Create a new account

It's simple, and free.

Adolescent Perceptions Because adolescence is a ti

The main influences upon the perceptions of adolescents are generally considered to be their parents, siblings, peer groups, and mass media. Here, we will not only examine how these particular influences can alter the perceptions and behaviors of adolescents, but also examine how adolescents can bring their perceptual distortions closer to an objective reality.

Mass culture is full of negative stereotypes of adolescence. It seems as though the media has painted an overwhelming picture of adolescent youth as unruly and rebellious; it paints a picture for the general public of a culture full of youths that smoke, use drugs, and have promiscuous sex. In some cases, statistics support these opinions; in others, it seems that the media has painted a much more grim picture than the one that exists in reality. Nevertheless, there have been a few theories proposed in order to begin an understanding of these negative views that society holds towards the adolescent stage in human development.

According to G Stanley Hall, negative stereotypes of adolescents are brought about by a combination of "Storm and Stress" (1904) This theory attempts to explain that young people have these problems due mainly to their developmental stage. Thus, hormonal changes and societal pressures act upon the psychology of the youth and make it difficult to act in a way that would appease those around them. Society sees adolescents as difficult, and this causes them to play up to this image and actually become difficult, reinforcing the negative stereotype which already exists.

There is, of course, opposition to this theory, particularly from Herbert, who describes it as "a veritable 'demonological' theory of adolescence" (194). Herbert suggests that this stereotypical image of young people exists as a result of a 'generation gap'- there are more likely to be differences in opinions regarding hairstyles, clothes, social habits and privileges. Parents ar...

Page 1 of 6 Next >

More on Adolescent Perceptions Because adolescence is a ti...

Loading...
APA     MLA     Chicago
Adolescent Perceptions Because adolescence is a ti. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 11:25, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1704875.html