Teenagers who have an overall optimistic vision of their life (as well as their childhood, their daily life and their future prospects) are more likely to never sink into alcohol and drugs. In addition, they are more inclined to learn and immerse themselves in their courses.
- Teenagers who have an optimistic view of their life are more likely to resist the temptation of alcohol and drugs.
- By having happy memories of one’s childhood, a good vision of one’s present and optimism in the future, it also improves school results.
Optimism is not only seeing the good side of life, it is also avoiding the pitfalls it can set for us. Being happy in your childhood, keeping this joy of living in the present and feeling optimistic for the future are the keys to leading your life, and this observation works at any age. Thus, a study by researchers at Purdue University. (USA), points out that adolescents who have happy childhood memories are likely to drink less, take fewer drugs and enjoy learning. The results of this study were published on December 17, 2020 in the journal Addiction Research & Theory.
To better understand the role of optimism in overcoming addictions, the researchers looked at data from 1,961 high school students in the San Francisco Bay Area, more than half (53%) of whom were girls. According to them, their optimism has an influence on their academic performance and the risk of drug and alcohol abuse.
Unwavering optimism
The study authors looked at students’ responses and assessed their nostalgia for their childhood, their current level of happiness, and their hope for future happiness. They also analyzed cannabis and alcohol consumption patterns over the past 30 days as well as their average school grades. Finally, they examined the levels of motivation and behavior of young people in their lessons, such as their level of attention and listening.
To do this, the researchers used statistical analyzes to identify associations between these different factors and establish the main predictors of alcohol and cannabis abuse. According to their findings, positive attitudes toward the past, present, and future put teens at a lower risk for alcohol, binge drinking, and drug use. The reverse is also true for those who evoke negative or pessimistic memories, who have a gloomy vision of their present and rather gloomy of their future.
For researchers, this is due to the fact qan optimistic content and perspective increases the likelihood of being motivated and behaving in a targeted manner on the chance to learn. In addition, regarding the results by sex, it would seem that girls have a higher level of engagement than boys, which keeps them further away from drug and alcohol problems.
Don’t see the glass half empty
“School often seems to be a source of stress and anxiety for studentssays John Mark Froiland, a professor at Purdue University. This puts them at greater risk of not attending classes, getting poor grades and abusing substances. They are more likely to be enthusiastic learners and not to use alcohol or drugs if teachers take the time to build more positive relationships with them. They can help students see that everything they learn is really useful. Parents also have a role to play.”
Previous studies have already shown that teenagers with a balanced attitude towards their childhood and other periods of their life are more likely to abstain from drinking and drugs and to obtain good results in school. . Researchers would like to do a similar long-term study to see if engagement levels change over time.
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