What is going on with teenagers nowadays? Like, especially with these teens, “Oh, sex is not a big deal. I’m curious about it.” I’m seeing it more after COVID. Like, once people are able to get out after being closed up for a year, they’re going out. But it’s so mind-blowing how much they want to experience it now. It’s no longer just talking about it; understanding it. It’s like they want to experience it. They don’t understand the long-term consequences of it.
And yes, part of adolescence is wanting to experiment, wanting to try things on, wanting to see what fits and what doesn’t fit. And so, as part of that, sexual experimentation is normal. Like teens do. They do want to. They want to try things out. They want to see what works for them and what they enjoy. That’s how they get to know themselves. So a big part of that is just normal teen development. I think sometimes, as adults, we forget what it was like to be a teen and what we went through. I’m very fortunate that I kept all of my diaries from my teen years. I will protect them and make sure that they go with me to my grave because they are so embarrassing. I like to reread them because it reminds me of what it was like to be a teen. Like, it is so drama-filled. It is so intense.
Everything we are experiencing is just, like, amplified. Like fights with friends and people that you have crushes on, it is a very intense experience. And so I think when the hormones are strong for our kids or when they’re starting to feel like some of those intense feelings towards whoever they’re interested in, it’s like, amplified, and it’s very strong for them versus, when you get older, like, those feelings don’t have that same level of, like, intensity.
But there was a sense of protection when we were younger. I know that people were experimenting even at our age, but there was a lot less than what we see now. And is it that parents have fewer boundaries? Here’s the question: parents have this whole movement of kids being more free and independent to do things than back in our generation. And, of course, as parents, we want to protect our children and be like, “No, that’s not the best choice,” and kids are going to do it anyway. They’re going to find a way, you know, and I’m just seeing more and more of it and talking more freely about it. It’s just different now.
Listen to the full episode here:
“Navigating Adolescence: Understanding Emotional Intelligence in Teens” | with Dr. Melanie McNally
Information about Dr. Melanie McNally:
https://www.destinationyou.net
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