The quality and types of friendships formed in adolescence can shape well-being in adulthood, a new study suggests.
- General social acceptance was the most important factor among 13-14 year olds in predicting well-being in adulthood.
- For 17-18 year olds, the best indicator was having a close circle of friends.
- Researchers advise parents to pay attention to their teens’ friendships and their feelings about social acceptance.
If I ask you what period of your life was the most difficult “socially”… there is a good chance that you will answer: adolescence. And yet a study shows that the friendships formed during this time shape future well-being.
The American researchers detailed their discovery in the journal Frontiers in Developmental Psychology.
Well-being: different friendly ties essential at different times
“Friendships during adolescence are for young people one of their first forays into consensual intimate relationships”specifies Dr David Szwedo, corresponding author of the study, in a press release. “As friends may come and go, friendships provide a context in which adolescents must develop skills to maintain and grow the friendship or risk losing it. These skills are likely to prove useful later in forming relationships. future friendships and long-term romantic relationships.”
Faced with this observation, the specialist and his colleagues recruited 184 adolescents aged 13 to 14 years old. At the start of the study and four years later, they asked them about the quality of their friendships, their social acceptance at school or their sympathy reported by their peers. Several years later, the team found these young volunteers as they approached their thirties. She then questioned them about their physical and mental health, their professional satisfaction, their romantic insecurity and their experience of aggression.
Analysis of all the data collected over the years shows that perceived social acceptance was the best indicator of well-being growing up. Adults who believed they were liked by their peers during adolescence showed lower levels of social anxiety and aggression as well as better physical health than others. The latter also presented better professional and romantic satisfaction.
However, when studying the data from early and late adolescence separately, the scientists noticed two distinct points. If the perception of social acceptance was indeed the element making it possible to more effectively predict well-being in adulthood, the quality of close friendships was a better indicator among 17/18 year olds.
“The difference between the two stages of adolescence also suggests that timing is key. Whether self-perception of success can prevent young adolescents from developing social anxiety and help prevent stress-related poor health “Lower levels of social acceptance in late adolescence do not predict health outcomes”specify the authors in their press release.
Friendships in adolescence: you have to be attentive
This study highlights the essential role of friendship in social and psychological development during adolescence. However, Dr David Szwedo recalls: “It’s always worth keeping in mind that studies like this highlight things that happen on average and that things may be different for each child or adolescent“.
However, you must be vigilant. “This study reinforces the importance of parents being aware of their children’s social lives by talking with them, talking with their teachers, and knowing who they are talking to online. It is helpful for parents to not only ask who their teenagers’ friends are, but also to what extent they feel socially accepted.”
