Star News
Physiological features of development in adolescence. For parents, the physiological and psychological characteristics of a teenager. Social and psychological characteristics of adolescence
11..Anatomical physiological features adolescence and their importance for mental development.
During adolescence, there are a number of specific changes occurring in the human body and due to the natural dynamics of biological development. During this period, the amount of certain hormones in the blood produced by the hypothalamus significantly increases, which cause the appearance of secondary sexual characteristics. Another characteristic feature of age is a temporary violation of body proportions. The growth of the limbs is much faster than the growth of the body, the movements become angular, the teenager resembles an "ugly duckling". He notices the changes, fixes his attention on them too much and becomes even more clumsy and awkward. Hormonal boom causes increased excitability nervous system, emotional sensitivity, vulnerability, imbalance in the processes of excitation and inhibition, which is manifested in the character of adolescents. Physiological changes occurring in the body also cause increased sweating, the appearance of acne, breaking the voice.
The social situation of a teenager's development is characterized, first of all, by the fact that he builds his relationships with adults and peers in a new way. Increased reactivity and excitability of the nervous system lead to the fact that at this age there is increased irritability, excessive touchiness, irascibility, harshness. They are especially pronounced in communication with adults, especially with parents. The adolescent is not satisfied with the type of relations with adults that developed at the previous stage, in which the initiative and the last word belonged to an adult. A teenager claims to have equal relations and finds it among his peers. The adult, along with his claims and instructions, is rejected by the teenager. The teacher also ceases to be an authority for the teenager. The position that the child occupies within the team of the school class becomes more important for him than the assessment of the teacher. But it is precisely this fact that determines that the teenager reacts painfully to the teacher's criticism and remarks made in the presence of his comrades, and at the same time accepts them if they are made in private. In order not to lose contact with a teenager, to remain an authoritative person for him, an adult needs to be very patient, accept the teenager's claims for independence and respect, express understanding of his problems, not be afraid to talk about his fears and concerns, do not be shy to show love and respect to him.
Individual and gender differences in the pace and nature of the physical, psychological and social development of adolescents.
The formation of a person as an individual and personality presupposes the dialectical interaction of two relatively autonomous, but inextricably linked series of development - natural and social. This position was formulated in the 1920s. outstanding domestic psychologist L. S. Vygotsky. The natural series consists of processes of biological maturation, including sexual maturation; social series - the processes of training, education, socialization in the broad sense of the word. These processes are always interconnected, but not synchronous.
Heterochrony of development in adolescence manifests itself especially prominently, since the onset of physical, mental and social maturity in time, as a rule, does not coincide. Adolescence is usually associated with the concept physical development and, above all, puberty. However, the pace of physical development of adolescents is not the same: one boy (or girl) at the age of 14-15 looks like an adult, and the other looks like a child.
How does physical development affect mental processes and personality traits?
There can be no unequivocal answer to this question, since it is difficult to establish a direct connection between physical and mental development. However, the indirect effect of the somatotype (congenital constitutional features of the body) and the rate of physical maturation on the psyche and behavior of a teenager is undoubted.
As a result of rapid and uneven growth, the limbs of the adolescent lengthen, his movements become clumsy and angular. Realizing this, the teenager is embarrassed, trying to disguise his awkwardness, sometimes taking unnatural poses. Even a slight hint at the features of appearance causes violent affective reactions and rudeness in a teenager.
Modern science distinguishes three main somatotypes:
endomorphic (loose, with excess fat);
mesomorphic (slender, muscular);
ectomorphic (thin, bony).
The mesomorphic type (athletic build, tall) is always associated in adolescents with such concepts as masculinity, strength, sportiness.
For a teenager boy high growth and grandeur are almost synonymous. On the contrary, teenagers short stature, the frail seem to others "small" not only in the physical, but also in the socio-psychological sense. Observations show that tall boys are more obedient, behave more naturally and require less attention than their short peers. According to psychologists, mesomorphic adolescents are usually more popular, less introspective, and seem more socially mature than boys with mild mesomorphic components.
