Introduction
Adolescence comes from a Latin word that means grow. Adolescence in the common usage is a transitional stage in human development socially; mentally and psychologically. The complexity of this development stage results from; the changing relationships; stress and loss associated with the growth process; information levels and access; and the planned development of individuals.
Abstract
Adolescence is a stage of development between childhood and adulthood that comes along with very many changes as a result of societal forces. The physical aspects that are different in the newer generation adolescents include the sports they embrace among other aspects. The social aspects that differ between the different generations’ adolescents include free time management and the emotional aspects include the levels of sensitivity and self-consciousness. The intellectual development and achievements that differ between the two adolescent generations include the formation of goals and interests. These differences are caused by differences in levels and access to information.
Physical aspect
- What is your age? 10. My age was 10.
- What is your sex? Male. Is also male
- What is your favorite sport? Bodybuilding and martial arts; was interested in football only
The contrast between the current adolescent and the past generation adolescent; is that the new generation adolescent engages a lot in activities that engage the use of the muscles and physical strength; due to their great need in being physically exclusive and noticeable. For these reasons they engage much in games and clubbing; crafts and recreation activities; and are very concerned with the artistic aspect of their future. On the other hand the past generation adolescent is not so much involved in gaming and sports not to talk of martial arts; and bodybuilding as they are less physically self-conscious.
Social aspect
- Do you like working in groups? Yes. Old generation not really
- Do you engage your parents in planning your free time? No; old generation yes
- Do you prefer mixed-sex social encounters? No; Old generation occasionally.
The contrast between the current adolescents and the old generation adolescents can be seen in that; the new generation are used to working in groups with their peers; mostly prefer same-sex association as they share the same interests and engage in similar activities. The new generation of adolescents is not so much comfortable with involving parents and other adults in planning their free time.
They are also used to creating problem-solving skills and are much in pursuit of being just to one another in their local association. The old generation adolescents on the other hand are more individualistic oriented; in that they spent very little time with other peers of their age, and instead spent more time with their parents and engage them in planning their free time. The old generation adolescents on the other hand; have learning experiences varying from one to the other, and have the problem that they are not so much conscious of their personality and therefore don’t have much association in the social aspect.
Emotional aspect
- Do you admire and imitate what other bigger children do? Yes; Old generation, No
- Do you know your strengths and weaknesses? No; Old generation, No
- Do you like acting like grown-ups? Yes; Old generation, no
- Do you question the authority of parents and other adults? Yes; Old generation. Occasionally
- Do you feel sensitive and conscious of your actions? Yes; Old generation, No
The new generation of adolescents admire the actions of grown-up children and try to imitate what they do, in the hope that they will develop to be like them someday. They even associate themselves with role models that they encounter from the media, in the society, parents and other prominent people whose way of doing things is admirable. The old generation adolescents on the other hand are not very conscious of themselves and the models of behavior they would like to take; so they don’t often associate themselves with the behavioral mannerisms of bigger children and other role models in society. As a result they rely on the dictation of parents on how to behave; taking punishments and rewards as an important aspect of their behavioral development.
The new generation of adolescents is somehow informed of their future prospects, strengths and weaknesses. As a result, they observe the behavior of other older youths, parents and role models in the society as well as relying on counseling and advice in learning their strengths. The older generation adolescents on the other hand are unsure of their future goal orientations; are unsure of their strengths and weaknesses and do not take the chance to learn from older youths and other character models. As a result they rely on the decisions made on their behalf by parents and guardians regarding what goals they are to pursue. This is later stage leads to frustration as they find themselves pursuing fields and disciplines they are not interested in. The new generation of adolescents question the authority of parents and other adults; and are sensitive and conscious of their actions. The old generation adolescents on the other hand are not sensitive and conscious of their actions; and they may never question the authority of parents and other adults.
The new generation adolescents often act like grownups; hold their need to act grown up with high esteem; and like to utilize any opportunity they come across to let the people around them recognize them as grownups. This behavioral inclination makes the new generation of adolescents learn new activities and skills through experimentation; which therefore also makes them more likely to get into trouble with adults over their actions. As a result, these adolescents try to get the attention of other peers and adults as an attempt to make them know their abilities and skills in doing different things. The old generation adolescents on the other hand; due to the inability to choose what they want and identify their strengths and weaknesses; find themselves relying on the judgment and instruction of adults thus always act like children to be guided, even on matters they can address on their own.
Intellectual achievement and development
- Are you interested in trying new things? Yes; Old generation, rarely
- Do you have long-term interests and goals? No; Old generation, not always
- Have you started setting goals in life? Yes; Old generation; not really.
- Are you curious as to why things are done the way they are? Yes;.Old generation; No
- Do you have hobbies? Yes; Old generation; a few
- In what conditions do you do work best? When divided into small pieces; Olds generation; under guidance and supervision.
The new generation of adolescents likes experimenting with new things so as to discover a variety of learning experiences; that help in becoming more creative and enables them to take new activities and opportunities. The new generation of adolescents has many interests and goals, but their interests change rapidly because they engage in brief exposure experiences in the numerous meetings and encounters they have. The new generation of adolescents at this stage; have started setting goals due to the experiences and challenges they face in the numerous social activities and meetings. They also are often curious to find the answers to issues on their own, regarding problem-solving measures while the old generation adolescents on the other hand show no signs of being curious about issues. Comparatively, the new generation adolescents have more hobbies than the ones from older generations. From the study the new generation adolescents have shown the best output when their work is split into small parts; while the ones from the older generation work best under supervision and guidance.
Conclusion
As discussed in the study; the different aspects of development that take place in the adolescent stage differ from one generation to the other. The differences can be associated with the change of societal values; communication and access to information. As a result, the newer generations show signs of earlier development and more personal consciousness.
Reference
Havighurst, R. (1952). Developmental tasks and education. New York: David McKay.