Do Adults want to be Teenagers Again?

Fri, 09/11/2009 - 20:41 —Swati

Not all teenagers behave like typical teenagers but neither do all adults behave like typical adults. Just as some teenagers want to grow up into an adult right away, there may be adults who wish they could be teenagers and get back to making friends to have fun.

Several facets of life affect teenagers and adults differently, widening the chasm and perhaps isolating these two islands from connecting at all. Perhaps adults who consider getting back to their teen mode can delve into considering how green the grass on the other side really is.

The ‘F’ Factor

Three ‘F’s rule a teenager’s life. They are:

• Having Fun
• Making Friends
• Following Fashion

Without these three essential elements, teens find it difficult to even exist on and off campus.

In an adult’s world, priorities such as a great career, making friends with the right people and networking to gain edge over others in business or social sphere assumes more significance. While the sword of peer pressure does not dangle in an adult’s life, other pressures are constantly playing havoc but this differs from person to person.

Drawing the Physical Line Indicates Emotional Maturity

Teens are always asking themselves, “How far can I go with this person” because physical expression is what counts most at that period of time. Bodies speak volumes than words in a teenager’s world.

Decades ago, it was embarrassing even for adults to talk openly about condoms but take a look at today’s teens. Many schools are handing out condoms like they are bubble gum. Doesn’t this itself make teens ask, “Do I have to use it?” These are the kind of conflicts and peer pressures that teens deal with when it comes to having sex.

Adults, however, tread the physical line with more caution. They don’t want to push themselves into relationships without being sure about the people whom they are making friends. Emotional maturity has a lot to do with this degree of caution that adults have.

Healthy Partnerships and Bondability

Most teens thrive on romantic rebellion. The concept of everlasting, undying love is something lots of teenagers feel cynical about. What they have seen in their homes or in families around them influences their thinking and perception about relationships. Perhaps they are not to blame for making friends to have casual sex and fleeting affairs. On the other hand, adults are keener to pursue a healthy partnership that is glued with the ‘bondability’ factor.

Too many factors pressurize both teens and adults. Their problems may be different and so are their reasons for making friends. Still, most adults, given a chance, may dream to be teenagers once again and just enjoy the experience of being young and totally free.