Teenagers with an endomorphic constitution, on the contrary, rarely occupy a leading position among their peers, are often the butt of ridicule of their comrades, have fewer opportunities to choose friends, and are more in need of support.
However, the influence of the somatotype on the psyche and behavior of adolescents is not necessary and not unambiguous. Some, realizing their physical weakness, come to terms with it, others compensate for the physical deficiency in a different, more often intellectual, sphere, others begin to play sports intensively and often achieve enviable results.
The influence of the somatotype and the rate of physical development on the psyche and behavior in girls is not as pronounced as in boys. If it is always prestigious for a boy to be taller than his peers, then high growth and early puberty often create additional psychological difficulties for the girl, alienating her from her peers. However, what is unpleasant for a girl in her early teens may be highly desirable in her later teens.
Does early physical maturation always have a favorable effect on the formation of the psyche of a teenager? This question cannot be answered unambiguously. Often, early puberty causes anxiety in a teenager, and the sexual desire that has appeared leaves an imprint on behavior. With age (after 20 years), when the issues of physical strength and height become less relevant for a person, former accelerators can remain more assertive, conflict, claiming leadership for a long time, and retardants can be psychologically more subtle, sensitive, flexible.
The mental formation of a teenager is undoubtedly influenced by the degree of his social maturity. A schoolboy and a worker, a young man not burdened with a family and a young husband think differently and behave differently. Some researchers consider the beginning of independent labor activity to be the boundary of social maturity. This criterion is certainly important, but it is not the only one. One cannot but agree with I. S. Kohn (1979), according to whom, if we take only this criterion as a basis, it turns out that rural youth matures earlier, then workers, and students and students later than all.
social maturation - a complex process, the pace and stages of which are determined by such basic criteria as the completion of education, the acquisition of a stable profession, the beginning of labor activity, material dependence on parents, adulthood, military service, marriage, the birth of the first child, etc.
The pace of social maturation in early and middle adolescence is slow, since the vast majority of adolescents at this time are in school and are dependent on their parents. However, for some of them, especially for accelerators, a sense of adulthood and the claims of an "adult" person associated with this appear very early. Such adolescents have an intensified desire to throw off the “yoke” of parental care and gain complete independence.
In the older adolescence, the pace of social development increases markedly. At this time, there are such important events for self-affirmation as obtaining a passport, conscription into the army, choosing a profession, starting work, which largely determine the behavior and psyche of a teenager. It is well known that working young people develop a sense of personal responsibility earlier, and the price of labor and money is determined. Claims for complete emancipation are replaced by the search for one's place in the world of adults.
However, it should be borne in mind that social development, like physical development, proceeds unevenly. A teenager can, for example, be quite mature in the sphere of work, but remain helpless in matters of everyday life (such a disproportion of social maturity in many people can persist for many years). In addition, social maturation most often does not coincide with physical maturation.
If we compare modern teenagers with their peers of the 1940s-1950s. it turns out that in today's adolescents, physical maturation begins earlier and ends faster, while social maturation, on the contrary, is delayed. Modern teenagers study longer and start an independent life much later than their peers in the past, and therefore remain materially dependent on their parents for a longer time.
Thus, the disproportion of physical and social maturation with a clear predominance of the pace of physical development creates additional psychological difficulties and largely determines the characteristics of the psyche and behavior of adolescents.
Social factors of mental development are:
the transition from primary to secondary school, where classes are conducted by many subject teachers, which significantly changes the learning activities and communication between schoolchildren and teachers;
expansion of social, socially useful activities of the student in the classroom and at school, expanding the circle of communication with peers;
there is a change in the position of the child in the family, where parents begin to trust him more, entrust him with more complex homework and include him in the discussion of family problems.
Biological factors of mental development are:
the onset of puberty, the effect of new hormones on the central nervous system;
rapid growth and physical development with the restructuring of all organs, tissues and body systems.
