The following appeared on the Website Science News Today.
“In a recent survey of more than 5,000 adolescents, the teens who reported eating the most meals with their families were the least likely to use illegal drugs, tobacco, or alcohol. Family meals were also associated with higher grades, better self-esteem, and lower rates of depression. Almost 30 percent of the teens said they ate at least seven meals per week with their families. Clearly, having a high number of family meals keeps teens from engaging in bad behaviors.”
Write a response in which you discuss one or more alternative explanations that could rival the proposed explanation and explain how your explanation(s) can plausibly account for the facts presented in the argument.
The speaker makes a convincing argument, but there are several counterarguments that support the view that teenagers who eat with their families are less likely to be involved with drugs, tobacco, and alcohol abuse.
The first argument against the claim that eating with family reduces the likelihood of substance abuse is that some teenagers develop a taste for the forbidden fruit. These teens may enjoy experimenting with drugs and alcohol, and this will lead to addiction. The worse their addiction, the more likely they will be to turn to drugs or alcohol.
Another counterargument is that teens who regularly hang out with the wrong crowd are already being influenced by negative peers. These teens may already have a predisposition for experimenting with drugs and alcohol, and this will influence them even further. Teenagers who develop bad habits will often turn to the substance or activity that initially attracted them to it.
The final counterargument is that family members often overlook or ignore warning signs that their child is experimenting with drugs or alcohol. When teens are experimenting with drugs, they often lie about where and how they obtained the drugs. This can make it difficult for family members to easily recognize whether or not their child is engaging in substance abuse.
If the reasons given above are not sufficient, then another explanation is that socializing with family members provides teenagers with a sense of belonging. Teenagers with a positive family environment are less likely to become involved in criminal activity. However, this does not mean that families who practice social distancing must cease communicating with their teens. Teenagers with a close family tie may be less likely to turn to drugs, tobacco, and alcohol because they will be less likely to feel alone.
The author’s argument that eating as a family is an activity that promotes positive behavior in teenagers fails to account for the many teenagers who engage in criminal activity. Therefore, it is possible that eating with family members does not promote good behavior in teens. However, eating a meal with family can help teenagers improve self-esteem, which may enhance their ability to be successful in life.