This week, we explored various characteristics of what makes a person an adolescent in 2016. Through readings, research, and class discussions, here are some of my findings:

 

The dictionary defines adolescence as “the transitional period between puberty and adulthood in human development, extending mainly over the teen years and terminating legally when the age of majority is reached” (Dictionary, 2016). While this provides us a definition of adolescence, it is rather vague and nonconcrete. We all enter puberty at different points in our lives. We have no control over when we will begin and end the stages of puberty. As well, not all countries have the same legal age of majority. For example, in Canada, the legal age of majority is determined by the province. In Alberta, the legal age of majority is 18, but in British Columbia, the legal age is 19 (Government of Canada, 2015). Does that mean that Albertans have one less year of being an adolescent? Does that mean that if I entered puberty at 16, I would only be an adolescent for 2 years until I turned 18? While we have a general definition of what an adolescent is, we need to develop a framework of various attributes that pertain to being an adolescent.

 

Prior to our class discussion, I felt the number one leading indicator of an adolescent today was the act of developing an online identity. 10 years ago, social media was just beginning to emerge. Today, it is virtually at our fingertips any hour of the day. More and more youth begin to develop social media profiles at a young age. Some recent stats indicate that 71% teens between the age of 13 and 17 have a facebook account, 52% are on Instagram, and 41% are on Snapchat (PewResearchCenter, 2014). Social media also allows adolescents to develop a sense of independence. They have the agency to communicate with people without having to get permission from their parents. In my opinion, many characteristics such as emotions, social economic status, identity, are all affected by the use of social media, and this all plays a part in the definition of an adolescent.

 

With such high numbers of students on social media, it is with no doubt that this will impact my teaching. As an educator, it is important to teach my students to be ethical digital citizens when using the internet and be cautious of the potential dangers they could encounter. We want to promote the use of technology but must be responsible for educating on proper use. NetSmartz is a resourceful tool where educators, students, and parents can learn about cyberbullying, online privacy, and digital ethics. There are also teaching materials and presentations I could use in my classroom for all ages. ConnectSafely is another resource with articles, videos, and guides to safety on social media. I think it is important to keep this topic fun since it can be a touchy subject. Showing a video to begin the conversation would be an effective transition to the topic. The 5 Commandments of Online Safety addresses the dangerous porn culture, how easily information can be shared, and how adolescents can be more proactive users online. While we do not want to scare our students from using social media, they must be aware of the consequences they could encounter with being negligent online. Lastly, the Digital Citizenship Toolkit is one of my favorite resources. The idea is to create a physical toolkit with items that resemble things you do online. For example, putting a mirror in the toolkit resembles how other people perceive you online. Do you want to look the same in person as you do with your online identity? I think this would be a fun project to incorporate with junior to high school students. 

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