Name: Beneza, Jalyssa Hope R.

Course & Section: BSIT-201

Subject: Philosophy
Professor: Jumel G. Estrañero

Title: PHILOSOPHY OF TEENAGE REBELLION

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooVm1T7We3A

PRELUDE:
The topic of teen rebellion usually triggers some kind of emotional response. It can ignite fear in the
hearts of parents who have children on the brink of adolescence; it can prompt both defensiveness and despair in the
hearts of parents struggling through the teen years; and it can inspire a sigh of relief for parents who now have adult
children. Whether your teen is opposing your authority or God's, rebellion is never easy to deal with.
Many parents do not understand why their teenagers occasionally behave in an impulsive, irrational,
or dangerous way. At times, it seems like teens don't think things through or fully consider the consequences of their
actions. Adolescents differ from adults in the way they behave, solve problems, and make decisions. There is a
biological explanation for this difference. Studies have shown that brains continue to mature and develop throughout
childhood and adolescence and well into early adulthood.
Scientists have identified a specific region of the brain called the amygdala that is responsible for
immediate reactions including fear and aggressive behavior. This region develops early. However, the frontal cortex,
the area of the brain that controls reasoning and helps us think before we act, develops later.
 This part of the brain is still changing and maturing well into adulthood.Other changes in the brain
during adolescence include a rapid increase in the connections between the brain cells and making the brain
pathways more effective. Nerve cells develop myelin, an insulating layer that helps cells communicate. All these
changes are essential for the development of coordinated thought, action, and behavior.
It's the poster characteristic of the teenager years: adolescent rebellion. And it's one that causes
many conflicts with parents.Two common types of rebellion are against socially fitting in (rebellion of non-conformity)
and against adult authority (rebellion of non-compliance.) In both types, rebellion attracts adult attention by offending
it.
The young person proudly asserts individuality from what parents like or independence of what
parents want and in each case succeeds in provoking their disapproval. This is why rebellion, which is simply
behavior that deliberately opposes the ruling norms or powers that be, has been given a good name by adolescents
and a bad one by adults.
The reason why parents usually dislike adolescent rebellion is not only that it creates more resistance
to their job of providing structure, guidance, and supervision, but because rebellion can lead to serious kinds of
harm.Rebellion can cause young people to rebel against their own self-interests -- rejecting childhood interests,
activities, and relationships that often support self-esteem.It can cause them to engage in self-defeating and self-
destructive behavior - refusing to do school work or even physically hurting themselves, It can cause them to
experiment with high-risk excitement - accepting dares that as a children they would have refused, It can cause them
to reject safe rules and restraints - letting impulse overrule judgment to dangerous effect, And it can cause them to
injure valued relationships - pushing against those they care about and pushing them away.
So adolescent rebellion is not simply a matter of parental aggravation.it is also a matter of
concern.Although the young person thinks rebellion is an act of independence, it actually never is. It is really an act of
dependency. Rebellion causes the young person to depend self-definition and personal conduct on doing the
opposite of what other people want.

ANATOMY
Pictures of the brain in action show that adolescents' brains work differently than adults when they make
decisions or solve problems. Their actions are guided more by the emotional and reactive amygdala and less by the
thoughtful, logical frontal cortex. Research has also shown that exposure to drugs and alcohol during the teen years
can change or delay these developments.

Based on the stage of their brain development, adolescents are more likely to:

 act on impulse
 misread or misinterpret social cues and emotions
 get into accidents of all kinds
 get involved in fights
 engage in dangerous or risky behavior.
 Adolescents are less likely to :

 think before they act

 pause to consider the consequences of their actions
 change their dangerous or inappropriate behaviors

