“Turning in My Megazords® for Tax Deductions”

“Bad habits die hard, I know. But am I the only one who can’t keep them dead and buried?” It has been only 35 days since I completed 24 years of living, but I can honestly say that for the first time in a long time, I feel like my psychological and biological selves have finally converged. Happy happy, joy joy!! (yes, a Ren and Stimpy reference; I do these things) Yet, I do have a serious dilemma: I am also 330 days away from being 25, the official age of “being grown.” Albeit there are perks to this milestone (e.g. lowered rates of insurance and car rentals, admission into certain governmental programs and jobs), other aspects outright turn me newborn chick yellow (e.g. end of legal dependent status, BILLS-BILLS-BILLS). An even larger concern is the self-expectation to “have it all together” by showing impervious and fluid consistency in good behaviors and acutely lessening the bad ones—which may sound hypocritical as I’m living “#ThePerfectlyImperfectLife.” If I am to be a full-fledged adult, this is what’s necessary…right? (And honestly, is it really possible?)

Many neurologists and developmental psychologists have observed significant patterns occurring in the brain during the time of adolescence, specifically in the area of the forebrain known as the PREFRONTAL CORTEX (or PFC; click here for visual). It is said that the prefrontal cortex form around the age of three years old, the same time the ability of memory is reported to start. The PFC is also closely related to a person’s decision-making skills. In his book, The Prefrontal Cortex—Executive and Cognitive Functions (Oxford, 1999), Dr. Simon Gerhand discusses the cognitive skills affected people by injuries in the PFC—some of those skills being problem solving, planning, and reasoning—as people with such insults still retain their intellect and sensory skills. More so than the other sections of the brain, the PFC undergoes crucial development during the adolescent stage of life. Even more important to note, the PFC completes its growth at the end of a person’s adolescence, usually at 25 years of age.

Here is something to consider: The brain, no matter your age, is still capable of receiving new information well. That said, the way the “middle-aged you” will perceive and utilize information, dependent upon the situation, will vary very little from how you did in earlier years. I try not to stress myself on this; lo que será será. But you have to admit, being “stuck on stupid” just got a little bit more real, right? #LetsFixThat

- Brandon Avery

“‘To You, This Is Just a Rough Time…’”

“Even though I never experienced anything other than the ’hood, I know there is more than this in the world. But why can’t anyone else see that?” By this time, you’ve probably heard every single Christmas song made in existence via radio—and we still have nearly 2 weeks left until Christmas, (-____-”) . That said, today I was passively listening “Santa, Come Straight to the Ghetto” by James Brown until the lyrics suddenly struck me. I then noticed acute desperation in his plea to Ol’ St. Nicolas to treat the children of the ghetto with more priority on this one special day as it is very rarely done to them. (Surely this revelation occurred due to the fact that I’m slightly more mature and aware than, you know, when I was biting ankles.) The difficulties of children growing in underprivileged or impoverished areas are many and should not be taken lightly; and yet, they are—not just by those outside of and unaware of these communities, but even those residing in them. Perhaps this is the case due to lack of knowledge of the factors of their conditions. So…do you mind being educated one time today?

According to the research of sociologist Linda M. Burton, there are three discontinuities that minority children and adolescents of low-income urban communities very commonly observe and exhibit: condensed-age hierarchies (i.e. age difference between the child and parent is 17 years or less), inconsistent role expectations (i.e. in school student must be an obedient child, but at home student must be an effective and responsible adult), and accelerated life course (i.e. adolescence is nonexistent as adulthood is assumed immediately following childhood, and middle-life is considered late adulthood because examples of differentiation between the two very rarely exist). Such conditions exist more prevalently in low-income communities of ethnic minorities, primarily African-American and Hispanic. (NOTE: Adolescence, as stated before, is the time when the most development in the human body and psyche occurs, and it is also the period for which exploration of the self should happen without compromise; thus, imagine what it must feel like for these youth to never partake in that right.)

