What age is a teenager? Physiological and psychological characteristics of adolescence

• November 7, 2019
• Psychology of Personality
• Angelica Braldi

Quite often, adults justify a child’s behavior and actions with the phrase: “He’s a teenager.” “What age is this?” — a similar question arises for everyone who faces difficulties in communicating with children. Really, who can be considered a teenager? A 16-year-old “minor” rebelling against everything in the world? Or an 11-year-old child defending his right to hang out with friends until late?

Every parent needs to know what exactly they are facing. With difficulties caused by growing up, restructuring of the body, or the most common hooliganism. Understanding these nuances is necessary in order to correctly structure your behavior in relation to the child’s actions. It will not be superfluous to know what exactly is meant in psychology by the concept of “adolescence.”

What it is?

At the beginning of the last century, the word “teenager” was almost never used; people usually said “youth.” However, after the revolution, they tried not to utter this word because it reeked of the bygone past. Now “youth” is associated with religion, the speeches of priests, and in everyday life the “teenager” and the English synonym “teenager” are used.

The scientific concept of “adolescence” appeared at the end of the 19th century. This happened largely due to the manifestation of interest in the problems of youth on the part of writers, philosophers, and thinkers of that time. For example, Dostoevsky in his novel “The Adolescent” describes the problems characteristic of youth no worse than psychologists do.

What is it? According to scientific definition, this is a specific age period in a person’s life. It is a transition between childhood and adulthood. Accordingly, it is characterized by many changes occurring both in physiology and in human consciousness.

Signs

Since the symptoms of the 17-year-old crisis manifest themselves quite clearly, parents immediately notice the changes occurring in the teenager.

Fears

First of all, the crisis manifests itself in constant fears about everything that is happening:

• How will the new life turn out?
• How many points will the exams be worth?
• Will you be able to get in?
• Have you chosen the right educational institution?
• What happens if they draft you into the army?

The burden of expectations from others, responsibility towards oneself and parents become the cause of increased anxiety, and in some cases, stress. If in the end your fears are at least partially realized, you are not far from depression, which threatens suicide. Having not passed the Unified State Exam, the teenager thinks that this is a shame, his life is over, he won’t go anywhere now, he will be drafted into the army. He is ashamed that he did not live up to expectations. Those who are especially suspicious and exhausted from the stress of recent months swallow pills, throw themselves under cars, and step out the window. To exclude such a scenario, understanding and loving parents should always be nearby.

Neurotic reactions

Autonomic disorders:

• dizziness;
• muscle twitching and cramps;
• increased heart rate;
• chest pain;
• pressure surges;
• lack of air;
• gastrointestinal disorders;
• increased sweating.

Emotional disturbances:

• unstable mood;
• irritability;
• decreased performance;
• self-doubt, self-criticism, increased demands on oneself;
• feeling of hopelessness, pessimism;
• depression;
• increased level of anxiety.

Neurotic reactions characteristic of a youth crisis are unstable and multisystem in nature.

Youthful maximalism

This is one of the main signs of the crisis of 17 years, which manifests itself:

• categorical judgments;
• intractability;
• stubbornness;
• excessive self-confidence;
• the desire not to be like everyone else;
• inflated demands on oneself and others;
• uncompromisingness;
• inadequate perception of criticism, when the slightest remark seems to be a real declaration of war;
• excessive passion in defending one's opinions and arguments;
• dividing the world into white and black, people into good and bad, without intermediate options or halftones;
• desire to have the best.

Psychologists explain youthful maximalism by selfishness, lack of experience and flexibility of thinking.

When does it start and end?

What age is a teenager? Modern science does not give a clear answer to this question. The following factors influence the scope of this period:

• the country or region in which the child lives;
• nationality and gender;
• cultural characteristics;
• social conditions.

In general, the maximum period of adolescence is the age from 10 to 19 years. Of course, not every person on the threshold of their twenties is a teenager, and not every child begins to grow up from the tenth year of life. On average, a teenager is considered a person between the ages of 12 and 17 years. However, the age at which a child is considered a teenager depends on the individual characteristics of his development.

Other milestones

Seventeen-year-olds may experience a variety of things for the first time. Some of them get a driver's license and a car. Others take part-time jobs. Others may experiment with more risky behaviors, such as unprotected sex, alcohol, or drugs. 1

And for some teens, 17 is the first time they've experienced a serious romantic relationship and maybe even their first heartbreak. Also, beware of unhealthy dating relationships, including teen dating violence. Many teenagers have difficulty coping with problems similar to adults.

