Stormy Adolescence, Myth Or Reality?

A stormy adolescence is something that we have all been through, to a greater or lesser extent. When I speak of stormy I do not mean that it is bad or unpleasant. There are people who like storms.

Adolescence is considered a period of development between childhood and adulthood and, without a doubt, constitutes a difficult stage in people’s development.

The adolescent stage is extensive. It starts shortly before the age of 13 and ends shortly after the age of 19, although this varies according to the authors. This is a transitional stage, as we will see later.

What seems clear is that, without being children, and without being considered adults by society, young people face a period of constant change. These changes occur on a physical, social and psychological level and affect the rest of their days.

Adolescence is a stage of transition to adulthood

There are many ways to consider the concept of transition. The fact that adolescence is a universal experience leads to the position that calling it transition is reasonable.

Transitions have several characteristics. Transitions involve:

• An enthusiastic anticipation of the future.
• Feeling of regret for the stadium that has been lost.
• A feeling of anxiety regarding the future.
• A major psychological readjustment.
• Ambiguity of social position during transition.

All of these characteristics are surprisingly true in adolescence. Adulthood attracts, and freedom and occasions come with it, which seem very attractive. However, there is also sadness for what is already gone.

And it is that within each adolescent there is a child struggling to get out. Young people worry about what is to come, perhaps now more than ever before. That is why it is called in this article “stormy adolescence.”

When jobs, housing, and relationships seem dubious, it’s no surprise teens have fears about the future. During the adolescent years a substantial psychological readjustment is required.

This psychological readjustment is evident in all spheres : in the family, with friends, with adults and, of course, in relation to one’s own sense of identity.

So I think it makes sense to consider adolescence as a transition. I also recognize that within this stage there are many milestones that have key significance for later adaptation.

Stormy adolescence: the self and identity

How young people understand and perceive themselves has a powerful effect on their later reactions to various life events. There is an essential dilemma in them between playing the appropriate roles and the “me.”

Stormy adolescence is a time when a person struggles to determine the exact nature of their self. You need to consolidate a series of choices into a coherent whole that constitutes the essence of your person. This essence is clearly distinct from parents and other formative influences.

Without this process toward individuality, the young person may experience depersonalization. In this process of socialization, the various adults with whom the adolescent interacts are role models for him. But the functions of the “me”, perceived competence and coherent identity are also important.

The adolescent and his immature thinking

In some ways, adolescent thinking is strangely immature. They can be rude to adults, have trouble deciding what to wear each day, and often act as if the whole world revolves around them.

According to the psychologist David Elkind, this immaturity of thought manifests itself in at least six characteristic ways. Let’s see what they are:

• Idealism and critical character. As adolescents imagine an ideal world, they realize how far off the real world is, for which they hold adults responsible.
• Tendency to argue. Adolescents are constantly looking for the opportunity to test and demonstrate their new formal reasoning skills.

• Indecisiveness. Teens can keep many alternatives in mind at the same time. Due to their inexperience, they lack effective strategies to choose between.
• Apparent hypocrisy. Young adolescents often fail to recognize the difference between expressing an ideal and the sacrifices that must be made to live up to it.
• Self-awareness. Now you can reason about the thinking, yours and other people’s. However, they often assume that others are thinking what they think.
• Assumption of being special and invulnerable. Adolescents believe that they are special, that their experience is unique, and that they are not bound by the rules that govern the rest of the world.

In light of these data, it is not strange to understand why adolescence can be stormy. Stormy adolescence is a reality, not a myth. It is a period of transition to adulthood, with the uncertainty that this entails. Also, their thinking is not yet mature and they have to establish their identity.