It is foolish to assume that children of these environments value the standard definition of “the good life” when few observable, tangible examples of it—or the process of attaining “the good life”—exist. However, it is duty of those with better circumstances not only to be conscientious of these children, but to also act pro their enrichment. #2Times

- Brandon Avery

“‘What Would I Do If I Could Suddenly Feel…’”

“I’m shocked when I find out that someone lives past sixty-five years old or when youth die from diseases rather than murder. That’s problematic, yes?” Recently, I just celebrated my aunt’s ninetieth birthday. Yes. 90. It floored me on multiple levels. One, she has a perpetual mid-seventies vibe about her. Two, many of our family members have lacked the ability to live that long. Three, on my mind were the deaths of two students of the Upward Bound program I graduated from. It bothered me that I jumped to thinking that the deaths may have been gang-related or caused by intoxicated motorists when in reality both students were dealing with long-term illnesses. And though passing away from such illnesses may not appear as tragic as murder, suicide, or the like, death is death—especially when it comes to the youth. So why does it seem like living long is such a strange concept and departing early or horrifically is practically a new norm?

Primarily used to help in the removal of phobias, desensitization is a cognitive-behavioral process developed by psychologist Mary Cover Jones. It has its roots in the classical conditioning methods of Ivan Pavlov (hence, why it is also called Pavlovian condtioning). With Pavlovian/classical conditioning, the objective is to use a natural (unconditional) stimulus to cause a person or thing to respond to a different and neutral (conditioned) stimulus in a very similar fashion (see either image for better details).  Pertaining to that, desensitization—when used therapeutically—involves the person or thing being directly exposed to what appears threatening to them. The interactions with the source of fear or anxiety can happen in two ways: vivo desensitization (confronting the issues in real-life situations) and vicarious desensitization (created models to represent actual conflicts). As they continue to interact with the locus of fear they realize that what they fear is not as threating as once perceived, or at all. The dark side of this, pertaining to violence, is that if one is highly exposed to arguing, fighting, sexual intercourse, guns, bombing, thievery, etc., over time a person will grow minimally affected with these encounters. Of course, this varies based on the magnitude of specific events and the perception of results afterwards.

All of that said, “You are what you eat.” The things that you digest and surround yourself with make up everything you are. But do recall that diets can be changed, and the earth functions in seasons. Let’s end the numbness; it’s time to reclaim your senses.

- Brandon Avery

“When the Parentals Need Parentals… (-___-‘) ”

“If adolescents are the ones with all of the changes happening, can someone explain the EPIC episodes that my parents are having?” As most of my posts have, this topic derived from a conversation with a close friend about how she has become adamant about living out her dreams and begun putting in the work to do so. However, she feels that her parents are quite lackadaisical in regards to their desires and sometimes argues with them about their perceptions and behaviors. This is most definitely not irregular; even I—as many older adolescents do—tend to dispute with parents about the errors of their ways. We don’t mean to call them out disrespectfully, but it is bothersome that those who we model our adulthood after suddenly have major cracks in their previously perfect, gilded figure. Yet, I’m sure you’re still wondering, Where does it say all of this is okay? (OMJesus, I’m such a poet!! #UOENO)

Harry Prosen, John Toews, and Robert Martin co-authored an article discussing the intersection of parental midlife crisis and adolescent rebellion. With parents coming to terms with the finiteness of time, much of their time is devoted to “making up for lost time”; this rings an alarm for the teenager as they no longer look at their main role model—their parents, especially the parent of the same sex—as the most stable person behaviorally. (This phenomenon is called deidealization.) Parents, though, work their hardest—even forcefully—to maintain this perfectionistic relationship to reduce the chances of rebellion, which more often results in the opposite. Another factor of the disharmony between the two age groups is the shift from “alloplastic mastery” to “autoplastic mastery” in parents. This means that midlife adults grow more concerned with improvement of the self and can find contentment with the pace of the outside world, contrasting their previous apprehension with control of external affairs in order to gain a sense of independence.

