The Forum: The evolution of teenagers (my notes)

My Main Takeaways:

• Adolescence doesn't really exist in species whose only purpose is to survive and reproduce (hunters and gatherers, for example).
• Adolescence is a product of evolution--It has evolved in species whose purpose is more complex than simply surviving and reproducing as a time during which children can learn how to fulfill the purpose of their species in adulthood before completing transitioning to this stage of life.
• "Teenager" and "teenage culture" is an invention of American consumerism.
• The more complex a species' purpose is, the longer the period of adolescence is.
• We humans are the most advanced species in the world, hence why we have the longest periods of childhood and adolescence. Our children have the most to learn. Children in other species transition to adulthood in less time.
• Question: In this age of information, we are identifying more and more problems for ourselves to solve, such as climate change and mental health challenges, which essentially makes more complex the purpose of our existence. So, does this mean that as the purpose of our existence becomes more and more complex, human adolescence will become a longer and longer stage of life? Is this why we already see people exiting adolescence and engaging in traditional milestones of adulthood (marriage, having children, etc.) later than people of previous generations?
• Teenage angst is a result of the realization that things aren't as simple and happy as they may have seemed throughout childhood.
• Anxiety has always been typical of teenage years. Teenage anxiety is not a new thing. It's just that teenagers today are experiencing more of it than teenagers of past generations. Anxiety results from a lack of certainty and unanswered questions. As described above, in this age of information, the amount of questions, uncertainty, and problems to solve that teenagers encounter is increasing exponentially.
• Teenagers most tend to be rebellious and get into trouble when they are amongst themselves and isolated from people of other age groups. The societies around the world who create the best conditions for smooth adolescent experiences do not isolate teenagers and instead more regularly incorporate them into multi-age groups of people. ("It takes a village.")