What is TEENAGER?

A teenager is any person who is between the ages of 13 and 19; during this important stage of human development, boys and girls reach puberty, although this may happen at different ages, depending on a boy or girl's specific hereditary factors. During puberty, boys will go through the following changes:

Changes Boys Go Through During Puberty


• The growth of hair: Under the arms, in the pubic region, and sometimes on the chest or face (beard and moustache)
• Deepening voice; the voice will "break" and become more like a man's voice
• Sexual feelings and erections, "wet dreams", et cetera

Changes Girls Go Through During Puberty

• Menstrual periods will begin during the teenage years (although they may start before and after the teens, in very rare cases)
• Hair grows under the arms, on the legs, and in the pubic region
• Sexual feelings will develop; these may manifest themselves as intense "crushes"

Before the teenage years, a boy or girl is often referred to as a "tween"; after the teenage years, a young man or woman will usually be referred to as an adult, or a young adult. There are many psychological milestones that occur in a teenager's life - one of these is the pulling away from parental figures, in favour of peers or love interests. During this "pulling away phase", the teenager is learning to make decisions for him or herself, and seeking out a life direction, including a potential career.

Obviously, during this experimental teen phase, much trial and error is commonplace. Sometimes, conflicts with authority figures, teachers, and parents/guardians can result in problems at school, home, or any other place where a certain standard of conduct is expected. However, some teens do glide through the pivotal teenage years more smoothly; certain psychologists believe that the nurturing teenagers receive in the formative years (newborn to age 5) will have an impact on how turbulent, or smooth, the teen years are...