The term teenager describes the age group between 13 years and 19 years. This term is synonymous with terms such as an adolescent, minor, young adult or a juvenile. During this stage, the teenager develops the secondary sex characteristics that facilitate reproduction. Although this name describes this developmental age group, it also defines the mental state. The teenage phase as a concept was coined in the early 1920’s. This term was initially used to describe a mindset where young people were trapped between adulthood and childhood. The young person between the ages of 15 and 19 would be allowed to procure a job where they earned wages. They were also at liberty to marry and start families of their own. However, education laws and labor laws slowly began to change. Labor laws prohibited the employment of persons under the age of 18. This automatically raised the proposed age for marriage because it was not logical to marry when one couldn’t work exhaustively. This marked the developmental stage where the young person was torn between adulthood and its independence, and childhood and its dependence.
Teenagers have evolved in different ways over the years. The teenager of the 1920’s is not the teenager of today. The changes have been necessitated by the different technological advances and culture norms that have been redefined over time. The early ninety’s teenager characterized their social scene with courtship. A young man began to take a young woman out on scheduled outings. These were used as opportunities to get to know each other better. Earlier on, when school years were shorter, the courtship was done in a home setting. The young people would alternate dinner at the girl’s home and at the boy’s home. They both got to know each other’s families in this way. As the teenager emerged due to extended school years, courtship took on a different scene. The older young person was allowed more freedom. Initially, the courtship required the presence of a chaperone who ensured proper conduct. Courtship almost always ended up in marriage.
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The independence of the teenager was expanded further because of the automobile age. Two things happened when the automobile became a norm of life. First, travel became much easier. This allowed the teenager to be able to travel further to go to school and to explore the prospects of better jobs. The second thing that happened was that this removed the parental responsibility for transport from the parents. Teenagers could now commute with ease and enjoy a greater sense of freedom. This opened the teenagers’ sense of independence as the teen could work and go to school further than before. The courtship scene was quickly eroded and replaced by dating. This was a more casual setting with no chaperone and unlimited options for the date setting. It was also a chance to explore relationships outside the typical girl next door relationship. Dating did not necessarily result in marriage. Sexual liberation slowly became a norm and young people normalized sex before marriage. The teen then became the symbol for casual sex and experimentation. This teenager also had greater options because he or she had greater exposure.
The typical American teenager has continued to redefine himself. Following the automobile age and greater exposure, the teenager pursued more extracurricular activities. They included competitive sports and association based on economic and social differences such as race. These extracurricular activities developed the clique mentality. Different teens began to associate with the teens that had similar interests to theirs. Teenagers now operated in cliques. Any one who did not fit into any specific group was a potential victim for bullying. The teen was targeted during times when the other teens needed someone to make fun of. Bullying grew exponentially during this stage. Teenagers used such behavior and time to demonstrate that they had a semblance of identity. This was used to gain peer acceptance and become a part of a desired group.
The internet age came in and the clique and bullying mentality multiplied exponentially. It was now easier for the teen to compare and objectify their peers. The social media platforms for shaming were also multiplied. This marked the growth of eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. Teenagers also became increasingly independent to the point where they could live and work independently from their families. Drug abuse became more common and acceptable. Today’s teenager can drive and work more effectively than any other past teenager. Sociologists argue that the society should treat teens like the grownups they try to be. A section of the sociologists and society are opposed to this as they equate teenage years with irresponsibility.
The teenager of today and the past remains to be a social construct that is specific to the ages. However, during all this seasons, one factor is consistent over time. The teenager is considered an immature and care free person whose mind is unprepared for serious decision making. The teen is expected to make impulsive decisions and experiment before making sound decisions. Developmental biology supports this notion by demonstrating that the brain’s impulse control does not fully develop until the mid-twenties. The behaviors that describe teenage phase can also apply to young adults below the age of 25. From this, we can conclude that teenage is a social construct because it defines a mind set more than an age group.
