The joys and challenges of Adolescence
A lad of fourteen is neither ornamental nor useful'. That is how Rabindranath Tagore described an adolescent in his story The Home Coming", which really touched my heart when I read it. This sentence can be held true partly in today's scenario as it is very much valid in that transition period from a child to an adult. The metamorphoses is odd, strange and at times painful. Their character and personality is highly vulnerable and fragile. The thinking of young girls and boys at this stage can be overpowered and swayed easily. Very often, we have observed such traits in them, which makes us anxious and concerned at the same time. Careful handling by the parents at home and teachers in school is very much needed at this stage. They are unable to cope up at times with sudden spurts of changes in them.
At the same time, there is no need to get panicky or paranoid on this issue as it is very much normal. Adolescence rhymes with adventure. It is that phase in life when the thrill of the 'New' is overwhelming. When the excitement of discovery soars we must not forget that our biggest asset is our future. This is a generation that we should not take for granted and it is a generation about which we should not be judgmental either. We should try to understand them by giving them our quality time. What they need is our unconditional love and support at all times.
Media explosion and advancement in technology has opened new doors for them also. The adolescent of today spends about ten hours a day on media ranging from radio to 'You Tube', on social networking sites like Facebook, quite sometime on mobile phones talking and messaging, not to forget playing games on computers. Television and mobiles have become almost an addiction to them. There statistical findings open a window to the mind of a generation. Like any other, this generation of today is shaped by the spirits of time.
It is a generation born in affluence where shortages are unknown and there is a plethora of choices in almost everything. Technology dominates life of this generation. The world of today's teenager has enough danger zones in it to make an adult anxious. Take drugs or drinking alcohol for instance, most of them get hooked on to such vices at this age only. This is a generation with a million possibilities. Because of technology and freedom, they enjoy, they are able to keep large parts of their lives away from the prying eyes of adults. Some will inevitably fall by the wayside but most will take it in their stride and grab the great opportunities which will come in their way. They also need to be focused in achieving their goals of life professionally, along with all the fun and enjoyments they are having.