How is the period of growing up divided?

As for dividing the period of growing up into separate stages, the United Nations has adopted the following classification:

• early – from 10 to 14;
• late – from 14 to 19.

This is the division that is followed in most countries, and it is generally accepted and international.

Of course, there are other options for dividing growing up into separate stages. For example, in the Soviet Union it was believed that early adolescence was 12-14 years old, and late adolescence was 15-17.

You were born in 2002 or 2003

2002 - 1st of January. The European Union introduced euro coins and banknotes, which became the single currency for most EU countries and played an important role in stabilizing the global European economy.

October. After 50 years, the restoration of the railway between North and South Korea began.

October 23. In Moscow, Russia, Chechen terrorists took hostages in a theater on Dubrovka. Three days later, on October 26, all the terrorists were killed during the assault by special forces. One of the hostages died from a bullet wound, the remaining 116 people died from exposure to the gas used during the assault.

2003 - 20th of March. Military operations began in Iraq.

September 27. The automatic station “Smart-1” was launched to study the Moon.

2004 — Bloodless revolutions took place in Georgia, Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan, as a result of which more democratic leaders came to power.

1st of May. The European Union has expanded its scope with the inclusion of ten new countries.

June. The world's largest social network - Facebook - has been created.

2005 - 5 January. Eris, the largest of the dwarf planets in our solar system, has been discovered.

2006 - March 29. The first total eclipse of the sun in the 21st century could be observed in Russia.

24 August. Scientists have stripped Pluto of its planetary status. This decision was made at the congress of the International Astronomy Union in Prague, Czech Republic.

2007 — Genetics have discovered modifications in the human body that are responsible for the development of certain diseases. After DNA analysis, it became possible to identify a predisposition to certain diseases.

2008 - February 17. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia.

8 August. Military operations began in South Ossetia.

November 4. Presidential elections took place in the United States. The first black president in the history of the state, Barack Obama, became the head of the state.

2009 — August 17. A disaster occurred at the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station. Hundreds of people became victims. The cause of the problems was a series of shortcomings and a failure in the redistribution of electricity in the power system.

2010 - 18th of March. Russian mathematician Grigory Perelman proved the Poincaré conjecture, which was considered one of the unsolvable Problems of the Millennium. For this, the Clay Mathematical Institute awarded him a prize of $1 million, which he refused.

April 10th. A plane crash occurred over Smolensk, in which Lech Kaczynski, the President of Poland, his wife Maria Kaczynskaya, the high military command, Polish politicians, as well as religious and public figures (97 people in total) died.

The first living cell was created in which its own DNA was replaced with DNA created artificially. Humanity has received new tools for developing technologies for artificially growing organs.

2011 - 11th of March. In Japan, off the northeastern coast, an earthquake occurred, the magnitude of which reached 8.9. As a result of the earthquake, a devastating tsunami arose, as a result of which over 15 thousand people died, several thousand are considered missing.

May 2. Osama bin Laden, the “No. 1” terrorist in the world, the leader of Al-Qaeda, who, in particular, is considered responsible for the September 11 terrorist attack, was killed.

September 7. An international charter flight crashed near Yaroslavl. On board the plane was the team of the Lokomotiv hockey club, which was flying to Minsk. 44 people died, one survived.

October 31. The seven billionth inhabitant of the Earth was born in Kaliningrad.

2012 - February 21. In Moscow, in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, a scandalous punk prayer service of the PussyRiot group took place, three members of which were detained by the police.

December 1. Russia has headed the G20 (G20), a forum of representatives of countries with the most developed economies: Australia, Japan, Argentina, South Africa, Brazil, South Korea, Great Britain, France, Germany, Turkey, India, USA, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Mexico, Canada, China.

2013 - February, 15. A meteorite fell in the Urals - the largest celestial body that collided with the surface of the Earth after the Tunguska meteorite. Because of the “Chelyabinsk” meteorite (it exploded in the vicinity of Chelyabinsk), 1,613 people were injured.

February, 15. Asteroid 2012 DA14 flew by at the minimum distance from planet Earth (27,000 km). This was the closest distance in the entire history of astronomy.

March 13. The most powerful telescope on the planet begins operating in the Atacama Desert, Chile.

2014 — February 7-23. The XXII Winter Olympic Games took place in Sochi.

