Teenager

Teenagers in Vietnam

Two teens

A teenager, or teen, is someone who is 13 to 19 years old. They can also be called "adolescents". The laws on what teenagers may do vary between countries.

The term “teenager” became widely used for people who are old enough to have their own money to spend, but are not yet adults (legally, not biologically^[1][2]), after the scientist Mark Abrams wrote a research paper called “The Teenage Consumer” in 1959. The paper defined this group to be people 13–25 years old (despite ages 20–25 not being within the teens anymore).^[3]

A person becomes a teenager when they become 13 years old. It ends when they become 20 years old. Teenagers who are between 13 and 17 years old are considered both children (in English-speaking countries) and teenagers in most countries. Teenagers who are 18 and 19 years old may be considered both teenagers and adults, although they're considered biologically adults before that, around the 16 years (counting both sexes together).^[4][5]

The way the word is used varies. Some societies have rites of passage to mark the change from childhood to adulthood. These ceremonies may be very complicated.^[6] During puberty, rapid mental and physical development can occur. Adolescence is the name for this transition period from childhood to adulthood.

"Teenager" is an English word, as many foreign languages do not include a suffix "teen" in their translations of the numbers 13 to 19. In non-English speaking countries, people between these ages may be called adolescents, youths, young adults, depending on the culture.

The law of each country may set an age of majority when teenagers can do things. Younger people on licenced premises (such as bars) need to carry identity cards (ID cards) to verify their age. Teenagers, however, gradually obtain various rights depending on the states or countries and their laws, rights like getting a driver licence and start driving or consenting to sexual activity.^[7]

The life of a teenager can change every day. Constantly exposed to new ideas, social situations and people, teenagers work to develop their personalities and interests. Before their teenage years, they focused on school, play, and gaining approval from their parents. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines a teenager as someone between the ages of 12 and 19.^[8]

Changes in time

If by "teenager" we mean adolescents, then we have to realise that children today develop faster on average mainly because of modern nutrition.^[9] No matter where the "teens" start linguistically, their sexual development starts earlier than it did a century ago. That affects many things. An example is the change from primary education to secondary education. In many countries, children go to different schools when they are 11 or 12. The change to single-sex classes is often done at the age of 11.^[source?] If a country decides to educate girls and boys separately after puberty, then it may be necessary to change schools a year earlier than previously.

References

1. "Adulthood". Adulthood is the life stage between adolescence and death, but assigning exact ages to the beginning and end of adulthood is not easy. The event that marks the end of adulthood (death) is clear cut, but the age at which it occurs varies considerably. The beginning of adulthood is equally difficult to identify exactly. A person may be physically mature and a biological adult by age 16 or so, but not defined as an adult by law until older ages. For example, in the U.S., you cannot join the armed forces or vote until age 18, and you cannot take on many legal and financial responsibilities until age 21.
2. "When do humans biologically become adults?". Humans biologically become adults when they reach sexual maturity. Adulthood begins at the start of the puberty process when secondary sex characteristics appear and can be characterized as the age when an individual is able to reproduce. Typically this is around the age of 16 but does vary between individuals.
3. Savage, Jon (2014). "Time up for the Teenager?". RSA Journal. 160 (5557): 16–19. ISSN 0958-0433.
4. "When do humans biologically become adults?". Humans biologically become adults when they reach sexual maturity. Adulthood begins at the start of the puberty process when secondary sex characteristics appear and can be characterized as the age when an individual is able to reproduce. Typically this is around the age of 16 but does vary between individuals.
5. "Adulthood". Adulthood is the life stage between adolescence and death, but assigning exact ages to the beginning and end of adulthood is not easy. The event that marks the end of adulthood (death) is clear cut, but the age at which it occurs varies considerably. The beginning of adulthood is equally difficult to identify exactly. A person may be physically mature and a biological adult by age 16 or so, but not defined as an adult by law until older ages. For example, in the U.S., you cannot join the armed forces or vote until age 18, and you cannot take on many legal and financial responsibilities until age 21.
6. Huet M. & Savary C. 1995. Africa dances. London: Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-54195-7
7. "Milestones: journeying into adulthood - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 2024-03-10. Teenagers get more rights as they get older – for example, they can begin doing "light work" part-time from the age of 13 or 14 (depending on which part of the UK they live in). From the age of 16 they are legally able to consent to sexual activity, and from 17 they can start driving.
8. CDC (2023-02-14). "Parent Information - Teens (Ages 12-19)". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
9. Williams, Zoe (2012-10-25). "Early puberty: why are kids growing up faster?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-03-26.