How Do Adolescents Acquire Self-Esteem and a Positive Self-Image?

Adolescent Self-Esteem How do adolescents build self-concept and identity? During the adolescent period in an individual's life, he/she is in a constant search for identity, according to Professor David D. Witt, University of Akron. The formation of one's identity is the "main development task in adolescence," and the importance of developing a positive self-image in adolescence is that it is "the single motivating force in life" (Witt, 2008).

Self-image is what makes an adolescent either passive, or active, and whether an adolescent achieves an active personality depends on intelligence, experiences, and "…the quality of [the adolescent's] social network (Witt, p. 2). The reality vis-a-vis adolescence is that it is a "major drama" that plays out "on center stage" -- and is, objectively speaking, a "fascinating transitional period" that features the development of new cognitive competencies and emerging societal "expectations" (Witt, p.

2) But on the other hand, how does an adolescent build a positive self-concept and a positive identity, since every person has an idealized self and an actual self -- and the "disparity" between the two, Witt explains, can end up being confusing and can lead to "maladaptation"? Witt explains that the way for an adolescent to avoid the pitfalls of believing in the "false self" (the "idealized self") is to carefully, thoughtfully integrate a "unified sense of identity," which entails the following: a) scholastic competence; b) social acceptance; c) positive family experiences; d) close friendships; and e) physical appearance (Witt, p.

3).

As to how to build up self-esteem: In the Journal of Adolescent Health (Huang, et al., 2007) the authors assert that body image has a powerful influence on "…self-perceptions and self-attitudes," and is directly linked to "self-esteem, interpersonal confidence," behaviors related to food intake and exercise, along with sexual-related activities and "emotional stability." Understanding how adolescents respond to their body shape is important because when adolescents are dissatisfied with their body weight and the shape of their bodies, it can lead to "…a plethora of psychological ills from eating disorders to major depression" (Huang, 246).

Hence, one pivotal way to build self-esteem for adolescents is to maintain proper weight through healthy eating and exercise. In a study of 657 adolescents -- before behavioral interventions that targeted healthy food and physical activity -- "girls and overweight adolescents reported lower body image and self-esteem" as compared with "boys and normal weight adolescents"; and there was "significant correlations between body image and self-esteem…among boys and girls" (Huang, 248).

Why do many adolescents struggle with self-esteem? In the book by Thomas Brinthaupt and Richard Lipka (Understanding Early Adolescent Self and Identity: Applications and Interventions), the authors point out that between "biological and social adulthood" adolescents suffer from a "poorly defined social status" (Brinthaupt, 2002, 6). Adults tend to discourage adolescents from "acting on their new physical and sexual status" albeit these changes have "important implications for self and identity" (Brinthaupt, 6).

Indeed, the authors continue, because several areas of the brain undergo significant transformations during adolescence -- for example, "the neurotransmitter input to the adolescent prefrontal cortex" is associated with goal-direction and self-regulatory behavior -- that can explain why teens struggle with their emotions and with their self-esteem (Brinthaupt, 6). They are understandably confused because their bodies are going through dramatic changes; and although adolescents are equipped with "…an increasingly complex sense of self or identity," Brinthaupt continues, they have not lived in "these new clothes" for very long (7). In conclusion, the.