18th of March. Putin V.V. signed an agreement on the admission of the Crimean Peninsula and Sevastopol to Russia. This agreement comes into force from the moment of ratification by the Federal Assembly - March 21.

October 26. Permanent winter time introduced

2015 - Jan. 7. A terrorist attack took place at the office of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris, based on a caricature of the Prophet Mohammed previously posted in the magazine. 12 people were killed and 11 people were injured.

What is happening in the psychology of teenagers? Main features

The psychological characteristics of adolescents are inextricably linked with the changes occurring in their body and mind. This is an extremely controversial time, filled with rapidly occurring changes that yesterday’s children cannot always cope with.

The main features of psychology at this age correlate with adulthood. This is the tendency towards her and her feeling. It is generally accepted that younger teenagers tend to mature. For those who are older, accordingly, a feeling, a sense of their own adulthood, is characteristic.

It is what a teenager feels that determines his behavior, manner of speaking, and actions.

The tendency to grow older - what is it?

The first main feature of the psychology of a teenager is the tendency towards adulthood. What does this mean? The fact that a teenager wants to be an adult and strives to demonstrate this by all possible means.

It is in the presence of a tendency, but in the absence of awareness, a sense of adulthood, that teenagers begin to be rude, break established rules and generally rebel. This psychological stage is characterized by awareness of rights to something with a complete absence of a sense of responsibility.

Feeling of adulthood: how is it characterized?

When adults ask the question: “What age is a teenager?” - then, as a rule, they just want to know when their child will calm down and become sweet, kind and good again. However, teenagers stop being hooligans and being rude not at all when adolescence ends, but at the moment when in their minds the tendency to grow up changes to a feeling. That is, as soon as a teenager gains a sense of adulthood, his behavior changes radically.

How is this feeling characterized? First of all, awareness of responsibility for one’s own actions and words. Secondly, an understanding of the value of things and the meaning of money appears. Teenagers no longer just want to be a hooligan and rebel against existing rules; they are trying to earn extra money and save pocket money to buy something. They are also more consistent in their wishes for holiday gifts to parents.

At what age do children become teenagers with a sense of adulthood, rather than a tendency towards it? There is no answer to this question. Personality development occurs individually and largely depends on the conditions in which the child lives.

How does physiology change?

Teenagers aged 12-16 not only behave differently, but also look differently. What is happening in their body? The body begins to mature and change in the same way as consciousness. Some changes happen gradually, while others seem to appear out of nowhere, frightening teenagers.

During the transition period, puberty begins and ends. At this time, girls begin their periods and the menstrual cycle is established. Young men experience wet dreams and spontaneous erections occur. Of course, secondary sexual characteristics also appear.

In addition to changes associated with the reproductive system, other processes are also taking place. The voice changes, body hair appears. A new hormonal balance is established inside the body, and metabolism also changes. The physiological characteristics of adolescents are that a large number of different processes simultaneously take place in their bodies, which can negatively affect the functionality of internal organs. For example, heart rhythm may be disturbed, intestinal upset or renal dysfunction may occur periodically. However, the most common disorder is fat metabolism, which causes the hair to become greasy and the face to become covered with acne.

But if there is a hereditary tendency to serious diseases during adolescence, one should exercise increased caution and undergo regular medical examinations.

How to communicate with a teenager

All adults were once teenagers. Memories about yourself during the transition period, about your actions, and the emotions you experienced can help parents understand the reasons for the difficult behavior of their children. But comparing your son or daughter to yourself is not the best solution. A child is a completely different person, with his own mental reality and vision of the world.

To avoid losing contact with your child, you should:

1. Be interested in and support his hobbies. If you can’t do an interesting activity together, then don’t criticize or devalue your child’s interest.
2. Pay attention to physical changes, but try to behave delicately and not focus on the child’s appearance. It is worth encouraging him, reminding him that you love him. It is important to help cope with problematic issues that trouble a teenager. If you need to lose a few pounds, exercise with him. If you need to update your wardrobe, help with this.
3. Listen carefully and talk less - a rule that helps parents maintain a trusting relationship with their children. Do not try to teach or give advice until the child himself asks for it. Don't forget to ask his opinion on various issues. This will give the teenager a sense of self-worth.
4. Hug your child. Teenagers, as before, need a caring and warm attitude. But tenderness should be shown appropriately - it is unlikely that a 16-year-old boy or girl will enthusiastically embrace the idea of ​​hugging his mother in front of his friends.

