Current trends in teenage
behavior often cause consternation to parents, grandparents and teachers. This
is not something new or different, as teenage behavior has always tended to be
unique, unlike adult behavior in the same generation.
Perhaps one might suggest that
teenage behavior trends reveals one of the ways teenagers learn to assert their
own authority and express themselves as independent, almost adults. Adults,
regardless of the era that they are from, have already gone through their own
teenage behavior trends, some even more radical.
The article entitled, “10 troublesome teen trends” discusses current trends and explains
them as “a measure of impulsiveness and experimentalism”.
This list only touches the tip
of the iceberg. In other words, there are
numerous trends in teenage behavior not included in this list.
For example, smart phones of
various kinds are a reality that enables teenagers to engage in new and
different kinds of communication, at the same time as they are developing
current behavior trends that have never been part of previous history.
Cyber bullying is another
recent teenage behavior trend surfacing as something unique for the electronic
era and yet bullying is not new. Many teenagers are using social media to
engage in unexpected teenage behavior trends, like taking pictures of other
teens and posting them. Knowingly or unknowingly, these pictures or videos can
go viral.
Teenage curiosity and
experimentation can be a good thing, as it helps teenagers to develop their
learning curves while they become responsible adults. Sometimes, it takes
adults a long time to get past their own teenage behavior trends, but
eventually, they do.
So what if the hairdos of
teenagers, male and female are bizarre in this era? Is it all right for them to
tint their hair with wild psychedelic colors? Does it matter if their clothes
match? Their fingernails and toenails can be different colors, gaudy shades of
purple and black, but who notices? Probably everyone, but no one really cares,
or do they? Teenage behavior trends always state something, to them or others.
New artistic expression is a
part of every generation. Somehow, previous artistic expressions manage to
re-surface every now and then, too. For example, current teenage behavior can
shift towards wild gyrations, as they dance to what some might consider
outrageous music in a rock concerts. The noisier the better, some teenagers
argue. Is it really a problem as they use up their excess adrenalin converted
to expressions of positive energy? Is this anything new or different?
When current trends in teenage
behavior become problematic is when what they do endangers their own lives or
the lives of others. For example, engaging in current protest behavior is one
thing, but when protests resort to violence and destruction, then parents,
teachers and police may have to intervene or act to protect them and others, as
well as personal property.
Teenage behavior trends often do
not have rules, except perhaps among the teenagers. These rules
are unwritten for the most part and not discovered by those who attempt to
assume authority over teenagers and current teenage behavior trends. It may take many years before they are uncovered.
Problematically speaking,
parents, grandparents and teachers find that teenagers eventually outgrow their
current behavior trends. Looking back, they see that they did. They also begin
to realize that the behavior trends typical of their own era, were likely
equally radical and upsetting to those who were older and wiser, at that time.
Now it is something about which they can
chuckle!
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