Adolescence Through the Ages
Image Source “Make no mistake, adolescence is war. No one gets out unscathed.” Harlan Coben
What is Adolescence?
Adolescence, defined by Oxford Languages, is “the period onset of puberty during which a young person develops from a child into an adult.” As each generation of teens become adults, we face a new and unique set of challenges that impact the way we grow as a society. The habits and practices we form as adolescents ultimately shape and impact the future of the world. Though our years of adolescence can be seen as the most challenging, the unique way we as individuals live, grow, and develop as adolescents provide lifelong lessons and memories that define the rest of our lives and the way future generations live.
The Differences in Adolescence By Generation
Boomers (born 1946-1964):
The Boomer Generation was raised with lots of hope and optimism, as this generation came to be after World War II. They are known as Boomers because of the sudden surge of birth rates following the war. While they didn’t grow up with the technology we have nowadays, they were able to witness the first colored television and the first landing on the moon by Neil Armstrong in 1969. They were raised in what would have been considered traditional at the time, with dads working out of the house and the mothers staying at home. This surely had an impact on the way they grew up, as now Boomers are known to be hardworking, creative, health-conscious, and adventurous. Their strong work ethic is balanced by a work hard/play hard attitude, and are also known as the wealthiest generation. Famous Boomers include Oprah Winfrey, Dolly Parton, Elton John, Steve Jobs, and Michael Jordan.
Generation X (born 1965-1980):
Generation X is known for being independent and self-sufficient, as well as for facing challenges with flexibility and resilience. Throughout their adolescence, Gen Xers were raised in a more independent manner. Divorce rates were higher, which resulted in more single parent households, dual income families, and kids coming home from school to an empty home. This generation also grew up through an unstable economy, which is why Gen Xers found themselves in much debt, especially from college tuition. However, due to witnessing their parents commitment to work as adolescents, Gen X grew to value the importance of work and financial and job stability while also maintaining a solid work/life balance. This generation’s adolescents were also the first to grow up with personal computers and cable television. Famous Gen Xers include Leonardo DiCaprio, Celine Dion, JK Rowling, and Kobe Bryant.
Generation Y/Millennials (born 1981-1996):
Millennials are known for being well educated (about 40% have university degrees), living healthy lifestyles when it comes to fitness and nutrition, and for highly valuing passion and experience. Throughout their adolescence, Millennials experienced significant technology advances and cultural shifts within their environment. Their parents also raised them to value education, life experiences, and to maintain a good work-life balance. Their parents were highly involved in their children’s lives, and this has been reiterated in the way Millennials raise their children. While Millennials do face financial challenges, they are known to be an independent and self-sufficient generation. Famous Millennials include Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Serena and Venus Williams, Michael Phelps, Cristiano Ronaldo, Roger Federer, and Mark Zuckerberg.
Generation Z (born 1997-2010):
Generation Z is widely recognized for a variety of reasons. Apart from experiencing new societal changes and Covid-19, this generation is known for their online presence. Towards the end of their time frame, the smartphone was introduced as well as numerous social media platforms. These innovations quickly became popular and their usage spread rapidly. In addition, when Covid hit in 2019, the world had a sudden need for technology to continue living in a safe way. Schools and workplaces shifted to an online environment, which allowed a great increase in the amount of time spent at home. Due to this, Gen Z is known to be an adaptive and entrepreneurial generation as this was demonstrated especially through Covid.
Furthermore, this generation is the most likely to graduate high school and college. Lastly, an important aspect of Gen Z is their famous slang, which was largely developed as a result of social media, and includes phrases such as “cap,” “sus,” “rizz,” “delulu,” “lit,” “buss,” “ate,” “slay,” “flex,” and “bet.” Famous members of Gen Z include Simone Biles, Maddie Ziegler, Billie Eilish, and Tom Holland.
