During adolescence, changes in the body and hormones, along with an expanding social environment provide a powerful starting point for the development of a young person’s identity. A teenager begins to see their parents in a different light and increasingly seeks approval from other places
As developmental stages are always individual, the process of separating from the parents and becoming independent also proceeds at an individual pace.
Emotional fluctuations and occasional regression are typical at this age. A young person struggling with them will still need a lot of support from you and the rest of their family. Even if at times you feel that your encouragement is not doing anything, your expressions of acceptance still provide your child with the valuable knowledge that they are valued by their family as they are.
The importance of peers
During adolescence, friendships increasingly shape a young person’s self-esteem and self-image. A teenager needs meaningful and high-quality friendships to build a healthy image of themself.
If a teenager is struggling to find their place, encourage them to expand their everyday circles. A sense of belonging, which is important for wellbeing and self-esteem, can grow through hobbies, volunteering, or any social network that is meaningful to the young person.
Read more about a teenager's friendships
The impact of social media
A teenager is usually unable to protect their mind from the limitless feed of social media influences: curated and edited photos, AI imagery, suggestive advertising and even malicious manipulation. Even for adults, it is becoming increasingly difficult to know what content is true and what is false or artificial.
At first, you can aim on agreeing concrete rules for using a mobile device with the teenagers: where, how and how much they should use it. You also need to prepare them for the future and independent life. So do your best to equip the young person with critical media literacy.
Help them understand aspects such as
- what are the differences between a fact, an assumption and a claim
- what kind of sources can they trust and to what extent
- the different motivations for people and organisations to produce media content.