Teenage is a crucial phase of human life as teenagers are going through both mental and physical changes. They are in an evolving phase so tend to commit innumerable mistakes in life. They are metamorphosing into young adults and are in a phase of discovering themselves. They are busy introspecting about themselves and trying to establish their identity. They are obscure people who are trying to carve a niche for themselves to fit into society. This is the time of surging hormones when one starts getting attracted to the opposite sex. This complicates things and problems begin. Let us find out what problems teens face if they get into relationships.
Infatuation or serious love-there is a kind of turmoil which goes on in the mind’s of teenagers whether they are seriously in love or is it a fleeting fancy? These feelings create relationship. Teen crushes are a common feature but they don’t last long as teenagers are unsure about themselves.
Unreturned love- sometimes teen crushes are one-sided affairs and the other person does not respond to his or her feelings. The person who doesn’t get a response to his or her feelings gets dejected and starts doubting his worth. This can even lead to losing one’s self- esteem which can have deleterious effects in the long run.
Immaturity-their young age and developing brains can lead to taking immature and irresponsible decisions in a relationship. These decisions can lead to heartbreaks and bitterness in a relationship. Sometimes, family, peer pressure and studies might create this bitterness which can even lead to breaking of relationships.
Unable to share their feelings with their parents– emotional changes start taking place during the teens. when they develop feelings for the opposite sex they find it difficult to share their feelings with their parents. They remain in a dilemma about sharing their feelings with their parents as they fear the parent’s reaction related to their relationships.
Limited finances- being in school or college the teens are still unemployed so procure only limited pocket money from their parents. This too can create relationship problems as each may have more expectations from the other. Entertaining the partner with limited resources may become a bone of contention.
Jealousy and trust issues-jealousy is a common problem among teenagers. This jealousy may create mistrust among partners leading to relationship problems. Betrayal in love can be difficult to handle and can even lead to abetment to suicide.
Peer pressure– peer pressure affects a teenager’s sane thinking and to create a good impression in front of their peer’s teens tend to complicate their relationships which leads to problems.
Fear of losing the first love or crush- the first throes of love give a teenager a wonderful feeling. He or she is unable to come to terms if there are relationship problems. It becomes difficult for them to move on as they fear of never getting love again which can lead to depression and abusive relationship.
Social media- in the present time’s social media is a big tool which is causing relationship problems. Sharing of private relationship moments on social media can cause problems as the brand value of a person is measured on the number of likes. This can create breakups in the relationship.
Break up-no one wants a happy relationship to end on a sour note. But sometimes emotional upheavals lead to these breakups causing a lot of sadness.
Cheating in a relationship– if a teenager faces cheating during a relationship they are unable to cope up with it and tend to carry emotional baggage. They are awry to enter a new relationship leading to psychological problems.
Role of parents in helping teenagers tide through these problems with ease–
The internet, movies, novels enhance a teenager’s imagination regarding love, they develop an eagerness to experiment with this at the earliest. Due to which they fall prey to problems. Parents should become their mentors, give them a keen ear without reacting. Keep communication lines open, be a friend to them instead of making them look like fiends. Parents should give them a shoulder to cry on if they are going through a rough patch in their relationships. Teach them the art of keeping happy and healthy relationships.
Dr. PREETI TALWAR
