Teenage years can be described as a period experienced by a person who is in their adolescence age of between thirteen and nineteen years. This age is also recognized as a transitional stage from childhood and adulthood. At this transition stage is associated with issues such as self-identity and independence. This topic can be considered relevant to psychology because it involves the thought of how thinking process advances from the childhood to adulthood, or through the puberty. At this age the teenage are said to experience both time of discovery and disorientation. Fundamental psychological study in colleges typically involves children psychology and teenage psychology (Shaffer, p.6). Therefore, the topic is quite popular because people can be able to relate what they are going through in their puberty stage using psychology.
The reason why I chose this topic is because I wanted to compare what I have learned from the research with what I have been expecting about this topic. This is because, the outlooks connected to the teenage, and arguments of how to handle the teenagers, differs. I also endowed an interest of learning and conducting a research about the teenage psychology and determine how it varies from one individual to another (Shaffer, p.7). I have been thinking that a teenage year period is one of the difficulty periods in human life and I would like to learn what the causes of these difficulties are. Teenagers are associated with problems such as peer pressure, conflict with parents, and drugs and substance abuse among others. Therefore, I would like to learn what is the psychological cause and effects of such problems.
The research on teenage years helped me to be enlightened on the issue. I realized that teenagers are subjected to dramatic changes in their life. They will experience both biological changes which include puberty and also cognitive changes which will help them to think great and be linked with emotions and feelings. During their teen years they make many friends and really focus on the relationship. The teens will opt to seek independence and these results to conflicts with their parents (Simmons, Conger, & Wu, p.34). By the time that they are coming out of the adolescent age, they graduate into adulthood with few anomalies. There is a section which has difficulties with coping with the situation and ends up dropping from school or either becomes drug addicts.
The research on teenage years had three major findings:
- The teenage with a lot of friends will have a high self-esteem, will be guided and enjoys moral and emotional support
- The teenagers who come out of adolescent without developing peer relationship are always at a higher risk of developing complexities such as depression, drug and substance abuse, delinquency and many others.
- 70% of adolescent girls claimed that they were in need to know how to socialize and make friends.
The teen years also comes with a lot of challenges to the families. The problems arise due to hormonal changes and imbalance. Most of them have perceptions that their feelings cannot be understood by anyone. Due to this, they will become angry and lonely when facing the difficulties (Simmons, Conger, & Wu, p.21). They may develop peer pressure which causes problems with self-identity, sexual behaviors and drug abuse.
The research on teenage years developed real world applications that helped me to clearly understand issues that are associated with the teen years. This includes: bullying, drug abuse, rehabilitation of juvenile offenders, and possibilities to reduce sexual behaviors.
A study conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health in 1996, showed that more than 6% of teenagers were experiencing depression which could cause depressive disorders. In adulthood, more than 20% of the patients who suffers depression had encountered it during their teen years (Canfield, et. Al.16).
During teenage this is the time I realized that there is an important to understand distinction between adolescence and puberty. As research show, teen age is time to help kids grow into a different individual they will become. This understanding helps me to improve and realize that my teenage years are very eventful. I have experience many changes both mental and physical that has led to some very important lessons in my teenage years.
In my teenage year I always assume that my parent does know anything. However, I have made many mistakes that make me realize that their advice is more important in my current age. I learned the value and important of friends during teenage years. This is the time that I choose my friends appropriately who would stick by me during any time (Canfield, et. Al.45). I learned that life has a lot to offer because this is the world seem to grow quite a bit. I learned about other occupations and countries that I never considered before and realized that life has almost limitless opportunities.
In teen years I learned that trust must be shield and defender of my age. I needed to earn trust so that I can live freely with my friends. I discovered that once trust is broken it is hard to earn it back in my life. On the other hand I learned that life would be hard therefore my passion and ambition was the only path that could lead me to my final destination. In this age I realized that there is always balances of my activities for instance work and entertainment had to be balanced. Lastly my dedication counted in my teenage year from friendships and sports teams.
Conclusion
What I have learnt from the teenage topic did not meet my expectation since I believed that the traditional views have become a thing of the past but they still work on the teenagers. I used to think that teenagers are able to pass the teenage smoothly without experiencing emotional disturbances, being temperamental, and mood swing. I thought that the modern teenagers are in a position to acquire richer and more meaningful relationships with people around them, but they still experience conflict with parent s and other adults. I learnt that the reason behind this conflict is their urge to be independent. They teenagers believe that they have become mature enough to be independent while they are not. This belief result to conflicts, especially between the teenagers and their parents.
However, the study matched with my expectations regarding the importance of the peer pressure. The more peer relationship and individual have, the more they are free of risks such as low self-esteem, depression and drug and substance abuse. The study revealed that the peer relationship is necessary in solving such situation.
Works Cited
Canfield, Jack, Mark V. Hansen, and Kimberly Kirberger. Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul Iii: More Stories of Life, Love, and Learning. Deerfield Beach, Fla: Health Communications, 2000. Print.
Shaffer, David R. Developmental Psychology: Childhood and Adolescence. Pacific Grove, Calif: Brooks/Cole, 1989. Print.
Simmons, R., Conger, R., & Wu, C. Peer group as amplifier/moderator of the stability of adolescent antisocial behavior. Paper presented at the meeting of the Society for Research on Adolescence, Washington, DC, 1993. Print.
