An interview was conducted with a fifteen-year-old female adolescent by the name of Mary to help understand the views held by adolescents with regards to various areas such as politics, cognition, school, parents, peers, and the like. The interview was arranged on a mutual consensus and even though Mary was initially shy at the onset, she managed to get into her element and share important information on topical issues affecting adolescents as indicated below:
Identity
The adolescent period is the most confusing phase in an individual’s life as it is comprised of both physiological and psychological changes that characterize the period between puberty and adulthood. In this regard, the development of a firm and a strong sense of oneself comes out as one of the most important functions of adolescence. In this regard, Mary indicated that during this time, a majority of adolescents are unsure of themselves and hence undertake a trial-and-error arrangement to discover their abilities, likes, and dislikes. This aspect assists in the definition of one’s identity and their relation to others as well as their place in the society.
Peers
Adolescents are often susceptible to falling prey to peer influences and pressures in an attempt to gain acceptance from their friends as well as the overall society. Mary attests to this fact and indicates that peers play an influential role in the development of one’s character. In this regard, if one maintains associations with peers who are up to no good, they are more or less likely to develop the same traits. For this reason, Mary indicated that it is of prime importance to associate with peers who have acceptable character traits.
Career
In as much education provides a proper foundation of one’s life, school, as explained by Mary, takes up a social rather than educational role. In this case, the school environment provides a social context which adolescents use to define their role in the society as well as the establishment of relationships.
Religion
Adolescence is mostly explained as a period that involves the development of one’s sense of self. As such, religion does not factor majorly in this arrangement as the focus is primarily on the individual. Mary indicated that religion is not taken seriously by a majority of adolescents as their focus is mostly on their social lives and activities.
Parents
As indicated earlier, adolescence is primarily a personal stage where adolescents endeavor to discover their true sense of self on an individual basis with consideration of peer influences than compared to parental interventions. As such, Mary explained that a majority of adolescents mostly disengage their parents in their personal lives and instead partially substitute their advisory role with that of their friends. As such, parent-child conflict is a common phenomenon and which consequently decreases the level of familial bonding in such relationships.
Politics
Despite their general lack of interest in politics, adolescents often form unique political belief systems. This aspect is often as a result of their interaction with their environments, that is, as characterized by familial, cultural, and social environments. In this instance, the predominant beliefs in these relationships play an influential role in the formation of independent perspectives with regards to societal issues such as politics. In this case, Mary explains that the predominant beliefs often influence adolescents’ belief systems. For instance, if one’s family supports the Democratic Party, it is highly probable for the adolescent to have similar preferences.
Sexuality
The adolescent stage is characterized by the physiological development of individuals and in the same fashion the consequent development of one’s sexuality. In this case, adolescents are faced with intense and aggressive sexual drives as their bodies adjust to their new state. In addition, adolescents seek to establish their sexual identity and, as such, they form relationships with either the opposite or same-sex relationships, depending on individual preferences. According to Mary, development of one’s sexuality is often accompanied by respective body changes in both genders.
Cognition
At this stage, adolescents often interact with abstract thoughts and hence cultivate broad perspectives. As a result, cognitive development is a rapid process owing to the interaction of the brain with various experiences, knowledge, and social considerations. In addition, following the consideration of abstract thoughts allows adolescents to think hypothetically and generate conclusions in such instances as based on reason. Mary concurs with this observation as she indicated that adolescents are likely to experiment so as to ascertain either the truth or falsity of the issue at hand.
Intimacy
According to Mary, a majority of adolescents are willing to experiment with sexual encounters due to peer pressure in order so as to gain acceptance with their peers. In addition, cultural and media influences such as reality television and celebrity role models often influence a majority of adolescent’s decision to participate in sexual activities. In this case, adequate communication is imperative at this stage with regards to this topic to steer adolescents in the right direction and the various aspects they should consider before making their decision to have early sexual encounters.
