Be teenager It is difficult and even confusing, however it is a vitally important stage in the development of the person. Scientists who study adolescent socialization have found that friendships among adolescents could lay the bases essential for the well-being in later lifeand that not only the type of friendships that adolescents experience, but also the moment in which those friendships are established is essential.
Emily Shahfrom the University of Arkansas, first author of the article published in Frontiers in Developmental Psychology, explains in a statement: «The perception that a teenager has of the social acceptance received from peers during early adolescence is particularly influential in predicting well-being in adulthood” and adds: “In contrast, in late adolescence, the quality of their most intimate friendships is more influential in predicting well-being in later life.” adulthood”.
Psychological and physical
Experts explain that our relationships with other people affect the way we feel about ourselves, how we function in society, and our psychological well-being; This, in turn, affects our physical well-being. This is especially true in adolescence, when we begin to rely on the support of our peers, and when puberty puts great stress on our bodies. Relationships can also help manage the stressful transitions that teens face, from exams to new jobs to leaving home.
For his part, Dr. David Szwedo of James Madison University, co-author of the study explains: “Because friends can come and go, friendships are a context in which adolescents must develop skills to maintain and grow the friendship or risk losing it. “These skills are likely to be useful later in forming future friendships and long-term romantic relationships.”
Friendships are the foundation
Overall, the researchers found that perceived social acceptance was the best predictor of well-being in adulthood. When contacted as adults, adolescents who thought their peers loved them reported lower levels of social anxiety and aggression, better physical health, professional satisfaction and romantic and a sense of greater social connection. However, the agreeableness expressed by adolescents’ peers did not predict well any facet of well-being in adulthood.
Study suggests that a teenager’s own perception of his or her social success is particularly important
However, when the authors examined the two stages of adolescence separately, adult well-being was better predicted by social acceptance for young teenagers and close friendships in the case of older adolescents. Close friendships predicted lower social anxiety and romantic insecurity and higher job satisfaction.
The difference between the two stages of adolescence also suggests that the moment is decisive. While self-perceived success could prevent younger adolescents from developing social anxiety and help prevent a stress-related poor healthlower levels of social acceptance in late adolescence did not predict health outcomes.
you are not alone
The authors cautioned that while the longitudinal design allowed them to track how well-being changed over time, this meant that participants were not in school during the Covid-19 pandemic, which could significantly affect outcomes. Social experiences of adolescents and their future well-being. Furthermore, the study relied heavily on self-reported measures; Future research could complement them with observational measures.
“I want teenagers to know that they are not alone,” Shah said: “It’s not easy being a teenager in this world, and I choose to believe that teenagers are doing the best they can with the abilities they have. “I hope that adults who interact with adolescents will consider sharing that perspective, to create space for empathy and compassion.”
It’s helpful for parents to not only ask who their teen’s friends are, but whether they feel socially accepted.
“It’s always helpful to keep in mind that studies like this indicate things that happen on average and that things could be different for each individual child or adolescent,” Szwedo noted: “This study reinforces the importance of caregivers being aware of their children’s social lives by talking to them, talking to their teachers and knowing who they are talking to online.
This is how the study was done
The researchers recruited 184 participants from an American high school. They surveyed these students when they were 13 to 14 years old, and then again when they were 17 to 18 years old, measuring the quality of their close friendships, their perceived social acceptance, and their likeability as reported by their peers. Finally, the researchers interviewed these teens as adults, ages 28 to 30, to ask them about their physical and mental health, job satisfaction, romantic insecurity, and experience of assault.