TED ÇORLU COLLEGE / 10-B
The
COMMITTED
Understanding Change in Adolescence
Asya Zeynep SAĞLAM ‣
Have you ever felt as if something within you has changed your thoughts, your perspective, or even your sense of self? Perhaps the better question is not when change occurs, but how often, because change is inevitable. As I write this essay at sixteen years old, I feel surrounded by constant change, to the point that it is difficult to identify a single moment that stands out. Instead, change feels ongoing, quietly shaping who I am.
Many people assume that the amount of change a person experience decreases with age. Teenagers, in particular, are often described as unstable or unpredictable, as though change during this stage of life is something unusual. This idea has become widely accepted and is often exaggerated through jokes or stereotypes about moody teenagers whose personalities seem to shift overnight. While these portrayals may be humorous, I have been wondering: is this really the case for teenagers? Do we change so much that it becomes an excuse for our parents to struggle to keep up— even with the name of our new best friend? Furthermore, if this is true, are we actually handling this situation correctly?
Change is influenced not only by time but also by living conditions. Rather than assuming that change during adolescence is negative, it may be more meaningful to consider an individual’ s overall circumstances. My purpose in writing about this topic is to encourage teenagers to recognise the changes they experience, to embrace them, and to approach them with a more positive mindset. Most importantly, we should not be afraid of change simply because it has been made the subject of jokes. Nor should we allow other people’ s— even our parents’— stereotypes to define how significant or challenging the changes we go through truly are.