The life of modern teenagers

INTRODUCTION
Adolescence is considered to be the most difficult period of life. Indeed, it’s the time when children start projecting their own opinion and want to behave like adults. However, for adults they are still children with childish aspirations. From the one hand, they are not children anymore; from the other hand, they are not fully ready to take responsibility for their decisions. That’s why teenagers are considered to be the most contradictive unit of the society.
The purpose of the study: to find out what is the essence of the modern teenager.
Research problems:
* to compare the interests, hobbies, and needs of teenagers of different generations;
* to find out the most significant values of modern teenagers;
* to find out what causes the change in the interests and needs of teenagers of the XXI century;
* to find out whether spiritual values are important for modern teenagers;
Hypothesis:
Perhaps the passivity of teenagers of the XXI century is due to the fact that modern teenagers spend a lot of time at the computer, consuming ready-made information, do not read enough real literature that can form their spiritual values, spend a lot of time on the street, getting into informal companies where they adopt false values and become spiritless consumers.
The object of the project: teenagers of the XXI century.
The subject of the project: information environment.
Research methods:
* systematization of sociological facts and psychological information;
* analysis of sociological and psychological data;
* generalization of information.
The actuality of the topic
Today, crime among teenagers is growing, and drug addiction is spreading. Teenagers start smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages from an early age. Spending a lot of time in an indecent environment, even the most well-mannered, teenager can become a spiritless consumer. They don't need anything, they consider themselves adults.
To bring up a healthy generation, we need to do something urgently, both adults and teenagers! Society is interested in a healthy younger generation, not only physically, but also spiritually!
It is important that teenagers adopt true spiritual values, not false ones, so that the chain of generations, brought up on the most important universal values, is not interrupted: kindness, love, truth, freedom, mutual assistance, compassion etc.
MAIN BODY
The concept of the teenager.
Teenager is an exceptional asset of the XXI century. The first mention of the concept of "teenager", one can meet in the work of Grenville Stanley Hall – that is the first fundamental study of the psychology of the teenager in 1904. Two-volume work called Adolescence: Its Psychology, and Its Relations to Physiology, Autopology, Sociology, Sex, Crime, religion And Education was published, some chapters of which were published in Russian in 1920. Later psychologist Martsinovskaja Tatiana Davidovna in her article "Psychology of development" first proposed to allocate a stage of life distinct from childhood and adulescence. She states in her article that “…the sequence and content of these stages are set genetically, and therefore the child can neither pass any stage of its development, nor evade it”. [7, p.15]
A teenager is a girl or a young man who is at the age of transition from childhood to adolescence. In classical psychology, this transition age has several names - puberty, transition or adolescence, etc. In principle, each name reflects the characteristics of this period, during which there are often thorns with parents, teenagers are looking for themselves; determine goals in life, and more. It should be noted that this age is difficult not because, as they say, "hormones started playing", but because there is a complex philosophical and existential reason.
It is a period of development of children from 11-12 to 15 years, characterized by a powerful rise in life and a deep restructuring of the body. At this time, there is not only the physical maturation of man, but also the intensive formation of personality, the energetic growth of moral and intellectual forces. Adolescence is called adolescence, because it is characterized by a transition from childhood to adulthood, from immaturity to maturity. When we hear the word "teenager", we have, perhaps, the same definite and quite vivid image of an inquisitive, active, active and noisy boy or girl.
Teenagers of the XXI century, their interests and needs.
Many things have changed over the past decades. Same can be said about the life of modern teenagers. Today teens are more independent, have other interests, and are definitely lazier than before.
Computer is the root of most changes in the society. Modern teenagers spend almost all their free time online, playing computer games, chatting with friends, surfing social networks, instead of going out and doing some outdoor activities. If you ask a teenager what the life was like twenty or thirty years ago, he won’t answer, because he doesn’t know. Modern children simply can’t imagine their life without cell phones, tablets and MP3 players. These gadgets have gradually replaced the whole world of childish games and live communication.
