Researchers have found that friendships developed in adolescence lay the foundation for well-being in adulthood. And, for them, not only the type of friendship is important, but also the moment when this friendship occurs.
“An adolescent's perception of being socially accepted by peers during adolescence is particularly influential in predicting well-being in adulthood,” said lead author Emily Shaw of the University of Arkansas in the US.
“On the other hand, in late adolescence, the quality of more intimate and close friendships is more influential in predicting well-being in adulthood.”
The importance of relationships
Our relationships with others affect how we feel about ourselves, how we function in society, and our psychological well-being; This affects our health.
All of this is especially true during adolescence, when we begin to depend on peer support and puberty puts stress on our bodies. Relationships can also help deal with the stressful transitions teenagers face, from exams to new jobs to leaving home.
“Adolescent friendships provide young adults with one of their first forays into intimate, consensual relationships,” commented corresponding author David Swedo, MD, of James Madison University.
She explains that because friends may come and go, teens need to develop skills to maintain these friendships. “These skills will be useful later in building future friendships and long-term romantic relationships,” Szwedo said.
Study continued
The researchers recruited 184 participants who attended a US high school. They interviewed these students at ages 13 and 14, and then again at ages 17 and 18, to measure the quality of their close friendships, their perception of social acceptance, and their likeability as reported by their peers.
Later, the researchers contacted these teenagers, between the ages of 28 and 30, to ask them about their physical and mental health, job satisfaction, romantic insecurity, and experiences of aggression. The results are in an article published in the journal Frontiers in Developmental Psychology.
Social recognition is essential
Overall, the researchers found that perceived social acceptance was the best predictor of well-being in adulthood. Teens who felt appreciated by their peers when interacting with adults reported lower levels of social anxiety and aggression, better physical health, professional and romantic satisfaction, and felt more socially connected.
However, adolescent-reported peer friendships did not significantly predict any aspect of adulthood well-being – suggesting that an adolescent's own perception of social success is particularly important.
Different moments of adolescence
However, when the authors looked at the two stages of adolescence separately, well-being in adulthood was best predicted by social acceptance for younger teens and close friendships for older teens. Closer friendships predicted lower social anxiety, lower romantic insecurity, and higher job satisfaction.
The difference between the two stages of adolescence also suggests that timing is important. Although self-perceived success may prevent young adolescents from developing social anxiety and experiencing depression, low levels of social acceptance in later adolescence have not been shown to predict health outcomes.
Study limits
Although the study design allowed for tracking how well-being changed over time, the authors cautioned that the participants were not in school during the Covid-19 pandemic, which could significantly affect teenagers' social experiences and their future well-being. Furthermore, the study was largely based on self-report measures; Future research could complement these data with observational measures.
You are not alone!
“I want teenagers to know they're not alone,” Shaw said. “Being a teenager in this world is not easy and I believe that teenagers do the best they can with the skills they have. I hope adults dealing with teenagers will consider sharing this perspective. compassion”
“It's always helpful to remember that studies like this point to general trends, and that things may be different for any individual child or adolescent,” Swedo noted.
“This study reinforces the importance of caregivers being aware of their children's social lives, talking to them, talking to teachers and knowing who they interact with online. Parents aren't the only ones asking who their child's friends are. How they feel about social recognition.”
