Essay Sample about Adolescence Period

Have you ever struggled growing up between the ages of 10 and 19 because of other people? If you answered yes, then you would most likely agree with the statement, “Adolescence is a war; no one gets out unharmed.” But there are others who disagree and I'm here to convince them otherwise. 

First, while It can be good for you later in life, growing up can be a dangerous situation for teens because certain people in school that you can not control being around can affect the things people do. Secondly, When growing up your thoughts change and your brain begins to grow, it can be good or bad depending on the people around you, and people later regret getting forced to be something they are not.

First, growing up around certain people in school that you can not control being around can affect the things people do. The passage “Bronx Masquerade” states, “I hate always being the tallest girl in school. Everybody expects me to play basketball, so they pick me for their team, Big mistake. I fumble it every time. Then they have the nerve to get mad at me… But basketball is not my game. I have no game. I’m an artist, like Raul. The difference is, I don’t tell anybody. I refuse to give them new reasons to laugh at me.” This shows that the people around you can affect the things people do and this can affect your future because the person in the quote does not want to play basketball but people are having high expectations for her because she is tall.

Another piece of evidence from “Bronx Masquerade” is, “I freeze and wait for the snickers I’m used to. Wait for her to say something like:” “What? Coach got you reading now? Afraid you’re gonna flunk out and drop off the team?” This shows that people around you can affect the things you do. He is sneaking into the library afraid that someone is going to make fun of him because he is a basketball player and he is not supposed to be reading. Also, the passage “The Party” states, “Why hadn’t she invited me? My feet were too big? No. Maybe. My face was broken out? Who wants someone with acne at her party? Why did she invite every person in my group except me?” In this quote, she wants to be invited to the party because everybody else around her was invited. This shows that the people around you can affect the things you do because she felt like she had to be liked by everyone and seem happy all the time. To sum it up, the adolescence period can mess with the way you think and act because of the people around you that influence it.

Second, as your brain is growing during the adolescence period, it adjusts and develops in a certain way depending on the people around you, and most times the people around you are not a good influence. According to the passage “The Debt We Owe the Adolescent Brain” “There is evidence,” she says, “that even adolescent rodents tend to hang out with same-aged peers and tend to have more fights with their parents.” Sound familiar? These behaviors—sensitivity to influence from peers…” The evidence proves that your brain develops in a certain way depending on the people around you. Other kids around your kids can make them act differently and pull away from you, you or your kid/kids may regret how distant you both have become. 

Also the passage “The Debt We Owe the Adolescent Brain” states, “Adolescence is a kind of golden age when, as Giedd puts it, “You’re asking your brain, ‘What do I need to be good at? What do I need to do to make it in this world?’ Every choice you make trains your brain.” If you were to choose to stop doing something at a young age because other people did not like it, when you get older, it is going to be more difficult for you to learn it. Lastly, according to the passage “What to Expect from Adolescence” it states, “The changes that happen during adolescence are not just physical. There are also intellectual, emotional, and social changes that happen during this time” This proves that your brain is growing during the adolescence period; it adjusts and develops in a certain way depending on what you do and how you feel. If the wrong people are around your child during that period they can negatively affect the way they develop. To conclude, the adolescent period is very important, and you should be careful whom your child hangs out with because it can affect their mentality. 

Lastly, you may think the adolescence period is good because it allows you to make friends, but friends can peer pressure you into doing something you do not want to do. I know some believe that since you had a good time growing up and making friends, however, the majority of people get bullied and change because of other people's opinions. One may be under the impression that teens need privacy and let them live their life, but nevertheless, this might be true but checking in on your kids and their friends helps affect the way they think.

As you have seen, growing up can be a dangerous situation for teens, when growing up your thoughts change, your brain grows, and people later regret getting forced to be something they are not. People can change the way you act and think and change the development of your brain. I urge you to watch your child in their adolescent period and watch the people they hang out with.