Puberty as the main biological factor at this age affects the behavior of a teenager not directly, but indirectly. Aggressiveness towards elders, negativism, stubbornness, flaunting one's shortcomings, pugnacity, etc. appear not because of puberty itself, but through the social conditions of the existence of a teenager - his status in a peer group, relationships with adults. Behind every external reaction of a teenager there is a psychological reason. The actions of adolescents that outwardly look like disobedience or are assessed as "stupid", "inexplicable" ("inadequacy effect") often follow from the characteristics of this stage of growing up - the stage of personality formation.
| " |
The first is the preparation period, the second is directly transitional age, the third - post-transitional age (post-puberty), which is characterized by the completion of biological and physiological formation. The first of the designated periods can be conditionally equated to the younger adolescence, and the post-pubertal period is referred to as adolescence.
Time frames or age references for designating this period cannot always be applied with an accuracy of up to a year. But, in general, psychologists indicate such figures: from eleven to fifteen to seventeen years of age. Again, we should not forget that there are individual rhythms for each organism and the nature of their flow. Gender differences also affect the nature of the course and duration: for girls, it comes on a couple of years earlier and is not so acute, it lasts a shorter amount of time. In boys, puberty takes about four or even five years, and passes much more actively.
First of all, this abrupt change is manifested in the growth and development of sexual characteristics. In general, when we talk about a girl, that she has already become a girl, and yesterday's boy has "matured and grown stronger." This age is determined by a growing interest in the opposite sex, in the nuances of communication, and a growing sexual activity is manifested. Now festivities in the evenings are beginning to be motivated by meetings and dates, and not by football and skipping rope. And preening in front of a mirror is not at all a minute of time, as it used to be.
For a teenager, the problems of returning old fears - appearance, shyness, inability to do something, and so on, up to phobias - open or closed space, become very relevant. Thoughts of suicide revolve in every second.
Physiological changes in girls 
Girls begin to feel the onset of puberty earlier than boys, and it passes faster for them.
At 8-10 years old, rounding of the hips and buttocks, expansion of the pelvis are already noticeable;
At 9-10 years old, the areola begins to protrude above the skin of the breast;
At 10-11 years old, the first pubic hair and in the armpits appear, further development of the mammary glands is noted.
At 11-12 years old, the first menstruation may occur (most often at 13-14 years old)
At the age of 15-16, menstruation becomes regular, further hair growth of the pubis and armpits is observed. Simultaneously with puberty, there is an increased growth of the body. The peak growth rate falls on average at 12 years and can reach 9 cm per year.
At the age of 16-18, a gradual stop of growth occurs.
Physiological changes in boys
Adolescence is the period of life from 12-13 to 17-18 years. During this period, the puberty of the child occurs, which is associated with accelerated physical development, which is designed to prepare him for adulthood and loads. Also, the final development during this period is received by all internal organs and systems.
In physiological terms, adolescence is characterized by an increase in the production of a number of hormones. Their correct combination and interaction are the key to the timely and proper development of the child.
In boys, the onset and speed of puberty fluctuate within fairly wide limits. Most often, the onset of puberty occurs at 12-14 years.
At 10-11 years old, there is an increase in the size of the testicles and penis;
At the age of 11-12, pigmentation of the scrotum and the beginning of pubic hair growth become noticeable;
At 12-13 years of age, pubic hair growth increases, there is a further increase in the penis and testicles;
Adolescence (10-11 - 15-16 years) is characterized by significant physical and anatomical and physiological changes in the child's body.
First of all, in adolescence there is an intensive increase in body weight and length. The average increase in height per year for boys reaches 10 cm, and for girls up to 3-5 cm. The annual weight gain is 3-6 kg for boys and 3-4 kg for girls, respectively. In adolescents of both sexes, the period of "rapid growth" lasts an average of about 4-5 years. In boys, the peak of development occurs at the age of about 13 years; girls - 11 years. After the end of the “rapid growth” phase at a slower pace, it can continue for several more years.
