Adolescence holds a special place in psychology. What makes this period so unique is the individual’s struggle to adapt to new internal and external conditions. Adaptation is a concept that gains importance in pre-adolescence and reaches its peak during adolescence. Today, we will examine the role and significance of social and emotional adaptation in helping young individuals discover their existential purpose.
During pre-adolescence, roughly between ages 10 and 18, we begin to see the first signs of an identity crisis. The individual is like a butterfly trying to break free from its cocoon, ready to open its eyes to a world different from the one taught by family. Just as every birth is painful, so too is the process of tearing the cocoon apart to reach one’s authentic identity. The first step of this pain is accepting that what one has been taught by family for years may be incomplete or even wrong. The second step is confronting all possible familial and social reactions to discover and internalize one’s own identity. The biological, cognitive, and social developments occurring in this period provide young individuals with the strength and motivation needed on this journey of identity formation. Discovering what one desires, rejects, and what makes one feel fully present is a challenging process, yet young people often feel the need to find this with the force of a fire burning within them. Thus, they rarely give up on this pursuit.
Internal Chaos And The Search For Identity
The identity crisis experienced by young individuals pushes them into an internal chaos. As a result, they often focus on finding externally the peace and order they cannot find within themselves, sometimes becoming fixated on this ideal. They wonder how they can make the world more ideal for themselves and for others, but this is an impossible dream. One cannot save the world from chaos, nor ensure that every person acts with good intentions. Every human being carries both goodness and darkness within, and pathological situations will always infiltrate our work, social, and romantic lives. There is no one who hasn’t been exposed to such difficulties, and turning the world into a spotless glass dome is impossible.
A young person who fails to grasp this may try on different identities to gain acceptance from their environment, sometimes finding themselves wearing shirts three sizes too big. The search and internal chaos of someone who cannot reach their authentic identity will never end. Adolescence is the period when the longing for this authentic identity is felt most intensely. As the individual grows, they either attain this authentic self or develop various psychological difficulties due to failing to do so. They begin devoting their life to others or to abstract concepts, gradually drifting away from their true essence. Often, they fail to realize this drifting because the external approval they receive masks it.
Existential Psychotherapy And The Adolescent Crisis
So what does existential psychotherapy tell us about this identity crisis? According to existential philosophy, existence is far too unique to be defined by fixed traits or behaviors—it is in constant flux. Existence is not a state that can be discovered in a single day and maintained unchanged for a lifetime; rather, it involves finding one’s essence within change and holding onto it while flowing with life. This tells us that individuals must integrate the potential for lifelong growth and change into their lives.
Moreover, this existential state is not something created in isolation—it is formed through influencing and being influenced by one’s environment. Humans internalize what they observe around them in ways that align with their essence, and through this, they develop their core values. These core values help individuals discover what gives their lives meaning. Once a person identifies what gives meaning to their life, they can move forward toward self-actualization with much more certainty.
The Struggle For Independence And Social Acceptance
Returning to adolescence, during this period individuals begin distancing themselves from family and the limited values of their immediate environment, entering a path toward independence. On this path, young people may struggle with making decisions aligned with their essence. They worry whether the choices that feel true to them will be accepted by the social groups from which they seek approval—because feeling accepted is especially crucial for adolescents.
Caught in this dilemma, a young person may sacrifice their essence in order to adapt to society and peers. Someone who abandons their true self gradually develops psychological issues and begins experiencing existential anxiety. Living solely according to behaviors and goals that ensure acceptance from others, they begin fearing that life will pass them by in this inauthentic manner. They have never truly listened to what their essence wants—they only fulfilled what others imposed on them.
The Role Of Social Media In Identity Confusion
When the inevitability of death approaches, what remains is a life lived solely to please others. At this point, we often see the emergence of depression, anxiety, and emotional breakdowns. The primary reason we frequently encounter such psychological issues during adolescence is this existential anxiety. The widespread use of social media—an influential tool that distances individuals from their essence—has further intensified this anxiety among today’s youth. Instead of exploring their own essence and purpose, young people follow what their popular peers do online. As a result, a uniform, colorless youth emerges—one that becomes lost in the void created by existential anxiety.
Supporting Adolescents On Their Path To Authentic Identity
Experiencing existential anxiety is a natural part of every human life. What matters is how we cope with it. In today’s world, where cultural hegemony has formed into a single dominant structure, it has become increasingly difficult for individuals to find their unique, authentic selves and live meaningful lives aligned with that self. Amid these challenges, it becomes invaluable for individuals to rediscover their uniqueness and to use external influences not as determinants of their personality, but as nourishment for their essence.
Throughout this precious journey, families and we psychologists play a vital role. We must remind them of their uniqueness and support them as they navigate their own path through the psychological challenges they face.