These brain differences don't mean that young people can't make good decisions or tell the differences
between right and wrong. It also doesn't mean that they shouldn't be held responsible for their actions. However, an
awareness of these differences can help parents, teachers, advocates, and policy makers understand, anticipate,
and manage the behavior of adolescents.
Most of the times, parents get petrified about teen rebellion and want to avoid it at all costs. They fret while
handling rebellious teens because they do not want to put their relationship with them in danger. They don’t want
their teen to run away from them and become secluded.
Teen rebellion is not a new concept for most of us, especially parents. It has been around ever since children
inhabited the earth. Even you would have acted defiantly as a teenager. Remember constantly yelling over nothing or
slamming doors? Every teen would undergo this tumultuous phase. But the question is, why do teens become
rebellious? What are the underlying causes of teen rebellion? Understanding why your teen is acting defiantly is
crucial to understand what you can do about it. Let’s highlight some of the reasons why your teen is rebelling. When
kids enter into their adolescent years, they may struggle for knowing their own identity.
They may constantly ask themselves questions like, ‘who am I?’, ‘what am I doing here?’, ‘what’s the
purpose of my life?’ etc. While pondering upon such questions, they’re actually trying to know more about their
existence and individuality. When parents pay no heed to their questions, they end up assuming everything on their
own. They become rebellious and want to take decisions for themselves.
Struggling for independence could be one of the reasons of teen rebellion. Understandably, when a kid
moves into adolescence, he would expect to attain more freedom and independence from his parents and family.
This is something any normal teen would demand.
However, the real problem begins when some parents unconsciously confuse independence with rebellion,
thinking their teen might be slipping out of their hands. Their reaction towards teen’s growing independence may
actually become the cause of rebellion. For example, you would not allow your teen to hang out at the mall or a
restaurant with his group because you are fearful of the trouble he could get into. This will eventually make your teen
rebel by sneaking out without your permission.
Teens like to have a substantial control over their lives. Gone are the days when parents used to control
their teens and decide everything about them – what their teens would wear, where would they go, whom would they
meet, etc. When kids become older, they like to enjoy taking authority over their actions. They want to control their
life on their own. However, they do not like when parents become authoritative and enforce their decisions on them.
When this happens, they tend to defy their actions. They rebel when parents do not trust their decision-making
abilities.

REQUIEM
Teens may do anything to garner attention. They love when someone pays attention to their appearance,
to their actions, and to their lifestyle. They want people to notice them, and they’d do anything to seek attention. Lack
of attention from parents can cause them to seek attention from wrong people in many wrong ways. For instance,
teen girls, when not getting positive attention at home, would go out and seek solace from her peers. They might
influence her negatively; guide her on the wrong path and ask her to do all the bad things.
 Being a parent, you need to understand how critical it is to know why your teen is rebelling. After identifying
the underlying causes, you can help your teen and make him or her see a clearer picture of reality. When you find
your teen acting rebelliously, you should not lose temper but rather act in a calmer way. Cut them some slack. Allow
some freedom and let them make wise decisions. Remember, only you can help your teen by properly guiding them
through this hard time.
There is no denying the fact that teens do get influenced by their peers during adolescence. Peer pressure
influences them to a great extent. Teens want to adopt the lifestyle of their peers, want to become a part of their
crowd, and want to desperately fit in. They feel the pressure of doing what everybody else is doing. While doing so,
they might even risk losing their own individuality. They might forget their own likings. They might become someone
else and entirely adopt someone else’s lifestyle. The pressure of fitting in a crowd leads to rebellion. They no longer
live a life of their own and want to become someone else. They would not even listen to their parents or family
members and do whatever they feel is right. They forget to accept who they really are.
The realization that your teen is "in the process of moving away from you" carries with it a blend of panic
and relief. There's panic in feeling a loss of control, and there's relief in knowing that your teen is in healthy pursuit of
an independent adult life. Recognize that you're not alone in your struggles as a parent during this process, and be
open to seeking outside support or counsel.
Focus on finding what hurt motivates the rebellion in your teen, then commit to prayer and forgiveness as
the first steps in restoration. You don't have to panic. Even when things get difficult, stand with your child, and allow
time to pass so the situation can work itself out.
As a parent, or as a part of the family, you desire to develop God-fearing kids, but that can be very
challenging. Knowing what your strengths and weaknesses are as a parent can help you identify the skills you need
to raise healthy, mature and responsible children.
That's why the antidote for rebellion is the true independence offered by creating and accepting a
challenge - the young person deciding to do something hard with themselves for themselves in order to grow
themselves. The teenager who finds a lot of challenges to engage with, and who has parents who support those
challenges, doesn't need a lot of rebellion to transform or redefine him or herself in adolescence.
REFERENCES
http://www.activemomsnetwork.com/big-kids/195-smoking/2833-causes-and-effects-of-teenage-smoking.html
https://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/parenting-challenges/teen-rebellion/teen-rebellion
https://www.aacap.org/aacap/families_and_youth
https://www.secureteen.com/bullies/what-could-be-the-possible-causes-of-teen-rebellion/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooVm1T7We3A