Adolescence is a landmark stage in the growth and development of young people. This is a confusing stage when the young people make the attempt to do what they consider mature with the aim of projecting the image of adult people. It is however a fact that these young people are not adults. They are not children either and this is where the stage becomes confusing. In the absence of adult guidance, more confusion leads to a lost opportunity for shaping behavior for the better. Reflecting on my interactions with young people in colleges and the ideas I have gotten from my class lectures, I can honestly say that this is a vital stage in life. In this short essay, evidence will be provided to show that mishandling young people during adolescence means a spoilt life. The essay refutes the alternative thinking that life can be corrected at any point.
To start with, adolescents identify with the roles meaning that if the mentors and role models are not the right ones, the lives of these adolescents are ruined. During adolescence, young people look at the actions of elder people for direction, guidance and inspiration. These are the actions they emulate and end up replicating in a larger part of their lives. Sons may want to copy the father while female children may want to try to identify with the role of the mother. During this time of role identification, the people closest to the adolescents as well as the people who appeal most to them will have a clear impact in the lives of these young people. These copied elements of behavior are carried by these young people for a longer part of their lives. The assumption that comes out of this is that most of what these young people will do while behaving like someone else whose behavior they liked and admired will either be good or bad depending on the person whose behavior they emulated. This makes it clear that if the mentor or role model was not the right one, the life of the involved young person is ruined.
Leaving the above a side, it is during adolescence that physical changes can drastically reduce the young people’s self esteem ,and this may affect their success in major areas such as school. During adolescence, there are numerous physiological and physical changes that occur in the bodies of young people. Some of these changes take the adolescents by surprise and produce varied reactions ranging from too much confidence to extreme lack of self confidence. All these reactions are not appropriate and oversight is required as a way of assisting these young people go through this stage. The action that is needed is to assure the adolescent that all that they are experiencing is normal and will eventually subside. The best way to show that it is normal is to love them and engage them as usual. For example constant hugging of a youth with a face full of pimples will assure him or her that the pimples are not an issue. Thus he or she will have the confidence to work hard in school as usual and carry on in life as he or she used to when the pimples were not on the face. Absence of this level of appreciation will increase a negative view of oneself; a scenario that will make this young person fail in school and even attempt such actions as drugs, engaging in random sex as a way of getting appreciation, and even suicide.
In conclusion, whatever that happens to an adolescent is very significant to his or her life. This is a critical stage wherein if the young person is not properly handled, his or her life gets ruined. Bad mentorship and lack of assurance during physical and physiological changes can lead to ruined lives. All care by adults is therefore necessary.