1. 18 is now the legal age of adulthood. Are teenagers ready for it?
Adolescence and adulthood is a time of growth, new experiences, risk, and increasing responsibilities.
It is a time of emergence, of "coming of age," and of becoming a part of the greater community. All
people, including individuals with disabilities, go through major life changes during this period. Puberty
brings on physical and emotional changes that can be difficult to handle in the teen years. If, however,
teens have support and appropriate outlets for their feelings and emotions, and newly emerging
support needs, they will soon enter adulthood, feel empowered, and gain independence.
For today’s young people, the road to adulthood is a long one. From their late teens to their late
twenties they explore the possibilities available to them in love and work, and move gradually toward
making enduring choices. Such freedom to explore different options is exciting, and this period is a
time of high hopes and big dreams. However, it is also a time of anxiety and uncertainty, because the
lives of young people are so unsettled, and many of them have no idea where their explorations will
lead. They struggle with uncertainty even as they revel in being freer than they ever were in childhood
or ever will be once they take on the full weight of adult responsibilities.
True adults do what they have to do when it is required of them, and they do what they want when
they can. They are able to distinguish between the two and manage their time and efforts accordingly.
Adolescence, the period between childhood and adulthood, is often a difficult time, both for parents
and their children. Adolescence is an essential rite of passage which every adult has been through.
The word teenager brings up an image of a rebellious, outrageously dressed, young person who
loves to party, listen to annoying music and watch MTV. Teenagers are often very complex, but they
are also not impossible to understand. When the world speaks of or thinks of “teenagers” they are
likely to have a stereotype ideal in mind, and this often creates an unfortunate barrier that does not
allow us to appreciate the individuality of each young person in the world today.
Too often teenagers are treated as if they were just big toddlers or large children. The general view of
parents today seems to be that children are "their" property and should learn to please them and obey
their commands. This maybe true for toddlers but as growing young adults the role of parents is to
assist a child into becoming an independent, responsible adult. This cannot happen unless the
teenager is allowed to make some decisions for themselves. Not wild guesses or decisions based on
their desires but informed based on considerations of the facts and the consequences of different
actions.
Teenage years are very crucial time in which it's a time for young adults to figure out who they are
and what they stand for. In order to do this, teenagers have to consider things and explore things for
themselves. They will find out for themselves why things are valuable and will be able to justify and
defend them. It is all part of growing up and maturing.
Teenagers hold the key to the future in their hands. Today’s teenagers soon will take control of the
world and take on the responsibilities and making it better. Many adults see teens as reckless,
irresponsible and crazy human beings. The teenager’s job today is to tear off the shackles that
represent the teen’s natural irresponsible behaviour and prove to previous generations their capability
in unblocking the future of the world. Teenagers have many expectations to live up to. With each
generations they become higher and harder to reach.
Teenagers today are often misunderstood. Not many people take in consideration that not every
teenager is out there to upset society. If a young adult is able to, then he is truly ready for the
challenges of adulthood