Volume 30, Issue 1 p. 149-177
Research Review – Invited

Facilitating Adolescent Well-Being: A Review of the Challenges and Opportunities and the Beneficial Roles of Parents, Schools, Neighborhoods, and Policymakers

Cornelia Pechmann

Corresponding Author

Cornelia Pechmann

University of California, Irvine

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Cornelia Pechmann, The Paul Merage School of Business, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA. Electronic mail may be sent to [email protected].Search for more papers by this author
Jesse R. Catlin

Jesse R. Catlin

California State University, Sacramento

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Yu Zheng
First published: 07 August 2019
Citations: 27
Invited and Accepted by Deborah Roedder John, Associate Editor
This research was partially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 71701114). Connie Pechmann dedicates this article to her 16-year-old daughter Erica.

Abstract

Adolescents face exceptional challenges and opportunities that may have a lifelong impact on their consumption and personal and societal well-being. Parents, community members (schools and neighborhoods), and policymakers play major roles in shaping adolescents and influencing their engagement in consumption behaviors that are either developmentally problematic (e.g., drug use and unhealthy eating) or developmentally constructive (e.g., academic pursuits and extracurricular activities). In this article, we discuss two main topics: (a) the challenges and opportunities that characterize adolescence, based primarily on research in epidemiology and neuroscience, and (b) the ways that parents, community members, and policymakers can facilitate positive adolescent development, based on research from many disciplines including marketing, psychology, sociology, communications, public health, and education. Our goal is to summarize the latest scientific findings that can be used by various stakeholders to help adolescents navigate this turbulent period and become well-adjusted, thriving adults.