Now you may think that the best thing to do is to prevent the combatting from occurring and become dependent on one another. (This would most likely occur if the child fears the demands of an independent adulthood and the parent is overly anxious with aging and its effects.) TOTALLY reasonable, but let’s be honest; how often are we successful when driven by fear or stress? Yes, nobody has time for conflict between the parentals and pubescents, but when progression is the objective, the ugly often precedes the pretty. #KeepCalmAndJustWerk

- Brandon Avery

“Let He Who Is Without an Immature Moment Cast the First Penny”

“Dear Jehovah, why are these freshman SOOOOO ratchet?!” Every high school or college senior asks this question at least 50 times before the 1^st quarter ends. The funny part is how those seniors conveniently forget that they were once the subjects of the same inquiry. A few weeks ago I had a conversation with a past student about her year so far. This was her reply: “I’m good. Working hard, trying to have some fun my last year here—BUT THESE FRESHMAN… (*insert list of uncivilized activities here*)…!!!!!!!!!” I laughed in remembrance of her behavior three years prior—and even recently—but kept commentary to myself (and LAWD, did I want to let have!!). I cannot lie; I’ve been on both ends of the matter in high school and in college. It seems impossible that in three years practically everything can change within a person, yet such is life. But how so, you ask.

WELL, Susan Harter, previous Director of the Developmental Psychology Program at University of Denver, professed in a 1999 article that there are three age divisions within adolescence, and in each age period an adolescent will have a change in self-representation (the way they view themselves in given settings). The adolescent believes he or she has multiple selves and works to make sense of each “self”. In early adolescence (approx. 10-15 Y.O.), pubescents form single abstractions about who they are in certain contexts or relationships, but lack ability to compare them, causing them to inaccurately overgeneralize scenarios. Teens in middle adolescence (approx. 16-20 Y.O.), however, can connect abstractions; in spite of that, when comparing opposite abstractions, they become confused and upset by inconsistent behaviors (a.k.a. the “2-faced person” phenomenon). Late adolescence (approx. 21-25 Y.O.) brings about much resolution as the pre-adult finds balance with both negative and positive attributes, and he or she grows accepting of the necessary flexibility in his or her personality.

Not only are we quick to call out others when they do not stay true to who we believe them to be, but more often we sharply shun ourselves when we get caught lacking. Let me tell you, it’s never that deep. The process of finding oneself is a LAWNGH one, so instead of pitching pennies at newbies, why not gift them with good wishes?

- Brandon Avery

“But You See, the Way My Ego Is Set Up…” (dedicated to Katrina Lynn and Blaine Clay)

“Who am I?” It would seem absolutely ridiculous that the shortest and simplest question ever asked could bring about the most complicated and inconclusive of answers. However, that is exactly what happens with whomever you ask. On the brink of ending “Chapter 24” I look back at the last 11 months, and everything that has taken place truly baffles me. In essence, 23 has been comprised of successfully doing things that I told myself I wouldn't be capable of doing until sometime later, and being patient and diligent enough to work through trials that I thoroughly planned to avoid. In a YouTube web series called Finding Me, the protagonist Faybien claims, "The 20s are all about finding yourself." Hmmm…okay…cool beans, but where are you supposed to start looking, and how do you know when you've found yourself?

One of the top tier psychoanalysts of the 20^th century, Erik Erikson (I STAAAAN for him, YEEEEEESSS!!!!!!) theorized that in human development each being undergoes psychosocial conflicts that arise from the desire to live successfully, sincerely, and shamelessly. Each crisis serves as a turning point for one’s personality development given that the success of later crises/stages depends on the prior one. The eight psychosocial crises are: Trust v. Mistrust (Infancy), Autonomy v. Doubt (Toddler), Initiative v. Guilt (Childhood), Industry v. Inferiority (School-Age Childhood), Identity v. Role Confusion (Adolescence), Intimacy v. Isolation (Early Adulthood), Generativity v. Stagnation (Middle-Aged Adulthood), and Integrity v. Despair (Late Adulthood). For the psychosocial conflict of adolescence, it is most important to the person that he or she knows himself or herself physically, mentally, sexually, socially, emotionally, professionally…in all the ways. On top of that, what the adolescent seeks is the full and consistent embodiment of that self-knowledge. When that is not attained or dissonance (lack of harmony) in personality is frequent, it becomes difficult to achieve—or perceive achievement of—one’s identity. (Now can you see why Erikson is my FAVE?)

While traveling this road to becoming magnanimous, I have discovered SOOO much about myself. I know that though I may not be able profess exactly who I am, I assure you I am well aware of who I am not, which is an excellent start to uncovering your identity. However, it is vital to know what life you are about, rather than focusing on the things that didn't/don’t/won’t work. Take a word from Ms. Frizzle: “Take chances. Make mistakes. Get messy!” #ShowingMyAge

- Brandon Avery

BECAUSE ___________ SAID SO!!!!

