tweenagedream

Wrapping up-

I feel a little nostalgic and a bit sad to be wrapping up this project today!!! Much like everyone else (I imagine!!) I feel unsure about whether I have done enough, and I feel reflective, as Adolescence is something we have all experienced subjectively and this course has allowed me to consider aspects of my own life as we have progressed through.

This was an innovative and interesting way to research and learn about a topic. I have not completed an assignment like this before and having the chance to consider articles, videos and pictures that were not necessarily always 'scientific' or 'peer reviewed' has allowed me to view this topic through the lens of common human experience. The flip side of that is that I often felt uncertain about the content and appropriateness of my posts, and as the task was 10 weeks long, I felt that there were times when it was going better than others and the lack of feedback on progress did concern me. I always wondered if I was heading in the right direction; I suppose I will soon find out!!! 

I feel sad because I realized as I was going through counting up all my posts (haha!!!) that I focused hugely on what could be considered the 'pathology' of adolescence- so many negatives!! While I can honestly say I recall some tough and scary times in my youth, I also believe it has shaped me into the person I am today and so many parts of it were equally as beautiful as they were frightening; as amazing and exciting as they were daunting.

This is the most recent photo I could find of myself, which I think outlines who I am pretty well- a bit goofy, a bit weird, a bit too chatty, very easily excited over Japanese mayonnaise; but also fun, kind, loving and thoughtful. I owe this marvelous personality, in most part, to my friends, family, workmates and partners across the lifespan. But also, to my adolescence. To my time in high school, in teams, learning, growing, feeling shamed as about my clothing/hair choices, making and losing friends, falling in love, and being a teen. 

Hope we have all learnt things from this that we can apply to our future careers, and to our relationships with teens/friends/kids etc. 

Bye everyone!!!!

Budding photographer Lewis Thelwall, of Port Talbot, South Wales, committed suicide after false rumours about him were posted online, an inquest into his death heard.

Sadly, These cases are all too common. You only have to search "Cyber Bullying" to learn about the negative effects peer relationships can have on teens. 

Santrock (2012) discusses the positive and negative effects of teen relationships and friendships. When they are positive, teen relationships can provide a sense of belonging, learning and understanding, respect for others and development of identity. 

If We Lived In A World Where Women Catcalled Men...

This video is not scientific at all, but a funny look at the perceived differences between men and women and the traits they may look for in relationships.

Santrock (2012) outlines that teen relationships fulfill many roles or functions, including recreation, achievement, socialization, learning, intimacy, sexual experimentation and identity formation. 

Boys are likely to engage in sexual activity between the ages of 13-15, where as girls have a broader age range of 14-18.

Pride and privilege mingle with guilt for Pakeha teens in a study that shines a light on ethnic attitudes.

This article is the summary of NZ research into teens feelings on discrimination. An important aspect of peer relations to consider is the context of culture and ethnicity. Although we like to think of ourselves in NZ as being multi-cultural, this research highlights the differing forms of discrimination that kiwi youth feel.

This song encapsulates popularity and peer relationships to me. It covers a majority of the characteristics expressed on our stream site about the qualities of the Popular children "are reinforcing, good listeners, enthusiastic, concerned, and confident".

Siblings-

Here are a few photos of myself and my siblings. My sister is my 'full' sister and my little brother is our step sibling. When we were younger I made the conscious effort to refer to him as our brother rather than step-brother as I felt he deserved the recognition and I didn't want to define or separate him from the family by using a tittle. 

My sister and I fought as children; we had the boundary tape in the bedroom, and the screaming matches and all the norms. As I grew older the fighting ceased and was replaced with fights between the younger siblings. 

Santrock (2012) suggests that birth order could play a role in sibling relationships, with older siblings taking on more dominating roles and feeling resentful about parental favoring of younger siblings. 

We live in a society where almost every level of morality is tolerated. Teens face pressure from many directions to experiment sexually, try drugs and alcohol, lie and cheat to

An interesting article aiming to help parents instill morals in their teens in this modern age. 

When considering the models of teen moral development I think it is important to consider the context and era they were developed in, and the differences today's world presents.

This video is pretty sad and tragically true- a reminder for us all that Morality begins in childhood and the role that parents play. 

by Mia McKenzie Actor Emma Watson, of Harry Potter movie fame, is a new Goodwill Ambassador for UN Women and she spoke at the UN on Saturday to launch the HeForShe campaign, which aims to mobilize men to end gender inequality somehow (the campaign doesn’t seem to call men to any particular action of any sort). The campaign wants men to make gender equality their issue, too, and Ms. Watson extended “a formal invitation” to men to do so. Some of the mainstream (white) feminist interwebs are all abuzz because, according to said mainstream (white) feminist interwebs, it was all kinds of...

I was surprised, when searching for the video of Emma Watson's UN speech, to come across several 'opposition' articles. Here is a link to one of them, where the writer indicates that involving Men in the movement was infact the opposite of helpful and that the speech should not be celebrated as a milestone of modern feminism as it is more like a "baby step".

Not sure I agree with some of the more complex parts of the argument, as I feel like some extreme over analyzing may be happening, and I don't fully understand the value of it.