In the same time physical growth is uneven changes in various parts of the body. The first sizes characteristic of adults reach the head, hands and feet. The arms and legs grow faster than the trunk, which is the last to complete development. In this regard, the figure of a teenager often looks awkward, elongated, disproportionate. This is sometimes hard experienced by teenagers and is reflected in their mental state.
For example, some guys have a feeling of "physical inferiority", due to which they begin to be embarrassed to undress in the presence of other people, they are reluctant to attend physical education classes. Girls, experiencing dissatisfaction with their appearance, often try to improve their figure, for example, tall ones begin to stoop, lower their heads.
The unevenness of physical development also affects the nature of the movements of a teenager - they differ in him by insufficient coordination, angularity, and excessive sharpness.
At the same time, adolescence is sensitive for the acquisition and improvement of many complex movements. If, for example, a teenager has not mastered the skills of cycling, dancing or gymnastic exercises at one time, then it will be extremely difficult to develop them in the future. (Aseev, S. 121-122).
The growth of various organs and tissues places increased demands on the activity of the heart. It also grows, but faster than blood vessels. This can cause functional disorders in the activity of the cardiovascular system and manifest itself in the form of palpitations, high blood pressure, headaches, dizziness, fatigue. (Petrovsky, p. 104).
In adolescence, there are drastic changes in the internal environment of the body, which are associated with changes in the endocrine system, the central nervous system (there is an increased development of dendrites), in the nervous system, excitation processes prevail over inhibition. This is the reason rapid rise E, and increased susceptibility to pathogenic influences.
Therefore, mental and physical overwork, prolonged nervous tension, affects, strong negative emotions, feelings (fear, anger) can cause endocrine disorders and functional disorders of the nervous system. As a result, adolescents are characterized by irritability, fatigue, absent-mindedness, low performance, and insomnia. A teenager may not respond to a strong stimulus (success in school) and give a violent reaction to a minor one (please do not talk in class).
The most important biological process of adolescence is puberty which has a huge impact on the physical and mental development of the child. The genital organs, secondary sexual characteristics develop (change in the timbre of the voice in boys, the formation of the mammary glands in girls, the growth of body hair).
Puberty brings a lot of new things to the life of teenagers. First, it is one of the sources of emerging feelings of adulthood. Secondly, puberty stimulates interest in one's appearance and behavior. Thirdly, finally, interest in the opposite sex awakens, new feelings, experiences appear, and the manifestation of first love is normal. Fourth, there is an interest in sexual, erotic products, which must be controlled by adults. (Aseev and Petrovsky).
It should be noted that both in physical development and puberty there are noticeable individual differences in the age of their onset and completion. Deviations from group norms in growth rates and physical appearance are a source of anxiety for many adolescents and can lower their self-esteem. For example, while for some boys puberty can be completed by 13.5 years of age, for others it can continue until the age of 17 or even longer. In some girls, breast development may begin as early as 8 years of age, while in others it may not begin until 13 years of age. The age of menarche can range from 9 to 16.5 years.
Normal temporal variations in puberty are closely related to genetic and nutritional factors.
Important physical changes are certain psychological consequences. In the process of physical maturation, children become more and more like adults, other people begin to react differently to them, they themselves begin to treat themselves differently.
Central event for girls at the age of puberty is the onset of menstruation associated with a number of psychological changes. After menarche, girls begin to feel their own body better, their level of self-awareness, social maturity, and reputation among their peers increase. However, it is also possible that relations with parents deteriorate. Immediately after menarche, the conflict in the relationship with the mother increases. This conflict gradually fades away, but it is replaced by a greater interpersonal alienation. But this alienation is necessary condition emergence of individual autonomy.
