It’s every teenagers’ dream to have total freedom- no parent involvement, just kids making their own decisions. And while this may seem like a paradise for teens, the truth is that the detrimental effects of this will be dramatic. Parents should allow children some freedom, but cannot allow them to make all the decisions and be their own “parent”. If parents give their child total freedom, children will abuse it, leading to alcohol and drug consumption, suicides, and irresponsibility.

If children are allowed total freedom by their parents, it will lead to teens abusing alcohol and drugs. First of all, kids have to be 21 to start drinking, and it’s never ok to do drugs. However, teens with more freedom are more likely to do these atrocious things. According to a study published  in the Archives of General Psychiatry, 78% of U.S. teens had drank alcohol, and when it came to drug use, 42.5% had tried them. Imagine that. Look around your classroom for a second. 78%? That’s more than ¾ of all teens. If parents don’t impose any rules on their children, it leads these children to make terrible decisions. By letting teenagers make their own decisions, many teens are participating in illegal activities, such as doing drugs and underage drinking. For reasons like this, teenagers should not be given total freedom.

Also, another reason that parents should not allow teenagers to have total freedom is that without parental support and guidance, teens may commit suicide more often. Teen suicide is a massive problem that is plaguing America. In fact, between 500,000 and 1 million young people attempt suicide each year, according to the American Association of Suicidology. Many of these attempts could have been stopped if more parent intervention had been present. However, when parents try to give their children total freedom, they also inadvertently become less active in their child’s life. This leads to teenagers not receiving the crucial support that they need in times of stress. Giving teenagers total freedom is not worth the chance that they may not live to enjoy that liberty.

Some people make the argument that giving teens freedom will lead them to become responsible young adults. However, this is illogical and incorrect. Teenagers need to show that their responsible before gaining freedom, not the other way around. Michigan State University says that “teens need guidance so they can move with confidence and skill toward their destination of… responsibility.” Children need guidance and support to gain responsibility, and if parents give their children total freedom, then this won’t happen. Teens must show responsibility before receiving freedom, instead of being gifted freedom and then hoping for them to learn to be responsible.

In the end, even if teenagers believe that they deserve total freedom, it would be devastating to them and their families, as well as their potential futures. So think about it; teenagers, is it really worth the risk? The answer is clear and irrefutable. It’s not.