|
In common
usage around the world, "adolescent", "teenager", "teen", "youth", and
"young person" may be considered synonyms - although the term 'teenager'
is an artifact of the English counting system, not something that occurs
in most languages. The term 'teenager' in its current form was
reportedly first used by Bill Haley in February of a 1952 UK concert.
Adolescence is recognized as both a cultural/social phenomenon and as a
standardized human development phase.
In sociology,
adolescence is seen as a cultural phenomenon for the working world and
therefore its end points are not easily tied to physical milestones. The
time is identified with dramatic changes in the body, along with
developments in a person's psychology and academic career. In the onset
of adolescence, children usually complete elementary school and enter
secondary education. A person
between early childhood and the teenage years is sometimes referred to
as a pre-teen or tween.
As a
transitional stage of human development, adolescence is the period in
which a child matures into an adult. This transition involves biological
(i.e. pubertal), social, and psychological changes, though the
biological ones are the easiest to measure objectively.
The ages of
adolescence vary by culture. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines
adolescence as the period of life between 10 and 19 years of age.[In
contrast, in the United States, adolescence is generally considered to
begin somewhere between ages 12 and 14, and end at 19 or 20. As distinct
from the varied interpretations of who is considered an "adolescent",
the word "teenager" is more easily defined: it describes a person who is
thirteen to nineteen years of age.
During this
period of life, most children go through the physical stages of puberty
which often begins between the ages of nine and thirteen. Most cultures
regard people as becoming adults at various ages of the teenage years.
Most likely at the age of twenty one.
|
