Teens are a breed of human species that are very difficult to understand. They are dramatic, irrational, and at times, you don't see the point of all the screaming they're doing. They are straddling the line between wanting independence, but at the same time, they're needy for a bit of tender loving care.
It is not always easy being a teen. According to Live Science, there is a very logical explanation for their behaviors: the brain's most dramatic growth spurt actually occurs in two stages: first in infancy, and the next during adolescence - welcome, teenagerhood.
Teens are undergoing a lot of changes, like change in their thinking skills, the feeling of intense emotions, peer pressure and pleasure, risk-taking measures, and hormone changes that make them feel like they're the center of the universe. All these factors add up to one thing: Teenage angst. Here are five major reasons why teens are angry:
They get angry when they feel misunderstood.
One in five teens have #anger management issues. Is your teen one of them? https://t.co/eFYa60MGGd pic.twitter.com/feSQ0H9QqM
— Rawhide Boys Ranch (@rawhideinc) February 29, 2016
When teens feel that their parents misunderstand them, they withdraw. When parents really don't understand what's going on in their lives but pretend to do so, the teens get mad. Believe it or not, they have a reason to - your experiences as a teenager doesn't necessarily translate to the same things they are going through, and they dislike it when their parents presume otherwise.
They get angry when they are compared to others.
Does your teen display #anger in one of these ways? Here's what you can do https://t.co/eFYa60MGGd pic.twitter.com/Zd4xB6ux13 — Rawhide Boys Ranch (@rawhideinc) March 7, 2016
When parents compare them to siblings, it makes them frustrated because they feel like they're coming up short. On the other hand, The Huffington Post stated that when you compare them to their friends, or when you say something negative about the people they spend most of their time with, their anger stems out of the feeling that these are the people they identify with the most, so your criticism of their friends is a criticism to them.
Teens get angry because at this point, they have minds of their own.
3 research-backed reasons for teen anger and angst: https://t.co/WEWOfk2lxI pic.twitter.com/RNgUTprp2G
— Choices Magazine (@Choices_Mag) December 21, 2015
They now have their own thoughts and opinions, and this is when they realize that you didn't hang the moon. Your Tango noted that at this point, they realize their parents are imperfect and that they don't always know what they are doing and they want to be left alone to their own devices - make decisions and mistakes on their own. As a parent, all you can do is let them be themselves.
They get angry if you try to solve their problems.
"You wonder what you did wrong" @mardykerrie on dealing with pre-teen anger, front page https://t.co/8udS3WjnZm pic.twitter.com/1tlzFOUGme — Mumsnet Blog Network (@MumsnetBloggers) December 14, 2015
While you as a parent have their best interests at heart, trying to solve their problems for them will not make your relationship better. In fact, doing so will make them feel that you are doubting their capabilities and think that you don't trust them.
They get angry when you turn them into confidantes.
" Augusta, Gone (2006) FULL MOVIE XVID ᴴᴰ by Duka Kudukumaha | January 28, 2015 at 02:00AM https://t.co/dRo2AJrdIL pic.twitter.com/sfeqQYpDma
— Pinaka Videos (@betbooBR) January 28, 2015
Sure, some teens are more mature than they seem, but remember that they are still children and not fully equipped to handle adult problems. Confiding in them will frustrate them, especially when it concerns your ex-partner. Remember, your ex is not their ex-parent, so it's best to keep those kinds of things from your teenager.
In the end, their angst do not stem from hatred. In fact, it is when they don't know how to express their emotions properly that is frustrating them, which then translates to anger.