Conflict in the Lives of Adolescents

One word can be used to sum up adolescence...Awkward!

Adolescents are still trying to figure out who they are as individuals.  They may be trying to find a balance between doing what their parents expect of them and doing what they want to do.  For these reasons, this is often a time of low self-esteem and low confidence.  Adolescence is generally very difficult because people of this age face peer pressures and are often unable to cope with those pressures or make reasonable decisions.  They may also be trying to find a balance between not quite being a child yet not quite being an adult and this will confuse them, making it hard for them to make decisions.  Adolescents wish to be more independent and are starting to think about their futures.  In trying to figure out who they are, they may change friend groups often or try to become part of an established friend group.  Basically, adolescence is a time of great physical and emotional disruption. I think all adolescents feel stressed, confused, and a little lost, realizing they are a single individual living in a big world, unsure of whom they should become.