19 / Non-fiction

Adolescents Today

Julfia Islam · Mojaffor Hossain

Adolescence and its problems are being studied and researched from many different perspectives in countries around the world. Adolescence does not develop and mature slowly and smoothly. It arrives like a sudden storm, sweeping through a young person’s life and turning everything upside down. There are also many poetic descriptions of puberty and adolescence. The problems of adolescence are not simply biological. They are not problems only for neighbours, schools, or parents. Nor are they the exclusive concern of psychologists or sociologists. Adolescent problems have many dimensions. No single book can offer solutions to all of them. We think much more about young adults than we do about teenagers. Young adults are already part of the larger social structure. As a result, their demands and concerns receive considerable public attention, while hardly anyone gives serious thought to the problems faced by adolescents. Teenagers themselves rarely speak out about their problems. Yet adolescent problems can deeply disturb the adult world. Industrialised countries are giving increasing attention to these issues. We too need to take them much more seriously. If we fail to address the problems of adolescents today, we may have to pay a heavy price in the not-so-distant future.