Previous generations of teenagers could still be seen in the streets jumping, running around and playing active games. Today, teenagers are mostly seen online. From the one hand, it’s certainly not good. From the other hand, this can be understood. How can children avoid electronic toys if they are everywhere? Other than that, the life of teenagers is not easy. They have a number of problems, which they don’t want to discuss with adults. Chatting with friends, at least they can share with them. Being online, they can also find answers for many urgent questions or problems. Modern teenagers are luckier than other generations for having the freedom of choice and life full of possibilities. It is a “computer-based” generation. Even their homework is done with the help of computers and the Internet.
Friends contribute to the necessary development of the teenager. Today's young people tend to spend a lot of time with friends, spend as much time together to build positive relationships. Common interests reinforce friendship, but the most important thing is the ability to support in difficult times, sincerity, loyalty and openness.
Teenagers spend most of their time at school. Relations with classmates, teachers, undoubtedly, leave their mark on teenagers. The main value of the school is the ability to organize not only the educational process, but also a variety of leisure activities outside of school. The correct formation of interests in school activities, school clubs and sections will create a positive emotional state of high school students, which is very necessary in a series of preparations for exams and various tests.
So, the range of interests of modern high school students is wide. They spend their leisure time communicating with each other, listen to music, and spend a lot of time at the computer. But, the problem of reading books, and especially popular science literature, among young people there and its solution should be addressed now.
1.3. What is the reason for changing the interests and needs of teenagers of different generations?
Teenagers are children who are on their way to adulthood. Modern teenagers live in a very complex world, which, of course, is different from the one in which their parents lived as teenagers.
What are the differences?
First of all, in the amount of information that falls on his head through various media (radio, phones, televisions, computers). This "technological" reality gives teenagers a connection to the world, and the world gives them the opportunity to influence them. Therefore, the modern teenager is influenced by as many cultural stimuli as his parents could not imagine.
Further, an important factor is that the teenager knows much more about human cruelty than older generations did. Modern movies, novels, and songs are full of violent scenes. Teenagers see violence not only in movies and in the media, but many of them have experienced it firsthand. They have seen their fathers beating their mothers, or they have been abused by their fathers, stepfathers, and other adults. The majority of teenagers confess that they often see scenes of violence at school.
Today, teenagers rarely live in a large family: with grandparents, uncles and aunts. Due to the increasing mobility of people, families often live very far away from older generations. Previously, neighbors could replace parents and look after the children, but today few people maintain close relationships with their neighbors. Modern children are deprived of such supervision. In the past, teenagers could rely on relatives, sensible neighbors, and community organizations. Today they are deprived of such support.
Modern teenagers live in such a complex world. That is why they desperately need wise, tactful and loving parents who "care" of them and are able to give active advice.
CONCLUSION
So, what’s it like to be the generation of teenagers? They dye their hair, put lots of make up on, pierce their body parts, have tattoos, etc. Nevertheless, there are many future great architects, artists, musicians, writers, medics and other professionals among them. Modern teenagers are even more independent, open-minded and creative. However, they are far lazier, because of the fast technical progress. Everyone has access to the Internet today. That’s why modern teens don’t want to read books or to write independently their home work.
If in the lower grades kids are still pretty smart and willing to study, in high school they become average students with little or no academic achievements. The reasons for such a decline of interest in studying can be different. First of all, almost all teenagers have family and personal problems. At this age children face plenty of misunderstanding from adults.
At the same time they struggle to stand out among the peers. They want to have many friends, who will support their ideas. They fall in love and go through hardships of first love. All these inner and outer conflicts find reflection in their mind. In fact, they are going through a rather difficult period of life. Knowing that, parents and teachers should try to understand them and to help when necessary. A frank and sincere talk with a teenager can be very helpful for his identity formation.
REFERENCES
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Natanzon E. Psychological analysis of the student's actions [text]-Moscow "Enlightenment", 1991.
Vadchenko N. L., Khatkina N. V. encyclopedia about a teenager. M: Ed. Russian word, 2005.
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