“Is my moral compass supposed to demagnetize and re-magnetize every so often?” After the death of the Thornwood High School security officer (where I graduated from 5.5 years ago), I have had many conversations about what started the fight that vicariously yet fatally injured the guard and the proper vs. actual consequences for the students involved. To add, tonight I stumbled upon Rihanna’s new music video for her 9-month-old single “Pour It Up.” Whereas I JAM to that song and LOVE the video, it concerned me that she waited until twerking became such a mainstream subject to make a video for the song—especially for the fact that Rihanna has never released music videos for songs aimed chiefly toward urban radio. It makes me wonder, what makes people think certain actions are the right ones to take, or that certain moments are the appropriate times to do them?

Lawrence Kohlberg, a late but well-respected psychologist and professor, created an entirely new area of developmental psychology called “moral development,” based on his studies that were continuations of the human development theories of Jean Piaget. (We’ll discuss him one day soon, I PROMISE!!). Kohlberg’s theory includes six stages divided into 3 groups: Pre-Conventional (stages 1 & 2; typical of children), Conventional (stages 3 & 4; typical of early/middle adolescents), and Post-Conventional (stages 5 & 6; typical of late adolescents and adults). In Stage 1 morality is driven by obedience and punishment, but a person in Stage 2 is always thinking “what’s in it for me.” Stage 3 of moral development deals with a person being concerned of how their actions conform to their peers’ behaviors while Stage 4 involves having a “law and order” mentality. Stage 5 moralists believe in acting according to social contracts and basic human rights; Stage 6—a level Kohlberg said few humans will achieve or execute consistently—moralists embody “The Golden Rule” and strive to live by universal ethical principles.

Though it is more observed that people at the given ages will demonstrate such moral reasoning due to their cognitive capabilities, people may exhibit any of these stages at different ages. That said, we adolescents do not have to wait until we’re gray-haired to do what is inherently right. Yes, it is MUCH easier to stick to the rules or keep under the radar or do only what is expected of you, but as they say, “If you know better, do better.”

- Brandon Avery

"I’m Not Saying ‘I RUN THIS’, But…I’m Just Saying…MEEEEEE!!!!!!"

“On a scale ranging from Angelica Pickles to Barney Stinson, how self-concerned is your kid?” People close to me will be in disbelief about the revelation I had this week, but here goes: I, Brandon Avery, as much as I can be selfless, am indeed very selfish. Even more so, it seems that I am not good at knowing when to appropriately be either. Yes, I did just say it benefits one to be self-interested when called for. You should never give so much of yourself that you have nothing left to come back to. But dear adolescents, according to your parents you’re a little too focused on (*insert whiny voice here*) “my future, my clique, my wardrobe, my boo thang, my image…” all that is “M-I-N-E”. As annoying and unrighteous as this behavior appears, might it be necessary, and is it temporary?

David Elkind, Ph.D and specialist in cognitive (thought processes) and social development in childhood and adolescence, argued that with each stage of cognitive development (look up Jean Piaget for further details on that) garners a type of egocentrism appropriate for the age cluster’s cognitive abilities. FYI: Egocentrism, according to Elkind, is “the inability to differentiate one’s own thoughts and feelings from those of others.” He also believed that the chief goal of adolescence was “conquest of thought,” meaning that an adolescent desires to conceptualize the thoughts of others as naturally he/she does his/her own. As a result, adolescents tend to believe that what they find relevant and important—and why—everyone else does—or should—too. Adolescent egocentrism is characterized by two notions: the personal fable (a.k.a. “Uh, no. I’m SO different; that could NEVER happen to ME. Swerve.”) and the imaginary audience (a.k.a. “I swear he is ALWAYS talking about/looking at/trying to be like me. Swerve.”).

#Gospel: This behavior tends to end when middle adolescence (16 Y.O.) is reached as teens are able to discern their own concerns from those of others; also, the testing of their beliefs helps in transitioning out of this thinking when adolescents adhere to the people whose opinions truly matter, or the actual audience. Thus, don’t deem selfishness as callous and immature. It’s a necessary tool we all use—yes, adults too—to learn what is and is not fetch. #ReginaGeorgeFlow

"Yeah, Remember that One Time…?"