For a boy, the central event is the first ejaculation and sudden sexual arousal, which occurs especially easily and spontaneously during puberty. Although boys take pride in having an erection as a sign of sexual potency, they may feel anxious and embarrassed that someone might notice their inability to control this reaction. They may avoid dancing, answering at the blackboard, start to wonder if other boys have the same problem of not being able to control erections.
Like girls, puberty is associated with psychological changes in boys. Puberty is associated in them with an increase in conflict in relations with parents and distancing from them. This conflict is most noticeable in middle period puberty and first affects the relationship of son and mother; conflict with the father arises later.
Before and during puberty, some boys suffer from a syndrome of fear of undressing (in physical education classes, in sports sections, etc.). Since everyone develops at a different speed, the appearance of the body is different, which causes shyness and shame in some of their bodies.
Positive self-esteem of a teenager, acceptance by peers and popularity in their environment largely depend on his physical attractiveness and appearance. This is one of the most important components of teenage relationships, so teenagers (especially girls) pay close attention to their bodies. Sometimes the desire to have a slim figure drives teenagers to such extremes that they develop eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia.
Anorexia nervosa is a life-threatening emotional disorder characterized by an obsession with food and one's own weight. Its main symptoms are constant and exaggerated attention to diet and food, distortion of normal self-esteem, excessive weight loss (at least 15%), mood swings, feelings of isolation, helplessness, depression and loneliness. Between 5 and 10% of anorexics die from the medical consequences of malnutrition. Fanatical diet addiction is combined with exhausting physical activities, which leads to social isolation and alienation from relatives and friends.
Men rarely suffer from anorexia. Among patients with anorexia - 95% of women, mostly aged 12 to 18 years. Today, about 1% of girls suffer from this disorder.
bulimia- this is a syndrome of gluttony, followed by an artificially induced release from food eaten. Bulimia is characterized by uncontrollable and rapid absorption in a short time a large number high calorie food. Overeating with subsequent release from food eaten can occur many times a day. Gluttony occurs secretly, often at night. The usual conclusion of episodes of binge eating was voluntarily induced vomiting.
Bulimics are not happy with their appearance and dream about slim figure. However, they cannot control their addiction to food. Usually bouts of gluttony follow periods of stress, accompanied by anxiety, depressed mood. Bulimia mostly affects girls.
Early and late maturation in boys and girls has its differences. So, early maturing boys tend to be more successful in communicating with peers and in other activities. They are more responsible, sociable, prone to cooperation; however, they are more conflicted, preoccupied with the impression they make. Late maturing boys are less balanced, more tense, touchy. They are more often characterized by anxiety, impulsiveness, the desire to command others and be the center of attention. Late maturing boys are less popular among their peers.
For girls, studies show that early puberty has a predominantly Negative influence on girls. They are less satisfied with their body, because. they become larger and fuller than their late-ripening peers. They are also more stressed, more restless, moody and irritable, and less popular with their peers. They perform worse in school, more often there is a violation of behavior at school, premature sexual behavior and early marriage. Many of these girls' behavioral problems are directly related to being involved in relationships with older boys. (N. Newcomb, F. Rice, G. Craig).
At 9-10 years old for girls and at 11-12 years old for boys, a new and responsible period of life begins - adolescence.
Adolescence. Rapid, irresistible growth and development, improvement of physical and mental abilities, formation of will, character, worldview occur in a relatively short time (about three years) and end in youth. Adolescence and adolescence are sometimes combined by one name - puberty. It ends in boys by 18 - 19, in girls - by 16 - 17 years. By this time, the proportions of the body are fully formed, the growth and ossification of the skeleton is completed. During puberty in young men, body weight increases by an average of 34 kg, height - by 35 cm, chest circumference by 25 cm; in girls, respectively, by 25 kg, 28 cm and 18 cm. These changes are associated with the intense activity of systems and organs that regulate growth processes and ensure the normal functioning of the body. At the same time, the regulatory systems themselves (primarily the nervous and endocrine systems) continue their own development and formation.