Accept your child for who he is. Don’t try to make your copy out of it or create a non-existent ideal. Your child is an individual who does not need a mask.

What are the features of mental development during adolescence?

What age is a teenager in terms of mental development? What is its importance? Unfortunately, many parents do not realize that during adolescence, not only the male or female nature is formed, but also the human psyche.

Psychologists identify three key, main characteristics of the transition period:

• social development;
• activity;
• neoplasms.

Social development in this age period primarily refers to communication with peers. If in childhood a person’s priority was the opinion of his parents, grandparents, and teachers, then in adolescence the situation changes. The most important thing at this age is the opinion of peers and slightly older children. It is their approval that a teenager seeks.

What is meant by activity? Psychological processes occurring during everyday activities. For example, at school a teenager compares himself with others, and he forms an idea of ​​his own personality. When mastering a subject, a teenager no longer evaluates it at the level of interest, but from the point of view of whether he is ready to do it or not.

Neoplasms are all those mental processes that were not characteristic of a child, but appeared in the mind of a teenager. That is, they should include both interest in the opposite sex and an understanding of the value of things and money.

Peculiarities

For the first time, a detailed description of the crisis of 17 years was given by the famous Soviet psychologist L. S. Vygotsky. It was he who identified the leading type of activity, mental neoplasms, typical social situations inherent in a given age period, and gave basic recommendations for correcting the behavior and personal development of adolescents.

Mental neoplasms of crisis:

• value-semantic self-regulation of behavior;
• formation of an internal position that is different from others, awareness of one’s individuality;
• building a clear hierarchy of values, stable views on the world - a worldview is formed;
• development of protective mechanisms against outside intrusion;
• self-determination - personal and professional;
• development of logical intelligence and hypothetico-deductive thinking;
• active use of rational techniques for voluntary memorization of information;
• acquisition of metacognitive skills;
• improving mastery of the operations of analysis and synthesis, argumentation and proof, generalization and abstraction.

The leading activity is balancing between socialization (the desire to communicate) and isolation (the desire for loneliness, distrust of others).

The main manifestations are fears and youthful maximalism.

Periodization:

• early crisis (15-17 years old) - associated with the first exams and manifests itself in those who leave school after 9th grade;
• normal (17 years old) - a classic example of an age crisis at 17 years old;
• late (17-18 years old) - observed in those who remain to live with their parents and have not decided on their choice of profession.

The main problem is excessive self-absorption and ignoring interpersonal relationships. This imbalance becomes the psychological basis for feelings of loneliness and social isolation.

Teenage angst

Specific fears are also age-related characteristics. In older adolescence, children tend to be afraid of the following:

• don't be yourself;
• failures, failures, incidents;
• punishment and condemnation from peers;
• physical imperfection or deformity;
• loneliness;
• lack of prospects and opportunities for self-realization.

Each of these fears is inherent to all teenagers to one degree or another. The task of parents is not to dissuade the teenager, but not to fix his attention on a specific experience, not to turn youthful fear into a phobia.

It is quite paradoxical that at the stage of early adolescence, teenagers have almost no fear of independent life, but, on the contrary, strive for it in every possible way. However, as soon as the tendency towards adulthood changes to her feeling, this fear immediately arises.

Teenagers are no longer children, but they cannot be considered adults either. This statement is true both in relation to the psyche and in matters of physiology and social skills.

When to worry

If the thought of sending your 17-year-old out into the real world within the next year scares you, you're not alone. Many parents cannot imagine their teenager navigating the adult world on their own. But often between 17 and 18 years of age there is significant growth. And during this year, teenagers are ready to go to college, the military or work.

If your teen seems particularly ill-prepared for the realities of adulthood, you may want to talk to your child's doctor. You should also be concerned if you notice major changes in your teen's mood or behavior. Decreased grades, changes in sleep patterns, changes in weight or appetite are just a few symptoms that may indicate a mental health problem or another underlying problem. 3

Word from mentalar

As your 17-year-old approaches milestones like graduating from high school and his first year of college, you may begin to wonder if you've done everything you can to prepare him for life outside the home. But it's important to remind yourself that it's not too late for teens to learn new skills like managing money, staying safe, and even cooking their own food.

Proactively look for areas in your teen's life where they may need to sharpen their life skills. As their parent, you play an important role in guiding and teaching them to become the best version of themselves that they can be. And if you hit a few roadblocks along the way, don't be afraid to seek help from a pediatrician or psychiatrist.