Teen Worry Dynamics

Teenagers, like everyone else, worry about various things. We might all worry at some point whether or not our hair looks good, but the dynamics of a teenager worrying about their hair differ greatly from those of a grown business man. For example, the teen may be worried about their hair for the sake of looking good for the opposite sex, while the business man may need to impress a client. Both are impressing someone, but the motivation and dynamics are different.

Let’s take a look at the dynamics of what worries teens, and the motivations behind the worry:

The opposite sex. This is probably one of the biggest determining factors in what motivates worry in teens. The dynamics of teen worry can probably be narrowed down to worry about the opposite sex, or relating to them at least half the time. Teens are coming into their sexuality. They are starting to notice the opposite sex, and the opposite sex is starting to notice them. Hormones kick in, etc. All of this leads to a motivator. Your teen might worry about their wardrobe, and a big portion of that is because of what so and so might think of how they look. They might worry about their body, but this might be motivated by what the opposite sex will think of their body, etc.

What their friends will think. This dynamic of friends is nothing new. This is a classic case of peer pressure. They may worry about sex, not because of sex itself but because of what their friends will think of them if they don’t have sex, or if they do have sex. They may join sports because of friends, etc. A lot of what they worry about will be caused by the friends dynamic. They may worry about whether or not their friends will still like them, or whether or not they will be popular if they do this or that.

What their parents will think/do. A lot of worry for teens is caused by the struggle between becoming an individual and making their own choices, and doing the things that their parents would want them to do. Teens worry about what will happen if their parents find out about something they did or might do. Teens worry is often caused by the consequences attached to actions, but those consequences are formed by their parents.

How it affects their future. A lot of the worry teens have are caused by the future dynamic. They may worry about their grades because they won’t get into the college they want in the future. Or they may worry about getting home before curfew because they worry about future weekends and being grounded. Future is a loose term for teens, it can be as soon as lunch hour, or as far in the future as marriage. However, how things will affect their future is often one of the causes of worry in teens.

There are plenty of things for a teen to worry about, but they usually fall in a few basic categories, friends, dating, family, or future. So, when you want to know why your teen worries, start to think about what motivates them. Do they get ready in the morning and want to dress nice for themselves? Or is it for the opposite sex? Do they get good grades to get into college? Or to keep you, the parent happy? Hopefully this article will help you when your teen keeps you guessing.