9 Ways To Get Attention During Adolescence
The reasons why young people seek to attract attention during adolescence are very varied and will fundamentally depend on their social and family environment. Most of the time, it is the result of a lack of interest on the part of the parents. Thus, young people feel the need to be taken into account, not caring that their actions are harmful.
In adolescence, young people go through many physical, psychological and social changes and sometimes cannot deal with them alone. That’s when they need more support from their family.
If they don’t find that support, they will turn to other groups of inappropriate people or adopt negative attitudes to get attention. When the young person feels alone, misunderstood or unappreciated, he begins to look for a way to fill this void through actions, friendships and activities with which he can express himself and feel comfortable.
Often, the choices they make generate positive results for their lives and their future. However, in other cases, they engage in destructive behaviors that do nothing but harm them.
There are many ways to get attention during adolescence, some positive and some negative. As parents, we must be aware of those moments when our children want to stand out too much so that we can act in time and channel the situation if their behavior is not the most appropriate.
Ways to get attention during adolescence
Perhaps the teenager feels the need to receive much more attention than we give him and thus puts a strategy in place to achieve his goal. In some cases, the resource used favors your present and future, while in others the exact opposite happens.
Let’s review some of the most common practices used by teens to get attention:
positive
1. good grades
This is a very positive way to get attention. Good grades will have an impact on your future as they can help you get a place or a scholarship to a university. Young people are very satisfied with their achievements and receive praise and attention from their parents.
2. Performance in extracurricular activities
Many young people have skills for certain activities outside the educational sphere, such as sports, culture or music.
Upon realizing that they stand out, they strive to be the best at these activities and thus receive attention. Thus, this is an excellent alternative to form a behavior dedicated to good habits and customs.
3. Affection and participation
Some young people feel the need to express their feelings towards other people. They are open and don’t shy away from expressing their thoughts and concerns. They enjoy family gatherings and always try to get their friends involved.
In addition, these teenagers are attentive to young people who feel lonely and offer unconditional help. This is your way of getting more eyes focused on them.
4. Ecological activism
During adolescence, many young people are attracted to conserving the environment, as well as helping and protecting animals. For this reason, they often carry out campaigns to raise funds, clean a square or plant trees.
On many occasions, these young people grow up with ecological inspiration and are dedicated to the preservation of fauna and flora in adulthood.
negatives
5. Eating disorder
One of the ways to get attention during adolescence is a drastic change in body weight to arouse the curiosity of those around you. Many are unaware of the consequences this brings and how difficult recovery is often.
If we suspect that this is happening at home, we should immediately take the young person to a psychologist and nutritionist. Failure to take immediate action can have serious health consequences.
6. Consumption of alcohol, cigarettes and drugs
It is the most common and harmful path that teenagers tend to follow. To generate some kind of response from the family or any other adult, many young people start to experience this type of addiction that is so difficult to abandon.
In these cases, sincere conversation and support is more valuable than repression, as the latter will further promote your rebellion.
7. suicide attempt
When young people feel abandoned by family and friends, suicide can be an extreme measure of attention. Without a doubt, it is an extremely delicate situation. Therefore, it is necessary to detect the signs of depression and act preventively. Psychological help provided by a professional is essential in these cases.
8. Run away from home
Running away from home is one of the most popular ways to get attention during adolescence. How do you feel misunderstood by their parents, the young people think it is better to be with those who will fulfill your desires. In general, young people go to the house of other friends or girlfriend they currently have.
9. Aggressiveness, rebellion
On many occasions, the teenagers show aggressive or rebellious with parents. They contradict them, respond badly, do not fulfill their obligations and adopt a defiant attitude in the face of any imposed order.
In these cases, it is necessary to take time to talk to the young person and make him understand why things are happening. Often, over time, this type of behavior can lead them to commit criminal or illegal acts.
It is known that being a father or a mother is not easy, especially when children try to attract attention during adolescence. We must ensure that they grow up healthy, both physically and psychologically. For that, you need to invest quality time with them and offer lots of love and understanding. So, let’s start on the path to forming a happy teenager.