“How can people be so simple to think that all people of a race, generation, or culture are exactly the same?” Funny thing is that this is a situation even early adolescents are intelligent enough to realize and bold enough to ask. Yet, older counterparts who have met many people in their lives and witnessed numerous phenomena tend to quickly and quasi-accurately (FYI: “quasi” = “somewhat”) judge people and situations based on their demographic (e.g. location, ethnicity, age, etc.). This pretty much sums up the actions of Miss America 2014 Nina Davuluri’s poorly educated Twitter critics and attackers of a dear friend, Zach Paluch (see this link for details). As quickly as people will call themselves unique, they will claim the next person is another statistic—and feel justified in it. Pero cómo?

Nationally esteemed and published professor of psychology Frank T. McAndrew (one of my undergraduate advisors; you mad?) has done research on a concept called the “power of the particular.” It is the usage of facts and traits of a significant individual or experience to figure the predictability of behaviors in people and events similar to the exemplar. Prof. McAndrew states, “For better or worse, this [power of the particular] is the mental equipment that we must rely on to navigate our way through a modern world filled with technology and strangers.” Essentially, it’s a type of top-down processing: you have a belief about how something should happen and then judge instances on how much they agree with your beliefs. Not that it is fair or even reliable, but CLEARLY it is human nature.

Pertaining to adolescents, this is a crucial conflict for multiple reasons. One being that in finding one’s identity—the sole psychosocial conflict of this age group—he or she tends to find someone to idolize and mimic only to find that the grass is not always greener on the other side…especially when you have to mow it! (Get in touch with an “80’s baby” if that went over your head.) Just as well, adolescents are learning to mentally map situations and people, creating files and folders and bookmarks about who and what is significant. Making these connections, however, are difficult as teens have yet to experience everything needed to make solid judgments. Moreover, snap judgments are made even as adults, especially if your cultural capital (remember that?) and network are limited. That said, diversify your circle of friends, explore places unknown, and rely not on Twitter/Instagram/Vine to do either.

- Brandon Avery

True Life: I’m an Emotional Roller Coaster

“Since when did being bipolar become ‘a thing’?” Right now, some parent of a teen asks this question to a group filled with 30-somethings and mid-life parents, and a conversation filled with agreeing yet flustered outcries ensues. A conversation for which you serve as the main idea. Now, let’s be honest; we adolescents give parent legitimate reasons to lay this claim. Personally, I like to think of myself as fueled by inspiration, rather than bipolar. When I am able to complete goals or involved in something I truly believe in, I am on 10…thousand! On the flipside, I tend to look like death when I am in a situation I did not plan for or my self-perception drops. Ignorance is definitely bliss in a case like this. Once you realize how duplicitous you are, you often have one-man convos resembling the one atop, crying out, “WHAT IS THE DEAL?!”

Two college professors, Reed Larson (Human Development/Family Studies, UIUC) and Maryse L. Richards (Psychology, Loyola), co-authored a publication in 1994, highlighting how emotionally unstable the lives of young adolescents (10 to 15 Y.O.) are, in comparison to their adult counterparts. Each participant was given a pager—yes, a pager—that, during the span of one week, would randomly signal eight times per day; whenever the pager signaled, the person would give a self-report of their feelings, thoughts, and mood. Within each family triad (groups comprised of mother-father-adolescent) that partook in shared scenarios daily, self-reports indicated that adolescents dealt with circumstances more sensitively. They were three times more likely to “very unhappy” during unfavorable events and five times more likely to respond to favorable events with “very happy”. When reporting psychological states, adolescents felt “self-conscious” or “embarrassed” two to three times more than their parents; contrarily, they felt less “in control” or “interested” in their immediate lives as compared to adults. (It’s funny how this article is nearly 20 years old, but it speaks on our behavior to the current moment and hits EVERY mark. Something to consider…)

Well, who needs Six Flags when this is your life?! Ya sé; me siento tan como ti. PERO, as you get older your mind creates a stronger filter, and just as you’re able to decide what matters and what does not, you gain ability to better regulate your emotions and take ownership of situations. Imagine that: turning your life from “Raging Bull” to “Lazy River”... #WhereTheyDoThatAt #MeGusta

