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.