What are the issues faced by today’s teenagers?
What are the issues faced by today’s teenagers? Only a few decades ago, the most common problems teens faced were finding a career path and starting a family. In fact, the word “ teenager” wasn’t even a thing until the 1920s. Today, however, teens are facing problems unique to our time. Teenagers face real concerns between 13 and 19 years of age, on a daily basis as this is the most awkward growth stage of their lives. During this time, teens are exposed to some overwhelming external and internal struggles. They are expected to cope with hormonal changes, puberty, social and parental forces, work and school pressures, and feeling of misunderstood. When I see parents of teenagers at my clinic the conversation is mainly complaints about raising teenagers and managing their tantrums. What we need is a paradigm shift of who our teens are and a clearer view of our role as parents. 1. Acceptance Even the most self-assured person struggles with acceptance from time to tim...