Introduction
Emotional development varies by age group and is characterized by an increased capacity to perceive, evaluate, and manage emotions. This biological mechanism is significantly influenced by context and surroundings and is driven by physical and psychological changes. Consequently, adolescents will notice shifts in how they perceive and feel about themselves and the world. In addition, during adolescence, there is an enhanced awareness of complicated emotional processes, such as feeling guilty about feeling furious or embarrassed for feeling terrified. Consequently, this study will examine normal emotional development in teenagers and differences in physical development and growth between boys and girls.
Typical Emotional Development in Adolescents
Experiencing Mood Swings
Teenagers undergo mood fluctuations as part of the maturation process. During puberty, an individual’s body is flooded with many new hormones that cause many emotional changes that make it challenging to keep up. They have difficulty practicing expressing emotions and emotional demands. Therefore, instead of lashing out, it is advisable to discuss your feelings. Consider keeping a notebook to assist in organizing their thoughts and emotions. Moreover, Carr (2017) suggests that at one moment, they feel as if they are delighted, and at the next, they want to shout their lungs out. This mood instability makes it harder for adolescents to form and keep friendships, increasing their vulnerability to psychiatric issues.
Getting Detached from their Parents
Teens desire greater autonomy and emotional detachment from their parents, yet, their focus frequently changes to social relationships and connections. This includes same-gender friendships, same-gender friend groups, and mixed-gender friendships. Sexual maturity is attained through interactions with peers, which sparks a desire for dating and intimate activities. By separating from their parents, adolescents begin to learn how to solve difficulties on their own. As adolescents increase their thinking and intuition abilities, they begin to assume greater responsibilities and fantasize about their future and adulthood.
Feeling overly sensitive
One of the most challenging mood symptoms in adolescence is the intensification of one’s emotions. Higher awareness of their environment, increased hormones, and social pressures to conform can all amp up their feelings. They could become depressed or irrational at the dropping of a hat. Effective communication will make these feelings more tolerable.
Feeling Self-Conscious
It is common for adolescents to feel self-conscious regarding their developing bodies. It is common knowledge that it can be challenging to accept a body change at a time when blending in with peers is so crucial; hence, everyone experiences self-consciousness at some point. In addition, Sznycer (2019) suggests that Self-conscious emotions are triggered, according to causal inference theories, when events related to the individual’s identity aspirations are attributed to internal sources. Additional attributions determine the precise emotion evoked by a given event. Guilt is triggered when circumstances are inconsistent with one’s identification objectives.
Experiencing Peer Pressure
As individuals progress through puberty, their social circle will become increasingly significant, subjecting them to peer pressure. Then, peers of the same age may attempt to persuade them to join in specific events to blend in. Adolescents are exceptionally adept at detecting and responding to interpersonal signs. Peer influence impacts adolescent males and girls differentially at a stage of development when gender roles may be particularly effective in forming perceived social standards. Furthermore, Sargent et al. (2018) state that due to general rises in antisocial behavior throughout adolescence, a pertinent desire for interpersonal belonging and celebrity status, and neurobehavioral changes in danger processes, adolescents are believed to be especially susceptible to unsociable peer pressure.
Experiencing Sensitivity toward others and making rushed Decision Making
Teenagers’ Sensitivity to one another differs in that, as they age, they become more adept at reading and comprehending the emotions of others. While developing these skills, they can misinterpret facial emotions and body language. This indicates that they may require assistance determining how others are feeling. In addition, adolescents at this age tend to act without much consideration. This suggests that their decision-making skills are still developing and that they are discovering that choices have repercussions and occasionally risks.
Psychological and Social Factors in Adolescents
Moodiness in adolescents is not simply caused by puberty; psychological and social variables also play a role. The most significant psychological changes throughout puberty and adolescent years include the creation of abstract thought, the rising ability to comprehend the views or points of view of others, an additional capacity for introspection, and the formation of individual and gender orientation. Changes in brain activity, such as challenges with thinking and comprehension, and variations in hormones that occur in the body of adolescents cause irritability. Friends, family, the media, and society are a few social factors that impact adolescents’ decisions this year.
Distinguishing Between Physical Growth in Boys and Girls
As children enter their adolescent years, they undergo distinct physical changes depending on their gender. It is typical for boys and girls to reach puberty at different ages. During adolescence, a boy’s body begins to produce testicles, whereby during an erection, semen, which is composed of sperm and other bodily fluids, may be discharged. This can sometimes occur while the adolescent sleeps and is known as a wet dream or nocturnal emission. Once sperm are produced and ejaculation occurs, a natural aspect of puberty, adolescent boys who engage in sexual activity can get pregnant.