- Brandon Avery

Sexity, Sex-sex, Sex-a-doo, NAKED

“Why is EVERYTHING about sex nowadays?” #FunFact: Sex being a hot topic yet taboo is nothing new. Yes, Miley Cyrus did the ABSOLUTE most at the MTV Video Music awards this year, but do you know anything about Janet Jackson during the early 90s? 3 words: Velvet Rope Tour. Do your research. In a sense everybody is having sex. If you’re not doing it, it is a thought that arrives often enough. #FunFact: It’s TOTALLY fine to have those thoughts because you’re supposed to. As I said before, as an adolescent you go through the most major biological, psychological, and social changes of your life; sexuality (i.e. sexual ability and awareness) is one of the most major biological and psychological changes. Though sex is a normal life process, the act is an EXTREMELY risky one. So why do people—more so adolescents—treat it so lightly?

According to Laurence Steinberg of Temple University (one of my FAAAAAVE psychologists), the time of adolescence brings about a high level of openness as there are gaps in cognitive (thinking) and affective (emotional) development. Steinberg, in a 2005 article, spoke of two key observations about brain development in adolescents: specific brain regions and systems that are central locations for behavior regulation and risk/reward evaluation undertake much development during adolescence; and the disconnection in adolescents’ affective experiences and ability to control arousal and motivation is caused by puberty-triggered arousal and motivation, which occurs before competence in mental self-governance is adequately achieved. Layman’s terms: adolescents have yet to get the tools needed for successfully handling the changes they are rapidly and involuntarily experiencing, yet they must “turn up” because there is a deep, unexplainable yearning for a “body party”.

No, I’m not saying that all adolescents—including you—are in desperate need of a lay, for I would be saying that about myself, and I am NOT about that life. Still, from 10 to 25 years of age, we are very sensitive to the messages that are sent to us on a daily basis about what we are to become and how to go about becoming that person. This becomes really tough when we don’t have enough ability or experiences to discern the messages matter from the ones to hit “Ctrl + Alt + Del” for. As the elders say, “If you live long enough, you’ll see it all.” Thus, the more experiences you have and the more conscientious you are in them, the less Miley moments you’ll partake in. Guaranteed.

- Brandon Avery

Wide Awake… and yet, Still Dreaming

“In the days of the Millennials, is ‘The Dream’ still of concern?” Exactly 50 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his revolutionary “I Have a Dream” speech; this not only affected civil rights policies in America, but his message became a global reminder of what must be done in order to live in peace and understanding as one race: the human race. While many young people are conscious of his life and mission, it sometimes seems as if very few publicly care about ending acts of injustice, discrimination, or irrational violence. Images and messages of intolerance and self-degradation (lowering one’s self-worth) are posted daily—at every second, really. Even worse, some children of the new age praise indifference just so that a level of ‘cool’ is maintained. That being said, is it really cool to be disconnected and carefree?

Sociologist Pierre Bourdieu first made the notion of “cultural capital”—the manners, norms, dress, style of interaction, and other concepts that a group of people find valuable.  One’s cultural capital can be affected by ethnicity, age, geographical location, socioeconomic status (e.g. low-income, middle-class, the “1%”), etc. Being a person that is part of a minority group of a population can be a harsh reality as he or she may find their cultural capital is less esteemed by the majority. Cultural capital, like other forms of capital, is a method used to attain status and wealth; if one possesses traits and ideas that are valued by people of a specific culture, then he or she will have the support of that demographic, physically, fiscally (money), and mentally.

As I look at Twitter now, it puts me at ease to see (14 HOURS LATER… *insert side-eye stare here*) posts concerning the “I Have a Dream” speech or the 50^th anniversary of the March on Washington are the leading trending topics—and even posts on the upcoming U.S. confrontation with Syrian government allows me to think more highly of social media users.  Yes, it is fun to #ReplaceSongTitlesWithTwerk from time to time, but it appears as if teens are content with being apathetic to more pressing issues that ultimately affect your lives.  This apathy even goes to the point of ridiculing others for placing value in mature matters. And I shudder to think that the cultural capital of my generation is downing intelligence and uplifting purposeless spending, dishonesty, and smuttiness. Take a moment and do your brain justice by allowing it to truly DREAM.

