If you could go back to any years of your life, which ones would you choose? It’s not surprising for people to say their teenage years. In this age of adolescence, every moment you live in never feels like it will one day become a memory. There is a reason most people look back on their teenage years in their later years.
Even though your teenage years consist of school, assignments, stressful responsibilities
, the hardships of making money, and mental struggles, it is arguably the best time of your life. The responsibilities you have as a teenager will never compare to those of an adult. Being under the age of eighteen means you can not legally be taxed or billed unless you own property, which almost no teens do. There is a reason these years are often referred to as the years of freedom. According to The New York Times article, several adults admitted that “To them, they said, the best part about being a teenager is having fun and being with your friends. It’s freedom and independence.” It is well known that, at this time, we have freedom at our hands; even under our parents’ guardianship, we still have more opportunities than at older ages. We can wake up late on weekends, wear what we desire, and live under a roof paid for by our parents, without having to think about a mortgage or bills. Adding on to that, consequences don’t seem to bother you when you’re a teenager. You might be doing something that you know is wrong, and you know you’re going to suffer the consequences, but you do it anyway because of that freedom you feel.
The freedom of our adolescence peaks once you or your friends start driving. At that point, each weekend is an adventure, whether you are partying or simply exploring cities in the area. The possibilities are endless when you are not tied down to a family of your own, a job, or a home. Although getting a job prepares you for adulthood and helps reduce irresponsibility, we are granted more opportunities at this age, with the benefits of a salary and a license. While high school can be miserable as you live through moments of stress and burnout, approaching graduation makes many students realize they will look back on these times and miss their youth. During your teen years, people typically start to find out what kind of person they are. According to the Center for Parent and Teen Communication, “Middle Adolescents (14-18): Begin to imagine their own adolescent identity and role in the larger world, actively explore adolescent identity alternatives, trying on different hats to see which one fits best…” This represents how you try to find yourself the most when you’re a teenager. In these years, you meet people who change your life. It’s not only you deciding who you want to be, but the people surrounding you also affect the type of person you will be.
