After some deep consideration, I have decided to research teenage drug addicts. Seeing how I am extremely interested in this topic, not only in teenagers, but drug addicts as a whole. Narrowing the research down to just teenagers, I believe that this will just barely scratch the surface of getting to know how drug addicts act, think and cope with being addicts. Some of my main focuses on this topic will be why and how they became addicts. Was it peer pressure? Dysfunctional family issues? Low self-esteem? Or even possibly trying to fit into the “cool crowd”? It would probably be beneficial to this research paper if I could incorporate all of these questions into one question. Having all of these sub questions in the paper would make it vast in contrast to just having one question. It would open more doors for arguments and comments to the readers and also to myself.
Nowadays, more and more teenagers are becoming addicted to drugs starting in middle schools. Some of the kids that I went to middle school with started to experiment with drugs. One I will name, Bob Doe (fictional name), one day in study hall, was sniffing rubber cement in the back of the classroom. This was in eighth grade. Some time later that school year, he was pulled out of our middle school and placed into an alternative school. Another experience I have encountered was in my junior year of high school. Come to find out, freshmen and sophomores were caught selling drugs in the bathrooms by hiding the drugs in their backpacks, idiots. After that we were no longer allowed to carry our books in our backpacks. Almost the whole student body was upset. Not only for the other drug dealers that were not caught so they had one last hiding spot for trafficking the drugs, but for all of the other students that weren't complete morons. And it does not matter what the school's reputation is, there is always some kind of drug trafficking going on. People that are from around the Kane County area, may think that teenagers that are trafficking and using drugs would go to an Aurora, West Chicago, or even St. Charles. I attended Geneva. When this happened, all of the parents and some of my friends that attended other schools were in shock. But there is always a “burn out” stereotype or group in every high school. Even when I was in high school I always wondered why these people used drugs. When I looked at the kids that I knew were using, some of them came from good backgrounds; the “popular” crowd was probably the biggest, kids that would have siblings attending the same school either older, younger or in the same class that did not use drugs. I have only tried smoking marijuana a couple of times and realized, I'm not going to be one of those idiots that drop out of school, lives with my parents and flips burgers my for a living. It was then that I realized that I want to help those who have turned to drugs because they may not feel like they can ever make a difference in life.
Choosing one question that can incorporate the sub questions I mentioned earlier is going to be a difficult task. What is a “Teenage Wasteland”?
Monday, January 25, 2010
topic chosen: Teenage Drug Addicts (Blog 1)
My notions of a topic for a research paper are extremely broad at this point. I obviously would need to research a topic that interests me most, but as Dr. Lorde had explained in class today, I do not want to grow weary of the subject and lose that interest and passion for it. One of the topics I have thought about researching is Sea Turtles. I am very interested in them and have a deep passion for them. So much so, that I have a tattoo of six of them on my ankle. I am so intrigued by them that I want to learn everything about them. I already know that Sea Turtles can live for over a hundred years and when they first hatch on the beach and make their way to the ocean, it is very rare for all of the hatch-lings to make it to their destination and don't even make it all the way to the edge of the water.
It would be difficult to write but I would love to learn more about them. I would like to research all the different types of Sea Turtles, where they originate from, what their habitats are like, how they are endangered and how the world can help prevent these magnificent animals from dying out completely.
Another topic that I have thought about researching is something in the psychology field. I am not sure what yet, seeing how psychology is the concentration of my Associates of Arts Degree. In the field of psychology, I am very interested in drug addicts. I have thought about going to school to become a drug counselor. One of my favorite televisions shows is Intervention. I am so fascinated by the people who are addicted to drugs or who are alcoholics, I always wonder, why they feel the need to turn to drugs and alcohol, why they abuse it, when it started, the history behind it all. I had read a book called Beautiful Boy written by David Sheff. It was a book that he had written about his son who was a methamphetamine addict and how difficult it was for him dealing with his son's sickness. After I had read that book, I later discovered that the methamphetamine addicted son, Nick Sheff, wrote about his addiction in a biography called Tweak and read that as well. As I read those biographies, I was so interested in drug addicts and wanted to know the whys, wheres, hows and whens. Writing about drug addicts I believe would be a better topic for researching. Focusing on methamphetamine addicts just to narrow it down so it is not so broad. Although, it would probably be better if I were to broaden the choices a bit. Not just focusing on methamphetamine addicts, but addicts and alcoholics in general. Maybe even segregating it between men and women or adults and teenagers. Either or would be a good choice to research. More and more teenagers everyday are using drugs and so many adults are still using drugs since they were teenagers.
So far, I believe my topic is leaning towards drug addiction. Just because there is so much to research and write about. Also, I believe that researching this topic will benefit me in the long run considering that my major is psychology and I have thought about using my psychology degree in an effort to become a drug counselor.
It would be difficult to write but I would love to learn more about them. I would like to research all the different types of Sea Turtles, where they originate from, what their habitats are like, how they are endangered and how the world can help prevent these magnificent animals from dying out completely.
Another topic that I have thought about researching is something in the psychology field. I am not sure what yet, seeing how psychology is the concentration of my Associates of Arts Degree. In the field of psychology, I am very interested in drug addicts. I have thought about going to school to become a drug counselor. One of my favorite televisions shows is Intervention. I am so fascinated by the people who are addicted to drugs or who are alcoholics, I always wonder, why they feel the need to turn to drugs and alcohol, why they abuse it, when it started, the history behind it all. I had read a book called Beautiful Boy written by David Sheff. It was a book that he had written about his son who was a methamphetamine addict and how difficult it was for him dealing with his son's sickness. After I had read that book, I later discovered that the methamphetamine addicted son, Nick Sheff, wrote about his addiction in a biography called Tweak and read that as well. As I read those biographies, I was so interested in drug addicts and wanted to know the whys, wheres, hows and whens. Writing about drug addicts I believe would be a better topic for researching. Focusing on methamphetamine addicts just to narrow it down so it is not so broad. Although, it would probably be better if I were to broaden the choices a bit. Not just focusing on methamphetamine addicts, but addicts and alcoholics in general. Maybe even segregating it between men and women or adults and teenagers. Either or would be a good choice to research. More and more teenagers everyday are using drugs and so many adults are still using drugs since they were teenagers.
So far, I believe my topic is leaning towards drug addiction. Just because there is so much to research and write about. Also, I believe that researching this topic will benefit me in the long run considering that my major is psychology and I have thought about using my psychology degree in an effort to become a drug counselor.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)