Teens say, 'I know,' but do they really?

Dr. Rima Himelstein of the Crozer-Keystone Health System wrote this for the "Healthy Kids" blog.

Teenagers sure say "I know!" a lot. I know - not just because I'm an adolescent medicine doctor, but because I am also a mom. Just this summer I got many "I knows" from my own teens to reminders like "use sunscreen," "drink more water in this heat," "you need more sleep" and "don't wait until the last minute to do your summer reading." School is out for the summer, but we need to help our teens learn more about these and other mental health, sexual health, nutrition, and Internet safety issues - because they often don't know.

Teens do know that depression is not a part of normal adolescence, but they often don't know that depression needs care. Almost half of high school students think that depression can be controlled through will power alone, a study found. A third of students think that a person with depression always feels sad when some depressed teens feel mainly irritable or angry. Depression affects more than 10 percent of adolescents, and these knowledge gaps may keep them from getting the help they need.

Teens do know about condoms and emergency contraception (Plan B), but not how to use them correctly. One study found that almost half do not know:

To leave space at the tip of a condom during use.

That petroleum jelly causes condom breakage

That lambskin condoms do not protect against transmission of HIV, hepatitis B, and herpes.

Another study revealed that while many teenagers know about Plan B, most do not know when to use it or how it works. Try showing your teens a website like this to help them avoid becoming a statistic like this:

Almost half of all sexually transmitted diseases occur in 15- to 24-year-olds.

Three in 10 teenage girls become pregnant before age 20.

Teens are drinking less and texting more. Teens do know about the five "food groups," but often not how to read a food label. One study found that more than 75 percent do not read the Nutrition Facts Label when deciding what to buy. What's in a food label? Knowledge needed to combat the rise in adolescent obesity from 5 percent in 1980 to over 20 percent in 2012.

Teens do know about social media, but often not about cyber-bullying. More than 25 percent of teens have been bullied repeatedly in text messages and almost half of teenagers have been bullied online. Of those, two-thirds report being harassed on Facebook and one-third on Twitter. Few students say that their parents monitor their online activity.

Here's a quiz on what teens post on Facebook?

How many post their photo? (9 of 10)

How many post their real name? (9 of 10)

How many post their birth date? (8 of 10)

How many post their hometown? (7 of 10)

How many post their schools' name? (7 of 10)

How many post their relationship status? (6 of 10)

Take-home point: If you do not know the answers to these questions about your own teens, then everyone may benefit from summer "homework."