“The only journey is the journey within.”
Rainer Maria Rilke
“All wonders you seek are within
yourself.”
Sir Thomas Browne
“The greatest explorer on this earth never
takes voyages as long as those of the man who descends to the depth of his
heart.”
Julien Green
“There is only one corner of the universe
you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.”
Aldous Huxley
WHO ARE TEENAGERS?
Young people in the period of adolescence are referred
to as adolescents or teenagers or simply as teens.
The period of adolescence is filled with physical,
intellectual, social and emotional changes. Teens discover themselves and try new relationships
to the world around them. They try to establish their autonomy, they want to
spend more time with their friends than with their family, they keep a diary,
lock up their rooms and become more argumentative.
Most common teens problems:
Labile Emotions
Adolescents can shift moods rapidly, vacillating
between happiness and sadness, self-confidence and worry. Some of these mood
changes are caused by biological sources. Moreover, complex social interactions
such as conflicts with friends, school pressures and experimentation with
romantic relationships can exacerbate the labile emotional state of
adolescents.
Personal Identity
Adolescence is a time when teenagers begin to explore
and assert their personal identities. It is common for adolescents to have an
unstable sense of self and try out new personal labels and associate with
various peer groups.
Peer Relationships
During adolescence, relationships with peers begin to be
more important than relationships with the family. Teenagers often place a
stronger emphasis on their friends’ perceptions and values. So, during the
adolescence, teens might be strongly influenced by their peers’ beliefs and
behaviours.
Self-centered Attitudes
It is often difficult for adolescents to look at
circumstances from other people’s perspectives. This is due, in part, to their
still-developing brain structures. So, adolescents can appear as self-centered
and focused on their own needs without considering how those needs affect
others.
BULLYING
This is a big
problem among adolescents. Bullying is the act of intentionally
causing harm to others, through verbal harassment, physical assault, or other
more subtle methods of coercion such as manipulation.
Studies show that people who are abused by their peers
are at risk for mental health problems, such as low self-esteem, stress,
depression, or anxiety. Bullies are at risk for problems, too. Bullying is
violence, and it often leads to more violent behaviour as the bully grows up.
SCHOOL PROBLEMS
The School constitutes a large part of an adolescent’s
existence. School problems during the adolescent years may be the result of
rebellion and a need for independence. Teenagers can manifest tensions of attending the classes, examinations and tests, fear about
failure in examinations,
fear about low marks, fear and
concern about a future career and fear to disappoint their parents.
Teens are always rebel and argumentative with their parents because they need to find their identity. Moreover, they need more privacy, so when they are at home they tend to stay in their own rooms by themselves...
... or at the phone with their friends for hours!
Now, watch this video and give your opinion.
What do you think going through adolescence means?
What do you think will be the best thing about growing up?
What are you not looking forward to about adolescence?
Are there any teenagers that you admire?
Are you facing any problems? This is the link of teacher Chiara's video (see the comment below). That's great!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXVAgr8riRU
Another teacher joined us! She's a teacher of French (see her comment below) and she sent me an interesting text by a French neurologist. Here it is!
A students' drawing
