run in them your feet hurt and you have to soak them. By the time you are 60 years old, you have to use a wheelchair for the rest of your life. Many teens today are willing to use these shoes.

Many kids are starting to use performance-enhancing drugs. One reason for this is that bounties of sport stars are role models for children. When kids see their hero using steroids, it gives them the “OK” to follow suit. Sports are a huge aspect of American culture. Many kids want to be professional athletes.

Kids see steroids as another product that will make them better — like Gatorade. There are so many sports drinks that claim to increase your performance and give you that edge against your opponent. You drink these drinks because professional athletes swear by them. Some kids will take steroids for the same reason.

Like any other drug, steroid misuse has a plethora of negative side effects. There is risk of heart problems, liver damage, cancer, premature growth impairments and even death. However, too many kids just think about what steroids can do for them now and don’t think about the future. Teens are pressured to become the best at any means necessary. When their heroes do it, it’s justified in their minds.

Steroid education needs to be more widespread around the U.S. so that teens and young adults can see the long-term negatives. Education will give the younger generation the chance to make an informed decision instead of just being influenced by the mass media and their heroes."