The maturation of the body is not an easy process, it does not always go smoothly. That is why adolescents require close (but not intrusive) attention from their parents, constant monitoring, and sometimes, if they don’t “work”, individual links in the complex chain of development and formation of the body, and the direct intervention of a doctor. At the age of 10, the physical development of boys and girls is approximately the same, but at 11 years old, girls are ahead of their peers in height (by 1.6 cm) and weight (by 1.7 kg). At the age of 12, girls are ahead of boys in all respects: in body length (by 3.1 cm), weight (by 2.9 kg), circumference and excursion chest(by 4.5 and 0.7 cm). At the age of 13, this difference increases even more.
However, at the age of 14, all indicators of physical development become higher in boys. These differences are due to the fact that girls enter adolescence 2 years earlier than boys; up to 13 years, in boys - from 12.5 to 15. Pubertal "growth spurt" precedes the onset of puberty. There is a development and increase in the activity of the endocrine glands, genital organs. Puberty occurs in girls at 12.5 - 13 years, in boys - at 14 - 15 years. At this age, girls begin menstruation, boys have wet dreams.
In adolescents, the anatomical development of the nervous system is completed. By the age of 13-14, the formation of the motor analyzer is completed, which is of great importance for the formation of endurance, dexterity, necessary in labor activity.
The growth of skeletal muscles caused by endocrine stimulation significantly affects muscle strength. So, if at 10 years old boys squeeze a hand dynamometer with a force of 16 kg, then at 15 years old this figure is 35 kg; in girls, the strength of the hand increases over the same period, on average, from 12.5 to 28 kg. It should be noted that in girls, muscle strength reaches its maximum development by the age of 15. The angularity, clumsiness and awkwardness characteristic of adolescents (which is explained by the faster growth of bones and muscles in length and the temporary lag in their development in thickness) disappear in young men after 15 years, in girls - a little earlier.
Teenagers have a fast growing heart. Perhaps, there are no such high requirements for any system of the body in adolescence and youth as for the cardiovascular system. The weight of the heart from 10 to 16 years doubles, and the volume increases by about 2.4 times. The heart muscle (myocardium) also changes, becomes more powerful, is able to throw more blood into the vessels during contraction. At the age of 9 to 17 years, the stroke volume of the heart, i.e. the amount of blood ejected by the heart in one contraction, increases in boys from 37 to 70 ml, and in girls from 35 to 60 ml. The resting heart rate gradually decreases. At the age of 15, the pulse in boys is 70, and in girls - 72 beats / min, by the age of 18 it decreases to 62 and 70 beats / min, respectively, that is, it becomes the same as in adults. However, the decrease in heart rate is uneven, and this is due to the rate of growth and puberty.
For example, at the same age (15 years), in rapidly developing girls, the cardiovascular system works approximately the same as in adult women, and in their peers who are lagging behind in growth and development, the nature of the heart is almost the same as in younger schoolgirls. The same is observed in boys. Consequently, the first feature of the adolescent's circulatory system is its close connection with the rate of growth and maturation of the whole organism.
It should be noted that in a rapidly growing organism, the development of the cardiovascular system does not always keep pace with the general pace of development, and an increase in heart mass sometimes lags behind an increase in whole body mass. That is why sometimes tall boys and girls complain of weakness, easy fatigue, especially during physical exertion, there is a tendency to faint when overheating or a sharp change in body position. When symptoms of heart weakness appear, associated with a discrepancy between growth and an increase in the size of the heart, some parents regard them as a manifestation of heart disease, try to transfer their son or daughter to the most gentle mode, and protect them from all kinds of physical exertion. This is a big mistake. The only medicine that can bring into line the capabilities of the circulatory system and the increased needs of the body of a teenager are systematic physical exercises, sports, and work. Unfortunately, now the majority of modern children, adolescents, young men (and adults) have the main problem of underloading muscles, inactivity.
