Why Teenagers are Teenagers

Mon, 09/14/2009 - 23:42 —Swati

There’s so much written about teenagers that you really wonder what to think and may even ask yourself, “Am I dealing with people from another planet?” Teens who say “Leave me alone” or “It’s my life, don’t you get it?” are just being teenagers. Their emotional rollercoaster rides can be baffling and worrying for unprepared parents. Understanding their emotional outbursts is important to communicate with them effectively. In this way, one can find a friend in them and establish a trust based relationship.

Truth be told, a host of factors influence this emotional turbulence that you find in teenagers. It is not always related to dissimilar world views that they have just because their bodies are changing but it relates to their emotional fluctuations as well.

Factors that Affect Teenagers

Loving themselves first comes naturally to teenagers, yet the following factors affect their

Physical changes: Most teenagers, be it boys or girls, are fascinated and eager to understand more about their physical changes.  They want to look, dress and behave exactly like their peers, which is why issues like acne and overweight tend to depress them easily.

Some worries they have about their physical changes are:

• Being far behind their peers in showing signs of puberty
  
• Being unique and daring to be different along with their friends

Heartbreaks and aches: Just as teenagers love themselves, they try to find a friend in the opposite sex. Usually, a crush develops into something more tangible like:

• a first date
  
• spending time with a person they like

This doesn’t result in a long lasting relationship, but it is essentially a phase of emotional mapping. 

Unpredictable: Most parents (and teens) agree that you can’t predict what teenagers would do. Sometimes, teens attempt to find a friend in their parents for advice about something and become upset when parents offer to talk about it.

Rebellious: Nearly every teenager goes through this phase of rebellion, particularly in defying the rules set by their parents. Some issues that most tests the parent-teen relationships include:

·         Cleaning their room

·         Entering their room without knocking or asking permission first

·         Being dropped or picked up from school by a parent

For teenagers, their social life consumes their whole existence and fortifies their feeling of self assertion and independence. Breaking away from family rules seems the easiest thing for them to feel independent and in control. With a little understanding of why teenagers behave the way they do, it is possible for parents to find a friend in teens do not head into that abyss.