Adolescence is the transition period between

being a child and being an adult. It is the period of

being “caught in the middle,” and it can be difficult
for the person going through it. One may still feel
like a kid deep down, but sometimes the people
around may expect him/her to “grow up“ and act
maturely. At times a person finds conflict in doing
what he/she want to do and doing what he/she has
to do.
These internal conflicts within oneself are normal
and you can take comfort knowing that everyone
experiences or has experienced these conflicts.
What matters is how you understand your
thoughts and feelings, your questions and
struggles. But before that, there is a need to take a
closer look at what is happening to a person at
this critical stage of his/her development.
Knowing how one develops during the transition
phase into adolescence and young adulthood
provides helpful information in navigating the
passage, knowing that one is on the right track. The
many changes that Mark the adolescence period of
growth are intertwined. In the biological sense,
puberty is the usually feels like he is going through a
“midlife crisis” at 17 years old. He finds himself so
preoccupied applying to universities over metro. After
classes, he spends his spare time reviewing for the
entrance examinations, leaving him feeling
To understand the whole
developmental stages of human
development, the work of the
developmental psychologist, Erik
Erikson (1902-1994), is worth
looking into. He is best known for
his theory of the eight stages of
psychosocial development, and
is known to have coined the
famous phrase “identity crisis”.
Reflecting on his own past confusions as a teenager
who never go to meet his biological father, Erikson
theorized about the eight stages of developments
infancy, early childhood, play age, school age,
adolescence,young adulthood, head, and old age. He
suggests that each psychosocial stage, a person
encounters a psychosocial struggle/crisis or a
“turning point” which has to be successfully
overcome to arrive at a resolution which contributes
to the development of one’s personality.
At infancy, an infant enters a world of
uncertainty with respect to the fulfillment of
his/her needs. The baby looks up to a reliable
caregiver who is usually the mother. When this
happens regularly, the baby feels secure and to
develop basic trust in a world that cares.
During early childhood, as the child grow and
discovers his/her abilities, he/she becomes
assertive in exercising his/her newfound skills of
walking and handling things. Sometimes the
child can be stubborn as his/her will develops
more. If he/she is encouraged and supported in
his/her struggles to become autonomous and
independent, he/she grows more confident and
secure in his/her ability to survive in the world.
At play age, the child rapidly develops as
he/she becomes more active in initiating
activities like play or discovering out of
curiosity. If he/she is embarrassed or punished
in his/her initiative. His/her guilt feelings are
evoked and sees him/herself as a nuisance or
a burden. His/Her natural creativity may also
be constricted.
As school age comes, the young pupil learns new
knowledge and skills. Struggling to learn more and
get, he/she can be industrious and gain along with
peers, a sense of competence with enough
recognition from his/her authority figures. If the
tasks are too demanding for his/her abilities, or
when he/she fails too often and ridiculed in the
process, he/she can instead develop a sense of
inferiority.
As school age comes, the young pupil learns
new knowledge and skills. Struggling to learn
more and get, he/she can be industrious and
gain along with peers, a sense of competence
with enough recognition from his/her authority
figures. If the tasks are too demanding for
his/her abilities, or when he/she fails too often
and ridiculed in the process, he/she can
instead develop a sense of inferiority.
During middle adulthood, usually, the
challenge is to be generatively productive
that is, to find a career, have a lifetime
partner and family or have a vocation that
enables one to become meaningful part of a
bigger world beyond just oneself In fulfilling
these developmental tasks, one feels
empowered-making a difference by
generating helpful products or services to
the world.
During old age of senior citizens such as
grandparents or the elderly, the challenge is
to find satisfaction in a life that has been
lived fruitfully. It is important to remember
that the definition of adolescence is not
always constant since some people mature
ahead of others, wholesome experience a
delay in maturity for various reasons such
as family upbringing and inherited traits.
In the Philippine context, Corpuz,
Lucas,Borabo, and Lucido (2010) defined the
three stages of adolescence as early
adolescence between the of 10-13 years,
middle adolescence between the ages of 14-16
years, and late adolescence between the ages
of 17-20 years.
Adolescence ends later than in the Western
cultures-where they are expected to move out of
the house once they are 18 years old! An identity
crisis is not only limited to adolescence. There are
also identity crises in young adults called “quarter
life crisis”; and in adulthood and old age
commonly known as a “mid-life crisis.”
Karen Horney's theory of personality
development. Horney believed that
personality is shaped by social and
cultural factors, especially early
childhood experiences. She
emphasized the importance of the
relationship between a child and their
parents, suggesting that difficult
childhoods can lead to abnormal
personality development.
Karen Horney proposed two views of the self: the real
self and the ideal self. The real self is a person’s actual
being, while the ideal self is an imagined fantasy that
promises a sense of positive identity. Ideally, the real
and ideal selves should be similar, but in less ideal
situations, there can be significant differences
between the two. Horney also described three
interaction styles that individuals use to cope with
anxiety: moving toward people, moving against people,
and moving away from people. These coping strategies
can become enduring parts of one’s personality.
Evaluating One's Development with Others As one
learns the different developmental tasks (Erikson and
Horney) and in subsequent conversations with
classmates and peers, one can better see to what
extent he/she has developed him/herself vis-a-vis other
people of his/her age group. Being a highly personal
matter, evaluating how far one has grown from the given
psychosocial tasks requires an ability to take a more
objective and realistic view of oneself.
For instance, though one is highly esteemed in
academic and leadership roles, he/she may not be
the most popular or beloved student in campus for
being overly aggressive in pushing his/her personal
agenda. Or a shy but kind and helpful student who
thinks no girl would like to be his date to the prom,
can be so surprised to find out that many female
classmates actually wish to be his date.
To arrive at a more grounded assessment of one’s
current personal development as compared to
peers, one can use once again the Johari Window
to seek feedback from those he/she trusts for their
honest and sincere comments. Soliciting the views
of others about oneself can be very helpful when
done with openness and in a sincere and pleasant
manner.
Toward Becoming Responsible Adolescents
Corpuz, et al. (2010) and Santos (2016)
identified numerous developmental tasks
and skills that should help Filipino teens
become responsible adolescents, maturing
towards meaningful and productive lives in
young adulthood.
• Developing occupational skills targeted to
help develop responsibility in preparation
for future employment.
• Developing self-reliance to identify one’s
own skills and knowledge, capabilities, and
resources to engage in meaningful activities
without relying too much on others
• Learning to manage finances which
involves being able to discern the difference
between "wants" and "needs," and learn
self-control when handling finances.
• Understanding one’s social responsibility
involves being able to see beyond oneself,
taking the greater community into
consideration, and seeing one's role in the
community as an agent of change.
• Acquiring a mature work orientation which entails
having pride in what one does, and raising standards
of excellence in one’s quality of work.
• Accepting personal responsibility which involves
knowing the consequences of one’s actions, being
responsible for one’s own decisions without putting
blame on others.
• Instilling a positive attitude towards work by seeking
work as a way towards self improvement and as an
expression of love for others and him/herself.
• Being courageous in standing up and being
different from friends, not losing one's own identity
to one's group of friends, learning to say no to peer
pressure especially when he/she knows that it is bad
for a person or when it goes against his/her values
and beliefs.

• Developing self-esteem which involves learning to

understand, accept, and appreciate oneself as a
unique person without comparing him/herself to
others.
Being true to oneself and avoiding the
tendency to please others, which means not
having to conform to others, being true to
oneself, and asserting his/her individuality and
uniqueness; true friends will accept a person for
who they are Adolescence Learning how media
and advertising try to influence one's thinking
and feelings, which involves understanding that
news is reported.