The crucial role of adolescent friendships in the development of adult well-being

Being a teenager is difficult, confusing -; and of crucial importance. Scientists who study adolescent socialization have found that friendships between adolescents can lay a critical foundation for well-being later in life, and that not only the type of friendships adolescents experience, but also the timing of these friendships are essential.

“An adolescent’s perception of his or her degree of social acceptance by peers during early adolescence is particularly influential in predicting adult well-being,” said Emily Shah of the University of Arkansas, first author of the article in Frontiers of developmental psychology.

Conversely, in late adolescence, the quality of their more intimate friendships is more influential in predicting adult well-being. »

Emily Shah, University of Arkansas

Coming of age

Our relationships with others affect the way we perceive ourselves, our functioning in society and our psychological well-being; this in turn affects our physical well-being. This is especially true during adolescence, when we begin to rely on support from our peers and when puberty puts a strain on our bodies. Relationships can also help manage the stressful transitions that teens face, from exams to new jobs to leaving home.

“Friendships during adolescence provide young people with one of their first forays into consensual intimate relationships,” said corresponding author Dr. David Szwedo of James Madison University. “Because friends can come and go, friendships are a context in which adolescents must develop skills to maintain and grow the friendship or risk its loss. These skills will likely later be useful in forming future friendships and relationships. long-term romantic relationships.”

The researchers recruited 184 participants attending an American college. They surveyed these students at ages 13 to 14, and again at ages 17 to 18, measuring the quality of their close friendships, their perceived social acceptance, and their likeability as reported by their peers. Finally, the researchers met these adult adolescents aged 28 to 30 to ask them about their physical and mental health, their job satisfaction, their romantic insecurity and their experience of aggression.

Friendships are the foundation of adolescents

Overall, researchers found that perceived social acceptance was the best predictor of adult well-being. When contacted as adults, adolescents who believed their peers liked them reported lower levels of social anxiety and aggression, better physical health, job and romantic satisfaction, and feeling more great social connection. However, likeability as reported by adolescents’ peers did not predict any facet of adult well-being -; perhaps suggesting that an adolescent’s own perception of his or her social success is particularly important.

However, when the authors examined the two stages of adolescence separately, adult well-being was better predicted by social acceptance for younger adolescents and by close friendships for older adolescents. Close friendships predict lower social anxiety and romantic insecurity as well as greater job satisfaction.

The difference between the two stages of adolescence also suggests that timing is crucial. Although self-perception of success may prevent young adolescents from developing social anxiety and help prevent stress-related poor health, lower levels of social acceptance in the later adolescent years do not predict health outcomes.

You are not alone

The authors cautioned that while the longitudinal design allowed them to track changes in well-being over time, it meant participants were not in school during the Covid-19 pandemic, which which could have a significant impact on adolescents’ social experiences and their future well-being. Additionally, the study relied largely on self-reported measures; future research could complement them with observational measures.

“I want teens to know they are not alone,” Shah said. “It’s not easy being a teenager in this world, and I choose to believe that teenagers do the best they can with the skills they have. I hope adults who interact with teenagers will consider sharing this perspective, to leave room for empathy and compassion.

“It’s always useful to keep in mind that studies like this highlight things that happen on average and that things may be different for each child or adolescent,” Szwedo observed. “This study reinforces the importance of caregivers being aware of their children’s social lives by talking to their children, talking with their teachers, and knowing who they are talking to online. It is helpful for parents not to not just asking who their teenagers’ friends are, but also how socially accepted they feel.