Adolescence is a time of great change. The changes that occur during adolescence are physical, cognitive, and social. Adolescence is also a time of great vulnerability. The choices made during adolescence can have a lasting impact on the rest of one’s life.
Physical changes during adolescence include growth in height and weight, sexual maturity, and changes in brain development. Cognitive changes include an increased ability to think abstractly and reason logically. Social changes include increased independence and the formation of intimate relationships.
Adolescent development is a complex process. There are many factors that can influence how an adolescent develops. These factors include family, friends, school, community, and culture. Adolescent development is also influenced by biological factors such as genes and hormones.
Adolescence is a time of great opportunity. It is a time when young people can learn and grow in many different ways. Adolescence is also a time when young people can make mistakes. It is important to remember that mistakes are part of the process of learning and growing.
There are many resources available to help adolescents navigate the changes of adolescence. These resources include books, websites, articles, and counseling services. Adolescents who feel supported and connected to others are more likely to thrive during this time of change.
Between an individual and their social environment, there are reciprocal influences. There are additional at-risk circumstances connected with the life of a developing adolescent that connect with a series of interconnected systems. As a growing adolescent, I remember rapidly maturing into adulthood due to the numerous social, economic, external and internal forces that influenced certain at-risk activities.
My social environment consisted of a single parent home, with little to no parental supervision, combined with an unstable household where violence was present. These at-risk factors quickly led to my involvement in a number of risky behaviors, including alcohol and drug use, fighting and skipping school.
While it is important to consider the at-risk factors involved in adolescent development, it is also essential to understand that adolescence is a time of great opportunity. Adolescents have the ability to develop new skills and talents, expand their horizons and learn about themselves and the world around them. With the right support systems in place, adolescents can overcome any number of challenges and become successful, happy adults.
This is a relatively short list, but it’s also one that I’ve been through time and time again. My dad was an alcoholic who died when I was little, my mom battled mental illness for many years, and my sister has faced severe depression. But the disaster of his death sparked in me a passion to live each day as fully incorporated into existence as possible—a feeling that became all-consuming.
It motivated me to get on with life; this gave way to discovering numerous interests and hobbies (such as writing). As a result of these influences, I have experienced everything from direct influence to indirect impact. I was influenced by the several environments I encountered, as well as the effect that I had on others’ environments. Attempting to exercise
The different types of influences in my life during adolescence were family, friends, school, media, and popular culture. Although each one of these had a different level of impact on my development, they all played a role in shaping who I am today.
Family was the most constant and formative influence throughout my adolescent years. My parents provided a stable home environment and gave me love and support when I needed it. They also taught me values that I still hold dear today. Even though we didn’t always see eye to eye, I knew that they had my best interests at heart.
Friends were also a big part of my life during adolescence. I spent a lot of time with my friends, and we went through many experiences together. We shared a lot of laughter and tears, and they helped me to navigate the ups and downs of adolescence.
School was another influence in my life during adolescence. I spent a lot of time at school, and it was a big part of my social life. I made friends at school, and I also experienced some challenges there. School was a place where I learned a lot about myself and the world around me.
Media and popular culture were also influences in my life during adolescence. I was exposed to many different messages through the media, and I was also influenced by the people around me who followed popular culture. I saw how the media portrayal of adolescents could be unrealistic, and I also saw how popular culture could have a negative impact on people’s lives.
The ecological systems through which we develop are connected and embedded (McWhirter et al, 2013). The individual, microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem are examples of ecological systems (McWhirter et al, 2013). Genetic and biological factors as well as personality characteristics make up the individual (McWhirter et al, 2013). The people who the individual directly interacts with and who the individual interacts with form the microsystem (McWhirter et al, 2013).
The mesosystem consists of the relationships between the microsystems (McWhirter et al, 2013). The exosystem consists of indirect influences on the individual, such as the workplace of a parent (McWhirter et al, 2013). The macrosystem consists of the culture in which the individual lives and the larger social structures that the individual is a part of (McWhirter et al, 2013). Each system has an effect on adolescent development.
The microsystem has a direct effect on adolescent development. The people in the microsystem direct influence how the adolescent develops (McWhirter et al, 2013). The relationships within the microsystem are important to adolescent development because they provide support and role models (McWhirter et al, 2013). The mesosystem has an indirect effect on adolescent development. The relationships between the microsystems influence how the adolescent develops (McWhirter et al, 2013).
The exosystem has an indirect effect on adolescent development. The exosystem consists of the workplace of a parent (McWhirter et al, 2013). The macrosystem has an indirect effect on adolescent development. The culture in which the individual lives and the larger social structures that the individual is a part of influence how the adolescent develops (McWhirter et al, 2013).
Adolescence is a time of change. Adolescents go through physical, cognitive, and social changes (Arnett, 2000). Physical changes include puberty, which is the development of secondary sex characteristics (Arnett, 2000). Puberty is a process that starts with the production of gonadotropin-releasing hormone by the hypothalamus, which stimulates the pituitary gland to produce follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone (Arnett, 2000).
Follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone stimulate the testes to produce testosterone, and the ovaries to produce estrogen (Arnett, 2000). Testosterone and estrogen cause the physical changes of puberty (Arnett, 2000).
Cognitive changes include an increase in abstract thinking (Arnett, 2000). Abstract thinking is the ability to think about concepts that are not directly observable, such as freedom or justice (Arnett, 2000). Social changes include the development of a sense of identity and the formation of relationships (Arnett, 2000).
The development of a sense of identity includes the exploration of different roles and the development of a personal identity (Arnett, 2000). The formation of relationships includes the development of friendships, romantic relationships, and other social interactions (Arnett, 2000).