There is no denying that the teenage years are complicated. Always have been, always will be. However, as a teenager myself, I have noticed significant differences between my life now and my parents’ teenage years. We have different opinions, ideas and difficulties and it often causes problems between us. I feel as if that is completely normal for people from such different generations but I also feel that it would be nice if adults could get a better understanding of teenagers.
I think that it is safe to say that all teens, regardless of their generation, are a mixture of sarcasm, ignorance, melancholy, happiness and intelligence. Then again, I believe that my generation is very different in comparison to those of the past. It seems we either care too much or too little, there is almost no in between. I know of people who could not care less about their future, with little or no aspirations. I know of people who try their hardest every day, who hope and who dream of great things. However, I rarely encounter people who have found a balance between the two. It’s difficult. Finding the balance is hard because there is so much pressure put on teens and young adults to achieve greatness. There are those who thrive under pressure and those who lose interest and stop caring altogether. So, finding a happy medium is easier said than done.
Also, I think that it’s important to let teenagers know that they are loved and accepted. That’s really all they want, even if it’s subconsciously. Nowadays, it has become a trend for them to openly express their negative feelings and to share them not only with those closest to them, but complete strangers as well. This leads them to focus their sadness and dwell on unimportant, insignificant matters. Focusing on such things can cause several problems for teens individually and socially. Sadness is one of, if not the most common emotion felt by teenagers and that is definitely not okay. So, it is important for parents and adults alike to communicate with their teens and for them to acknowledge the difficulties that their teen may be experiencing.
Teens may be reluctant to reach out for help when needed. They seek to feel independent and free. This is perfectly fine and some teenagers may even learn a thing or two by living without guidance. It is good for teens to be exposed to new things as long as they can benefit from them. Then again, evidently, teens can also be easily exposed to things that will affect them negatively such as drugs, alcohol and fighting. It’s becoming easier and easier for teens to access and do such things. In Windsor-Essex, I can confidently say that most, if not all teens have at least experimented with drugs and/or alcohol. Therefore, it is important to set boundaries and confront teenagers about their behaviour. As they are reluctant to ask for help, I think that it is up to adults to reach out to teens. Otherwise, I fear that the situation will only get worse and that the future generations will be the ones to suffer the consequences of our irresponsible actions.
Overall, I think that it is essential that adults have at least a little bit of understanding when it comes to teenagers. After all, they are those who will pave the way for future generations. Even if they may be complicated, they are essential to the development of our society and we must treat them as such. It is important that adults lessen the pressure put on teens to be perfect and exceed their expectations, communicate and acknowledge possible problems and set boundaries for their teens. In doing these things, I am confident that relationships between adults and teens will improve exponentially and the future will look much brighter for generations to come.
at 6:11 PM Labels: Communication, Emotions, Essex, Experience, Joy Smith, Relationships, Teenagers, Understanding, Windsor
