Teenagers are Misunderstood

The age that I have chosen to study for this essay is teenagers. The reason for this is because so many remarkable things happen during the teenage years and these things vary from culture to culture.

To be a teenager is to be in a time of fluctuation and more often than not in western society, a time of rebellion. There are certain rituals that take place during the teens such as socializing with friends in a place other than school, more responsibilities around the house and less juvenile relationships with members of the opposite sex. Biologically teenagers change dramatically, with girls usually starting their periods and maturing into a phase where their bodies get ready to have children whereas boys develop facial hair, their voices deepen and other matters. They also become more aware of themselves sexually and it is this period in which most people are experimental with their sexuality as well as drugs and their own personal style.

The label ‘teenager’ as we know it was a concept that first arose in the 20th century. Before this there were young people in their teenage years; however there was no sub-culture or institution in place that brought them together or that helped to develop peer group cohesion on a societal scale. Whilst some worked at home, on family farms, or in factories or offices, others attended school. Some were married off or were being prepared for marriage. Teenagers didn't do that much to distinguish themselves from adults. They dressed exactly like their parents as well as having the same views and music tastes.

This all changed as soon as the 1950's came about. Before then there was no in between of children and adults and people acknowledged that there was a transition period between the two sta...

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...when they are at their most impressionable. Researchers try indisputably hard to turn every teenager into one type of statistic or another to be analyzed and then portrayed in an entirely different way. Adults look at teenagers from the wrong perspective to research them objectively. The stereotypical view of teenagers as portrayed by the media has become a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. Teenagers see themselves portrayed as violent and good for nothing so they decide to live up to that label. I believe that teenagers simply seek approval from adults and their peers; they see living up to what is portrayed as a way of getting said approval.

The research that needs to be undertaken in this area is that of finding out what teenagers would be like if no media influence were in place, no negative labels and no sociological pressures to grow up before it is needed.