The size of males’ bodies will rise, but their feet, arms, legs, and wrists may develop more rapidly than the rest of their bodies. Some males may have breast enlargement as a result of hormonal fluctuations. This is common among adolescent guys and is usually a short-term or transitory ailment. Voice alterations may develop when the voice gets deeper. The agent may occasionally crack during this time, but this transient condition will improve with time.
Boys will develop facial hair, armpit hair, and leg hair in addition to genital hair growth. As adolescent hormone levels rise, boys may experience an increase in greasy skin and sweat. This is a regular aspect of development, and washing regularly, particularly the face, is essential to prevent acne from developing. Teenage boys may begin to experience erections due to the enlargement of the penis. This occurs whenever the penis is full of blood and gets hard and erect. This is caused by hormonal fluctuations and may happen when the boy has sexual fantasies. Zemel (2019) states that in addition to increasing size and stamina, boys’ hand-eye synchronization and motor abilities, such as receiving and throwing a ball, will also improve over time.
The first sign of puberty to be recognized among females is developing breasts, which may be an embarrassing and arduous process, particularly if individuals compare themselves to their peers or superstars or if others recognize and comment negatively. It is natural for breasts to mature at varying speeds and keep growing until the right age. Girls‘ nipples will also alter during adolescence, and they may turn pink or brown or sprout rare hair that is completely natural. Breast size and form generally run in the family. Therefore the mother’s breasts can be a good sign of how the daughters might look. Additionally, a person’s weight can also impact the shape and size of their breasts. During a girl’s growth phase, they may realize that they have gained weight, particularly in their hips, which have become much more rounded.
Each month, girls have menstruation, during which the lining of the uterus hardens. If an ova produced by the ovary has not yet been fertilized by sperm, it will be expelled together with the fluid from the uterus. This blood will exit the body via the vagina. Despite the appearance, only a few tablespoons of blood are shed during each period. The blood flow is often heavier during the first two days and might extend up to seven days. During menstruation, the cervix may produce clear or creamy-coloured secretions whenever there is no bleeding. Additionally, this substance will be expelled by the vagina.
Application of Emotional and Physical Growth in a Professional Setting
I would assist adolescents by improving their self-consciousness by not assuming that adolescents will learn facts in school or from their peers. Guarantee them that everybody experiences change and occasionally begins to feel self-conscious and emotional. I will discuss my teenage years and any comparable changes they may have undergone. Encouraging adolescents to consult a consultant or healthcare professional will be ideal if they continue to have concerns.
I would listen closely to the adolescents to determine how they fit inside their peer group. Recognize that they may require additional time both alone and with their peers. Support them to seek nonverbal interactions and comprehend what they imply in diverse contexts. Become a role model for good relationships. I would suggest that they get family support which is a significant cushion for many of the psychological challenges experienced throughout this time. However, this may not be immediately apparent.
I would inform them how I feel whenever they act in a certain way; it would help them learn to recognize and react to emotions. Additionally, it demonstrates positive and beneficial relationships with others. This requires refraining from lecturing and providing adolescents more time to think and develop personalized solutions. We must thus stop lecturing young people on what to avoid doing and instead educate them on the high standards we have to enable them to be their greatest selves.
As parents of adolescents, we aim to address continued risk-taking and promote prudent decision-making. Provide adolescents with the means to experiment with new activities safely. Encourage them to gain insight from their errors and assure them about our presence and willingness to assist, if necessary, as they attempt to recover from their mistakes. Assist them in continuing to prepare for the issues they may encounter in the future. Teenagers should be adequately educated on sexuality and how it affects their daily life. Therefore, we should not restrict them on dating concerns but rather instruct them on proper relationship behaviour.
Conclusion
In conclusion, teenagers’ emotional development differs by age group and is defined by a greater capacity to recognize, assess, and control emotions. Mood swings, detachment from parents, feeling overly sensitive, feeling self-conscious, peer pressure, sensitivity toward others, and hasty decision making are some of the teenagers’ emotional changes. In addition to puberty, psychological and social factors also contribute to teenagers’ irritability. Both boys and girls have distinct physical changes during the adolescent years. Therefore, adolescence is an adventurous time filled with emotional lows and highs. Parents are encouraged to play a crucial role in assisting and teaching adolescents to feel good about themselves while they cope with these feelings.
References
Carr, A. (2017). Social and emotional development in middle childhood. Child psychology and psychiatry: frameworks for clinical training and practice, 83-90. Web.
Sargent, K. S., Jouriles, E. N., Chmielewski, M., & McDonald, R. (2018). Using virtual reality to create an observational assessment of adolescent resistance to antisocial peer pressure. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 1-13. Web.
Sznycer, D. (2019). Forms and functions of the self-conscious emotions. Trends in cognitive sciences, 23(2), 143-157. Web.
Zemel, B. S. (2022). Body composition during growth and development. Human growth and development, 517-545. Web.