- Brandon Avery

The American Teenager: On the Historical Tip

“WHAT IS LIFE?!!!” I guarantee you that at least three times per day I ask myself that question. Like daily meals or something. An adolescent’s desire to know the reason behind things is on high, and when you grow up in the Accelerated/Gifted Program during elementary school, that thinking begins probably around 5 years old. My story, at least. If I didn’t know why something was important to my goals or felt that a situation was not in my zone, pass. School, unfortunately, became something that did not meet my needs when I was 14. And if you know how 8^th grade goes, that’s REALLY bad timing to become indifferent to education. Still, I had to know, “What is life, especially when it comes to school?”

David Bakan, Ph. D., professor emeritus of psychology at York University (a.k.a. he’s big business at that school), wrote an article in 1971 that spoke on how the current status of the American adolescent is a direct result of the urbanization of the country. During the late 1800s and early 1900s the U.S. transitioned from farmlands as the primary economy to industrialized cities with production factories and suburbs—shout-out to the railroad workers for making that possible! With these changes happening, many more jobs were available to U.S. citizens, including “juveniles” (the term used for “adolescents” or “teenagers” in that era). These changes also brought forth three major social movements still pertinent today: compulsory education (required schooling), child labor laws, and separate legal procedures for juveniles. According to Bakan, what has kept these constructs intact for the past century is something called “the promise,” which states “if a younger person does all the things [s/]he is ‘supposed to do’ during his[/her] adolescence, [s/]he will realize success, status, income, power, and so forth in his[/her] adulthood.” Sounds familiar, yes?

There are so many issues kids face even in middle school that “the promise” seems to have been broken by that point. High school, while presenting its own plethora of problems, can however feel more promising as it becomes much easier to see the significance of schooling to adult life. Also, it helps to get involved in extracurricular activities as they allow you to “test drive” a real-world profession. Ultimately, it doesn’t suck to have these demands as an adolescent; just make sure that you’re open to asking “what is life?”—and that you’re even more so receptive of the answer.

- Brandon Avery

Adolescence in Retrospection: The Intro

“Why are my parents down my throat about school when it’s not even that serious?” “How come it seems like everybody and everything is over the top and hypersexual?” “What makes it so difficult for me to be understood nowadays?” I feel like I can safely assume that you, someone between 13 and 19 years old, are asking all of these questions and then some. Fun fact: I, a 23-year-old college graduate, currently ask myself these questions; and on that note, some young ones, like 5^th and 6^th graders, are thinking similarly. (I know this only because of my cousins and recent teaching experiences.)

Let me explain even further. My name is Brandon Avery; I am a certified educator, performing artist, experienced mentor, food fanatic, Jesus freak, vogue trainee, and according to most developmental psychologists, still an adolescent. In case you’re wondering, an adolescent, in essence, is you—an individual who is undergoing biological, psychological, and social changes that occur after childhood but prior to adulthood. Most say that this word is synonymous to “teenager” EXCEPT in order be a teen that word has to be in your age. Like I said earlier, 10 year olds and 20 year olds are also experiencing these same changes.

So…I’m spitting all of this knowledge, but your questions have yet to be answered. Yes, I’m aware of that, pero no te preocupes. My intention in these articles/blogs are to let you know that not only are you one of millions of adolescents going on this journey of self-discovery, but there are people who have conducted—and are currently conducting—research that answers these questions. I know that if someone had straight-up told me I am not abnormal and they truly knew my struggles during 2000-2004…DEAR GOD, HOW BETTER MY DECISION-MAKING SKILLS WOULD BE!!!!!!!!! As always you can take the information with a grain of salt or not at all, but do know that I would not waste my time or fingertips telling you something that holds no truth; I would be eating Kenny’s ribs instead if that were the case. #IJS Thus, if you will let me, I would LOVE to assist you as you work towards finding the middle ground between the meeting the demands of the world (i.e. your parents, teachers, and friends) and satisfying your own crucial needs.

Aight, you in? Yep, I thought so. Vamos!

- Brandon Avery