Generation Alpha (born 2010-2025):
Generation Alpha is the most recent generation to experience their prime adolescent years, as many are either in the midst of or have recently begun experiencing them. Gen Alpha is the first Generation to grow up with computers and to experience online school (largely due to Covid), so this generation will be hugely impacted by the use of AI and technology in general. As this is an emerging generation, the identity of Gen Alpha has yet to be fully established and it will be interesting to see how they develop. Famous members of Gen Alpha include influencers such as Blue Ivy Carter, Prince George, and Ryan Kaji (Ryan from Ryan’s World).
The Future of Adolescence
“Adolescence is a new birth, for the higher and more completely new human traits are now born.” G. Stanley Hall
Problems and Distractions Current Adolescents Face
Being the first generation to grow up with iPads, the members of our generation (Gen Alpha) are known as “iPad kids,” which refers to kids who are constantly on a screen or iPad and become upset when the device is taken away. Being a Gen Alpha kid myself, I do not find this term to be completely inaccurate, but do believe that being an “iPad kid” is a stereotype rather than a general nickname for a generation. This being said, it is important to acknowledge that our generation was born into a world where technology was beginning to advance faster and become more popular, starting with Apple’s release of the iPhone in 2007.
The iPhone truly changed the world and made Apple a massive name in the business industry. For instance, within the first year of iPhone sales, Apple’s revenue for the iPhone was 1.8 billion dollars and by 2024, the revenue was 201.1 billion dollars. (Interestingly, when Covid rates began to decline in 2022, the revenue reached its peak: 205.4 billion dollars.) The proliferation of technology began to rise more significantly as Gen Alpha was being born, so Gen Alpha kids certainly witnessed the excitement and growth of technology, which has since become a huge factor of our generation.
A recent study shows that the average teen spent 7 hours and 22 minutes on a screen a day in 2024, which is equivalent to about 30.8% of the day. Among this, about 2.5 hours are spent on social media, which can significantly hurt the confidence and happiness of a teen. According to psychologist Jean M. Twenge, there is a “link between the rise of smartphones and social media and the increase in depression, anxiety, and loneliness in today’s youth.” Social media can be used to motivate and support others, but when it is used in negative ways it can make many teens feel isolated and lower their confidence.
Throughout adolescence and teenage years especially, confidence is a defining factor in the way we grow both mentally and physically. It truly impacts our perspectives and opinions, but overall is an emphasized factor in how we develop our mindset (growth/fixed). The way we treat ourselves plays a huge role in having confidence, so it is important that we be kind to ourselves and understand that because everyone is born unique, we all live a unique and meaningful life specific to our persona.
On a different note, one last thing to acknowledge is that Chat GPT and Open AI have recently taken the world by storm. Using these platforms, information that typically had to be found using research can now be found within seconds. Students have found this to be useful, as the amount of students using Chat GPT to do schoolwork has been on the rise (around 40% of students use AI for school). While Chat GPT certainly saves time and can provide helpful explanations for confusing concepts, it is important that we use it for the right reasons.
How We Can Develop Healthy Habits as Adolescents
Social media and the media in general is not all bad. It can be used to support and connect with others in many different ways. Additionally, with technology, we can learn practically anything. Being the first generation to grow up with such technology allows us the opportunities to make positive changes in the world or communities we live in- large or small scale. It can be used to make new discoveries and come up with new ideas, which can also be communicated to the world through the internet. And, although this seems obvious, we can communicate with our friends and family no matter how far they may seem, which strengthens our friendships and relationships. By using our screens for the better, we can learn anything, find inspiration to create anything, and communicate with our loved ones to strengthen our relationships.
Also, as adolescents, it is important for us to develop our interests and passions. Adolescence is the transitional time between child to adult, so what we do now has an impact on the people we become in the future. In addition to learning and spreading positivity, other healthy habits we can start practicing now that will impact the future are maintaining good time management, having a healthy sleep schedule, and taking care of our mental health. Adolescence is a time for growth and learning, and the habits we as adolescents develop today can truly impact the world of tomorrow.
Works Cited
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Generation-X