Adolescent’s psychosocial development
According to WHO data, the world now has more young people than ever. Of the 7.2 billion human beings who inhabit the earth, more than 3 billion are under 25 years old. This represents 42 % of the world population. Around 1.2 billion of these young people are teenagers between 10 and 19 years.
Adolescence is a critical age for the formation of the human being. During this stage the individual suffers a series of changes, physical, psychological and emotional that will sit the guideline to define his adult life. During that transition, individuals become more independent, form new and more stable relationships, develop social skills and acquire skills that will accompany them for the rest of their life.
This stage is characterized by being full of self-discovery and experimentation, but it can also be one of the most challenging periods that the human being has to face.
Omar Mondaca, mentions that at this stage questions arise such as: What am I? Where I go? What do I really want? What can I achieve?
One of the fundamental changes that happen at that stage is the psychosocial development suffered by the individual. Although not as visible as physical change, it implies drastic modifications in relationships, important decision -making, the influence of society and the importance of acceptance of peers that happens to take a more relevant place than that of the family.
The objective of this essay is to carry out an analysis of the stages, changes and the challenges of adolescent psychosocial development to determine what both components have (psychological and social) in the growth and maturity of the individual in the current context.
Psychosocial is basically defined as the interaction of the person with their environment. The concept of psychosocial refers to an interdisciplinary approach to the knowledge of the human that mixes psychology, which traditionally focused on the subject individually, with the social. A psychosocial approach analyzes man immersed in his culture. This is why we consider it essential to contextualize the analysis of contemporary social reality. Limping the risks and challenges facing today’s teenager.
There is little consensus regarding when adolescence begins and ends, among other things, because although its beginning is generally associated with biological phenomena (puberty) and its term to psychosocial milestones (adoption of roles and responsibilities of adulthood), there is great variabilityindividual at the ages in which both occur. Even so, it is clear that this stage has been prolonged by the advancement of puberty evidenced during the twentieth century (related to improvements in hygiene, nutrition and child health) and especially due to the delay that has occurred in the achievement of theSocial maturity. Nowadays young people take longer to complete their education, which delays their incorporation into stable work and with it the acquisition of their independence and the adoption of roles of adulthood.
Adolescence has been traditionally defined by the World Health Organization as the period between 10 and 19 years of age. Psychosocial development in adolescence presents in general common characteristics and a progressive pattern of 3 phases. There is no uniformity in the terminology used to designate these stages, there is also no homogeneity regarding the age ranges that would include, however, in its "psychosocial development of the adolescent", Verónica Gaeta defines the following: Early, middle and late adolescence.
Early adolescence: from 10 to 13-14 years.
This stage is characterized by the existence of egocentrism. Adolescent egocentrism is evidenced – among other things – through the existence of a general focus itself. The teenager is very focused on his own behavior, body changes and physical appearance. He also builds in his own thought an "imaginary audience" and reacts to her. He feels that he is constantly on a stage, as the main actor, and that he is the center of attention of an audience consisting of all his peers.
Psychological development:
There is emotional lability, a tendency to magnify the personal situation, lack of impulse control, and need for immediate gratification and privacy. In addition, the ability to expression and in the vocational sphere increases, young people present non -realistic or idealistic goals.
Cognitive development:
Beginning of the emergence of abstract or formal thinking. Decision making begins to involve more complex skills, which are essential for creativity and academic performance of a higher level.
Social development:
The mobilization out of the family begins. The desire for the young man’s independence increases and decreases his interest in family activities. The peer group acquires greater importance and the adolescent becomes more dependent on friendships as a source of well -being.
Average adolescence: from 14-15 to 16-17 years.
The central fact in this period is the affective distancing of the family and the approach to the peer group.
Psychological development:
The new sense of individuality continues to increase. However, self-image is very dependent on third -party opinion.
Psychological development:
The tendency to impulsivity persists.
Cognitive development:
Increase in abstract thinking and reasoning and creativity skills. The teenager no longer accepts the norm, until knowing the principle that governs it.
Social development:
The involvement of the adolescent in the peer subculture reaches its maximum. There is no other stage in which the peer group is more powerful and influential.
Late adolescence: from 17-18 years onwards.
For most adolescents it is a period of greatest tranquility and increase in personality integration.
Psychological development:
Identity is firmer in its various aspects. self-image is no longer defined by peers, but depends on the adolescent itself. Interests are more stable and there is awareness of personal limits and limitations.
There is firmly established abstract thinking. Increases the ability to predict consequences and problem solving capacity.
Decrease in the influence of the peer group, whose values become less important as the adolescent feel more comfortable with his own principles and identity.
Challenges in the current context
Being a teenager in the 21st century is very different from what was decades ago. Especially for technological development and changes in the way in which human beings connect. The presence of social networks is what differentiates current adolescents from previous generations. Although it has many advantages, it also affects adolescents negatively. Sometimes being "online" precedent over other more productive activities. You can also expose them to images, people and other extreme content that affects their behaviors and beliefs. Although violence on the screen has always been a problem, in this digital era, movies, television shows and video games are easily accessible. Interaction with cyberspace are difficult to monitor and track. There has also been a change in how bullying is experienced. This phenomenon is not new but the Internet and social networks have led it to a new level. It no longer happens only in schools and recreational spaces. Today bullying also happens online in the modality called cyberbulling that can be even more harmful. At any time, the adolescent can be subject to teasing, by photos, videos or rumors that spread in real time and that are difficult to track their source of origin.
In conclusion we can say that society imposes the adolescent a change of status, which includes the need for independence and to seek the future outside the family, together with the need for autonomy of young people in relation to their parents, creating in adolescentan intrapsychic struggle and an ambivalence regarding dependence-independence. This imposition collides with the psychological and emotional changes that the individual is in case they experience and create a complex stage and in many occasions tormented but necessary to healthily travel to adulthood to adulthood. In this period, in which rapid and great changes occur, the person becomes both biological, psychologically and socially mature and capable of living independently.
In Louise J’s words. Kaplan, “adolescence represents an internal emotional shock, a struggle between eternal human desire to cling to the past and the equally powerful desire to move forward with the future."
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