Introduction
In many ways, adolescence presents the most critical period for social development. Bergin and Bergin (2018) state that a person’s personality and role confusion crisis occurs during adolescence, enabling aspiring educators to build a setting that supports each teenager’s best growth. Adolescents transition from the restricted responsibilities of childhood to the more expansive roles of adulthood through the social development process, expanding their social networks and experiencing peer influence.
Key Points
Peer Influence
Peer impact rises in a teen’s life as parental influence declines. Whereas genes may not, an adolescent’s peers can play a role in developing temperament and personality characteristics. According to Van Breda (2018), teenagers frequently emphasize the here and now more than the future when around their peers. Adolescence is a time when conformity is a survival strategy since it feels beautiful to blend in and like what everyone else loves.
Interaction
Adolescents’ habit of growing more sensitive to other people’s emotions is one feature of social development that encourages having an extensive social network. In adolescence, a person’s capacity for empathy and understanding of the distinctive characteristics of people grows (Van Breda, 2018). Adolescents start to explore their inner experiences and verbally communicate their feelings, even though young people often start expressing some complicated emotions early in life.
Social Networking
Adolescents are better prepared to take on more societal roles due to the changes they go through physically, mentally, and emotionally. Adolescents may communicate more deeply and express their feelings more effectively when their intellectual and emotional development are combined (Van Breda, 2018). Physical growth indicates that adolescents mature into adults and may be given more responsibility. Adolescents might take on new responsibilities, such as acting as a confidante or a potential partner or undertaking leadership roles in their schools, teams, or churches.
Learning Issue
Media Use
The media has become an indispensable part of today’s daily lives. It affects us and is utilized in practically all facets of daily life. Media engages students more successfully than traditional techniques and helps teachers communicate knowledge to students (Crone & Konijn, 2018). It also has numerous advantages for both learners and educators. I chose this issue because it is one of the most tempting areas for adolescents. Using social networking platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and others can make pupils addicted to the point of depression, a severe issue of which teachers should be aware.
Principles Relating to Adolescents Development
Positive teenage development principles include fostering collaboration with responsible adults, beneficial peer relations, excellent physical and psychological healthcare, practical learning and employment skills, and chances for leadership and autonomous decision-making. Crone and Konijn (2018) support that these principles greatly help to reduce the effects of media use as adolescents get more life coaching. Adult interventions centered on informative outreach programs for parents and teens that promote excellent and productive web activity, self-protection of private details, and honest parent-teen interaction may prove more logical and helpful.
I have experienced one incidence of peer influence in my practice. I was involved in a group with my friends, and we were supposed to submit a project that needed money to implement. My friends suggested gambling with the bit of money we had, believing it could be doubled. I did not trust the idea, but I wanted to fit in with my friends, so I accepted. After placing the bet, we lost the money and needed something to use for the project. It was a bad experience that taught me against peer pressure.
Conclusion
Adolescent youth experience profound changes in every part of their lives as they journey from childhood to adulthood. Most adolescents are doing well, but many indulge in risky actions, form unhealthy lifestyles, and suffer from physical and mental health issues that can endanger their instant health and contribute to poor adulthood health. However, adolescence can be difficult and sometimes overpowering for adolescents and their families.
References
Bergin, C. C., & Bergin, D. A. (2018). Child and adolescent development in your classroom, chronological approach. Cengage Learning.
Crone, E. A., & Konijn, E. A. (2018). Media use and brain development during adolescence. Nature Communications, 9(1). Web.
Van Breda, A. (2018). A critical review of resilience theory and its relevance for Social Work. Social Work, 54(1). Web.