Unspoken Struggles
Teen friendships; might not sound like a topic of importance to a few adults, but they do significantly impact teenagers’ mental health. Thanks to the developing brain, as the child enters adolescence, it changes in such a way that friendships become their prime focus. The brain changes lead them to feel, connect, and establish bonds with their peers. In addition, That is when teen friendships gain immense hold of a teenager’s life including their mental health.
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Teen friendships
Studies show that friends are the key point of contact for the teenagers. Friends are mostly their go-to person and one of the people they trust the most. Therefore, it is essential to understand the relationship between teen friendships and their mental well-being.
Teen friendships: The Reality Check!
No matter how mesmerizing it looks, teen friendships might have a tremendous negative impact on their mental health, especially if they are toxic. Negative friendships can mess up your child mental well-being. Frenemies and toxic friendships; At that age, they are sensitive, naive, and much more prone to challenges. In addition, they can become self-conscious, depressed, and angry.
Teen friendships
It is considered a social reorientation age, at which teenagers begin to devote more time and attention to their friend circle. But is it always a healthy practice? Most parents do not realize the need to draw a line. They usually think that the child is socializing and getting to explore new people. But beneath the surface, it can be harmful to their mental health if not appropriately balanced.
Teen friendships
Good Friend especially teenage comradeship does not always continue how we expect them to be. People change, their priorities change, they might move out to some other place, and with time, they might even lose interest in old playmate. Parents can help teens understand this can severely impact the mental health of your teenager. Especially if they are very sensitive or overly reliant upon their friendships. Would you believe me if I told you:
The brain area stimulated by abandonment and social isolation is the same area that gets stimulated by physical pain.
Yes, it is true. The feeling of loneliness and abandonment can hurt as much as a relationship break up. This shows how important it is for teenagers to balance their friendships so they are not overly dependent on them.
Limited Family Time and Bonding
When teen friendships consume more than reasonable time and energy, it can even lead to a situation in which they tend to take their family for granted. They tend to make their friends the first and foremost priority, which is not a healthy practice.
Their happiness and mood start to depend upon how things are going with their friends. These teenagers turn out to be emotionally dependent adults and are unable to understand how to balance family and social life.
This can affect not only their bonding with their parents but also with their future life partner, raising a lot of mental health issues like anxiety, unhappiness, poor anger management, depression, unworthiness, and even suicidal thoughts.
Teen friendships
Peer pressure is one of the main culprits when we talk about the negative impact of teenage friendships on their mental health. Most of them get so indulged in friendships that they blindly follow each and every step of their peers. Be it a night out, partying a lot, or unnecessary competition, they tend to do everything in the name of friendships. The copy and compete with their friends in every possible way which harms their mental health.
Studies have shown a very strong relationship between depressive symptoms and peer pressure in teenagers.
Poor Decision Making
Their decision-making ability is influenced by their friendships, which can lead them to make poor decisions like smoking, drinking, lying, etc. All these things in the long term take a significant toll on their mental health. Most of the teenagers who are overindulged in friendships turn out to be depressed, anxious, afraid, and overcompensating.
The Takeaway Message
Friendships are an essential part of life for teenagers. Still, it is always important to learn and draw boundaries, to prevent various social and mental challenges. It is not always wise to be over-friendly and available for the people outside, especially at this naive age.
Family, especially parents, are the ones that should be the go-to person for a teenager so that they can listen, understand, and properly guide them instead of telling them to make impulsive decisions. Therefore, parents must befriend their children positively so that they do not look out to people for external validation, love, and care. Always make them feel comfortable with you so they can share everything in their life and mind. Because home is where your heart is.
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