Often young men and women, embarrassed by their weakness and awkwardness, completely stop practicing physical culture. As a result, the so-called drip heart is formed, which, if a teenager does not start physical education on time, will not increase in the future.
In the developing circulatory system, there is often a discrepancy between the lumen of the vessels through which blood is ejected from the heart and the increased capacity of the heart. As a result, blood pressure increases. So, if in boys and girls of 10 years old the blood pressure is 95/55, then by the age of 17 it rises to 120/65 in boys and to 115/60 in girls.
The third feature of the work of the cardiovascular system in adolescents is a temporary violation of its nervous regulation. This is due to the restructuring of the activity of the endocrine and nervous systems and is expressed by a heart rhythm disorder, an increase or decrease in the heart rate. In boys and girls who develop harmoniously, such disorders do not last long and quickly pass without any treatment. But, despite this, any deviation in the activity of the heart, especially changes in blood pressure, should not escape the attention of parents. Indeed, most often they occur in weakened children suffering from chronic diseases of the nasopharynx (tonsillitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis) and the oral cavity (especially dental caries). And these diseases are not at all harmless and in the future have an impact primarily on the cardiovascular system.
Parents should also be aware that a large mental load, combined with a sedentary lifestyle, leads to dysregulation of blood vessel tone, which causes hypotonic and hypertonic conditions, which later develop into hypotension or hypertension. Such an unfavorable outcome can be prevented by a reasonable daily routine, a clear regime of work and rest, and most importantly, systematic physical education and sports.
At the International Congress on School Hygiene, it was found that the total daytime schoolchildren should not exceed 7-8 hours (with a six-day work week, this is even higher than the workload of adults). However, the practical load of students during the working day is much higher, especially in the upper grades. Concerning junior schoolchildren, then for them a 7-8 hour working day is too much work.
According to scientists, schoolchildren are in a state of complete or relative immobility for 18 hours a day, i.e., they sit or lie down. Consequently, only 6 hours a day remain for active muscular activity, including games, physical education. But even these 6 hours (with their maximum and rational use) can bring great health benefits.
However, according to studies conducted in different districts of Moscow, 51% of adolescents do not go outdoors at all after returning from school; the break between classroom and homework for more than a third of the children does not exceed 1.5 hours. It is clear that in this case, schoolchildren start work without having rested, and their working capacity is sharply reduced. According to the same data, 28.4 percent of students spend more than 3 hours preparing lessons, 12.8 percent more than 4 hours, and 4.4 percent even more than 5 hours. Moreover, 73.7 percent of schoolchildren do not take any breaks for rest, that is, they sit at the desk continuously for 3-5 hours.
What do high school students do in the remaining time? It turns out that not all of them spend it on the move. More often, after a long and tiring working day, teenagers sit in comfortable chairs and watch television programs. Moreover, 37.3 percent of them spend 1.5 hours watching TV every day, 19.4 percent - 2 hours, 7.2 percent - more than 3 hours. It is easy to calculate that with such a regimen, the children do not have time for sports, physical education, and the physical education lessons required by the program only slightly compensate for physical inactivity.
One of the key issues of the modern generation is the acceleration of the growth and development of children and adolescents, that is, the problem of acceleration. The term "acceleration", which means the acceleration of the growth and development of children and adolescents compared to previous generations, relatively recently - less than ten years ago - "stepped" from special books and magazines to the pages of popular publications.
According to modern concepts, a growing organism is a complex self-regulating system, the development of which is determined by the genetic program embedded in it. The growth of each child, the anatomical and physiological characteristics of the whole organism, individual organs and systems, the order and pace of their maturation, individual properties, adaptive capabilities at all stages of life are determined by the hereditary constitution of the child.
Acceleration of growth and development is most indicative in adolescence. Modern Moscow boys of 14 years old "grew up" in comparison with their peers of the 20s from 146.4 to 162.6 cm, i.e. by 16.2 cm, their weight increased from 34.3 to 51.2 kg, in girls, respectively, from 146.7 to 160.9 cm and from 39 to 51.3 kg. Adolescents have shifted more early age and puberty.
