Apparently lying face down is all it takes to create an Internet phenomenon (Retrieved from articles.cnn.com, Mark Milan, 2012). Planking, for those who don't know, is basically what it sounds like. To plank all you have to do is lay horizontally in a strange or unusual place. Your body has to be completely straight and you have to point your fingers and toes downward. Then your friend will take a picture of you after you name your plank and then post it on Facebook. Here are a few examples:

                According to www.urbandictionary.com (2011) another name for planking is Extreme Lying Down. Upon viewing the pictures, you can see that not only is it dumb, but it can also be dangerous, maybe even life threatening, if you're dumb enough to attempt some of these "planks". Did that man not think of the possibility of  falling off of that McDonald's sign, or injuring himself or others who are already paranoid about flying on the plane, or maybe that the carnivorousness tiger might just get hungry and realize that there is live food just lying on his back? Planking is great for people who get bored easily and have friends willing to take pictures of them looking like retards (Retrieved from www.urbandictionary.com,2011). Even though planking can be insanely fun and adventurous, it can also be dangerous. 

Here's a video I though was hilarious about how dumb some people can be while planking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OAjb2Fscvk

          Since weed is a plant, it's natural. So nothing natural can really be bad right? WRONG!

            Marijuana limits your brain's effectiveness, slows your thinking and impairs your coordination (Retrieved from www.abovetheinfluence.com ). If you smoke weed, there are many risks that come with it. Using marijuana at a young age can result in deficits of the brain. This basically means that your verbal and communication skills weaken, learning capabilities lower, and your attention span shortens. The earlier you start using marijuana, the more likely you are to become dependent on it, and even on other drugs. Also, it makes you break out and the scent sticks to your clothes and makes you smell. Smoking weed may also be hazardous to your developing lungs.

            Some movies and music make "stoner" culture seem cool, natural and like it's no big deal (Retrieved from www.abovetheinfluence.com ). However, if your like me and being fit and getting good grades are important to you, smoking weed is a huge deal...

I am , for one ashamed to say i attempted the Cinnamon Challenge. It was an horrible experience that I epically failed at. I didn’t know at the time i was doing this ,there was terrible health risks to it that can possibly end my life. I know you’re probably wondering what is the Cinnamon Challenge, well you must swallow a spoonful of cinnamon in under 60 seconds without water stated in (ABC News, Katie Kindelan, Cinnamon Challenge, 2012,p. n .d). This challenge is impossible according to doctors that you can’t drink the cinnamon without water and that  inhaling cinnamon dust can cause the risk of inflaming or scarring your lungs according to (ABC News , Katie Kindelan, Cinnamon Challenge, 2012, p. n. d).

This so-called challenge was made viral from teenagers on the internet across the nation and athletes on television trying it out during the NBA lockout with Nick Young and JaVale McGee. A female student from Ann Arbor, Michigan was sent to the hospital with an infection and a collapsed right lung after she tried the cinnamon challenge two weeks before. This could have killed her for the fact she wasn’t able to breathe and she was  in and out of consciousness according to (ABC News, Katie Kindelan, Cinnamon Challenge, 2012, p. n. d). On the cinnamon challenge website ( cinnamonchallenge.com) it warns not to do the challenge without your doctor's’ consent and that it is very dangerous it shouldn’t be tried out. From my experience and the health risks I advise you not to try the Cinnamon Challenge since its not worth the pain and risk of going to the hospital.

            Binge drinking is often popular among teenagers nowadays. Binge drinking is when someone drinks an excessive amount of alcohol within a short period of time. This is so dangerous I can’t even begin to dissect this matter. Many people turn their heads to underage drinking, that it simply doesn’t matter. I’m here; to mention that it does, teenagers aren’t drinking just for fun. They are drinking to escape their problems. Its bad enough they are drinking at all. This all starts with how much is enough to be drinking according to (About, 2012, Binge Drinking, npd).

            Drinking can seem like fun at first but with everything you do there, comes consequences. Kids across America are speaking that they had their first drink at the age of 10 for boys and 13 for girls. That’s a little bit too young in my books I would expect 17 but not 10 or 13. Their goals for drinking are mainly to get drunk and feel that buzz and lose consciousness which isn’t healthy. The ugly side to it is that it leads you with bad skin; it dehydrates your skin and rids it of its natural oils which leaves it cracked and peeling. Also you get a bad night of sleep; there is a chemical in alcohol that gives you a jolt of energy that will disrupt your ‘happy’ sleep according to (Life Script,Jennifer Gruenemay, 2006,npd). Weight gain and the severity of the effect of alcohol do dangers to you.  

               There is a very big double standard of society with men and women. A guy could have sex with so many girls and then he brags about it and apparently this makes him a man. If a girl has sex with a lot of guys, she gets called a slut. I don't think I have ever heard a guy get called a slut though. Even more amazing though is the guy who sleeps with such a woman and labels her a hoe the next day while he acted in the same manner she did (retrieved from drdapo.com, 2010).

                 A man sleeping around with several women will get a pat on the back from his boys whereas a woman enjoying her single life is gossiped about endlessly by members of her gender (retrieved from drdapo.com, 2010). In other words the guy gets all the glory the more girls he can have sex with, meanwhile a girl could do the same and her name gets slandered. Why can't the girl get a pat on the back? I mean, it's one thing if she's cheating, but what if she's single? I don't understand why the guy can get away with it and the girl gets named.

The average teenager doesn’t know their limit when it comes to use of technology.Teenagers are known for being young and careless. What happens when we past the point of simple games we play leading to something more dangerous. Its a proven fact that every little thing we do comes with consequences. Now the consequences i’m talking about are not being grounded for a week. They are much bigger than just that. These consequences I’m speaking of ,affect our health according to “New York Times Company/ Katie Hafner/ (May 2009)”.

Text messaging is something that we all must do nowadays. This young generation is taking advantage of this privilege.They are text messaging when they are suppose to be asleep at night , which is leading them to become sleep deprived and it seems welcoming insomnia with open arms.Not only that they are text messaging each other during class since we believe we can for the fact of us being the sly dogs we are. Text messaging is becoming a bigger part of our lives than it should be. Some are able to do it while they cross the street,in class, and while they are out at a restaurant instead of just putting our phones away according to “New York Times Company/Katie Hafner/ (May 2009)”. Slowly we are going to lose our social skills due to this.Will the modern teenager be able to face this struggle or put their health at  hazard for their selfish “needs”?

Teenagers are now finding many new ways to get high. One way is by drinking hand sanitizer. There are reports that teens are showing up to emergency rooms drunk on hand sanitizer (www.myfoxphoenix.com, 2012).

Hand sanitizer is supposed to keep germs at bay, but lately poison control centers are getting calls every week about teenagers drinking the gel or foam for a quick high. There is 63 percent of ethyl-alcohol in hand sanitizer. That is about the equivalent of hard vodka. Consuming hand sanitizer is very dangerous for your health. It causes problems such as liver disease, problems with bleeding, an aspiration risk, and many other scary risks, including death.                                                          
            When asked about this arising problem, many teens said they too would do it, especially if it was a dare. Others, like me, thinks it's dumb. For someone, especially at a young age with a lot of their life still ahead of them, to put their life in jeopardy like that is just ridiculous.