Teens & Tech: Part 3
Welcome back to the Center Street blog! If this is your first time, we are excited to have you here. We have a variety of other blogs regarding psychology topics expanding from winter blues to self-care, and everything in between! Today we are concluding our three-part series on teenagers. If you missed the first two, be sure to check those out as well!
So, what makes being a teenager challenging at times? Is it really all about that angst and opposition to adults? It may seem like so, but let's take a deeper look. Adolescent brains are developing at a rapid pace which makes aspects of their life particularly challenging – physically, emotionally, and developmentally. Because of this, adults often come up short-sighted as there is a significant gap between adolescent and middle adulthood development. We need to remember that teenagers may be frustrated as they don’t know how to regulate themselves nor do they understand the consequences of their actions and can place blame on others. (On a side note, did you know that the prefrontal cortex for a teen limits their ability to see causal connections for their actions – that’s why it is often easier for them to place blame because they haven’t developed proper perspective taking skills). Let's review some of main points about adolescence and development!
When we are teenagers, we typically begin to enter a phase of our development where we start to have a more amplified awareness of ourselves. This is often referred to as egocentrism, or having our sense of self be the center of our interactions. That might sound a little self-involved but it is crucial in being able to develop into full adulthood – let’s name this as an essential developmental milestone. This is where teens develop a sense of independence and what is known as formal operational thought, which is a key element in problem solving and being able to make informed decisions (Tyler, 2020). However, just like learning any other skill, teens need time to find a balance between concern for self and concern and awareness for others. It’s very helpful for adults to have some patience and understanding during this developmental stage as it is normal for kids to make mistakes and then more mistakes to learn who they are and who they want to become.
Another concept in teenage development is the personal fable. This is the idea that one is radically unique and generally exempt from most consequences of actions (Tyler, 2020). This concept is linked to egocentrism in that it is a result of learning more about yourself and what you are capable of. The personal fable is useful as it helps teens develop their own unique version of their story which helps develop confidence and identity. However, on the flipside of this, there may be more tolerance (or less awareness) for risky behaviours (as part of the personal fable is the belief that one is immune to life’s problems and dangers) and some frustration with others as teens see their situations as unique to them (and may not respond well to adults who diminish/disrespect this feeling).
Scaffolding is a key concept that is helpful in understanding adolescent development. When you think of scaffolds on a building under construction, they are the supports that get taken off as the building gets closer to completion and can stand on its own (Mcleod, 2024). We use a similar process to this with many formal skills learned in early childhood (learning how to walk, toilet training, etc.) and we might continue to do this with more complex skills in adolescence (like money management, curfews and time management). The challenging thing with teenagers is they often want to take the scaffolds off before they have had a chance to fully acquire these skills! This can often worry adults or caregivers, but to link it back to egocentrism, teens might be more likely to believe that adults in their life are being overbearing or don’t understand their experiences.
Combining these developmental milestones and concepts with the challenges of puberty and it becomes clear that adolescence can be a stressful stage of life! Check out this video here with more information about teens going through these stages:
Why Are Teens So Moody? (youtube.com)
Please reach out to us at Center Street Psychology if you would like to discuss more about our services. We provide support to a wide range of people, including teens. We provide a collaborative approach and are happy to provide you with a complimentary consultation to help potential “fit” with one of our counsellors. We are an inclusive clinic, located in Calgary, Alberta, providing in-person, virtual or hybrid services within Alberta and across Canada. Please call 403-399-5120 to speak with our Director of Client Care, Amy, who will gently guide you through the counselling process.
Written by: Tyler Schamehorn
References
Mcleod, S. (2024). Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development & scaffolding theory in psychology. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/zone-of-proximal-development.html
Tyler, S. (2020). Cognitive Development in Adolescence. Human Behavior and the Social Environment I. University of Arkansas.