Moreover, neither racial characteristics, nor climate, nor geographical area of residence significantly affect the timing of puberty. The widely held belief that Southern peoples experienced earlier puberty, which is sometimes found even in the medical literature, is in fact an unsupported hypothesis. In this regard, socio-economic conditions and the nature of nutrition are essential.
Acceleration creates a number of problems in education, especially adolescents and young men. If in the 1930s and 1940s the achievement of puberty coincided with the beginning of labor activity, now the situation has changed significantly: young men and women who are already fully formed in physical and neuropsychic terms find themselves in the position of children for a very long time. Contradictions appeared between accelerated physical maturation and relatively belated social maturity. Professional activity requires additional training at a vocational school, technical school, university, which further pushes back the time of independence. The "scissors" between the acceleration of physical maturation and the delay in social maturity are also increasing due to shortcomings family education when children and adolescents are overprotective, grow up in an atmosphere of exclusivity and often do not perform any household duties, do not feel responsible for their actions. This situation is exacerbated by the existing (especially in cities) demographic situation - the predominance of one- or two-child families.
A certain “generational conflict” is also associated with acceleration, when modern parents do not want, and sometimes cannot understand their grown children. Adolescents, on the other hand, are irritated by the petty guardianship of their parents; they believe that they are treated like small children, they are not understood, their dignity is violated. With the maximalism characteristic of youth, they argue that the intellectual world of adults is very poor and therefore one cannot talk about anything serious with them. However, the "intellectualism" of the modern adolescent, a large amount of knowledge he has acquired, is often achieved at the cost of completely releasing him from work duties in the family and in the process of schooling. Meanwhile, the problem of labor education is organically linked with the formation of a teenager's social maturity, which is far from synchronous with the acceleration of physical development and saturation with information. And here in the first place is labor education, which contributes to the formation of a respectful attitude towards material values, to work, the cultivation of a sense of duty and responsibility to oneself and others.
When training accelerated teenagers, even if they are quite capable and “perfectly” suited to their chosen sport, certain problems arise. Large, early developed, they are able to perform a large amount of physical activity in the classroom. But although they are not inferior to adults in height and weight, the degree of development of all body systems has not yet reached the adult level: the nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular, respiratory and muscular systems are still in the formation stage. There are almost no functional reserves, since the processes of growth and maturation themselves require a significant voltage of all systems, high energy costs. And the “lightness” with which the young cope with heavy loads can be too expensive. Overestimation of the physical capabilities of adolescents leads to overtraining, health problems.
At this age, as noted by A.I. Vysotsky, a radical restructuring of the structure of volitional activity is taking place. Unlike students lower grades adolescents are much more likely to regulate their behavior on the basis of internal stimulation (self-stimulation). At the same time, the volitional sphere of adolescents is highly contradictory. This is due to the fact that with a significantly increased overall activity of a teenager, the mechanisms of his volitional activity are still not sufficiently formed. External stimulants (educational influences, etc.), due to the criticality of adolescents, their aspirations for independence, are perceived differently than at primary school age, and therefore do not always cause appropriate volitional activity. Discipline decreases, the manifestation of stubbornness intensifies, this is partly due to the fact that, as a result of the assertion of one's "I", the right to one's own opinion, to one's point of view, adult advice is perceived critically. Persistence is manifested only in interesting work 1 . The process of puberty that occurs at this age significantly changes neurodynamics (increases the mobility of nervous processes, shifts the balance towards excitation), which also leads to a change in the volitional sphere. The predominance of excitation over inhibition makes it difficult to apply prohibitive sanctions based on moral considerations, endurance and self-control are reduced.
Courage grows (which during this period generally reaches its greatest manifestation). Under the influence of patriotic feelings, teenagers can even commit a heroic deed.
At the same time, adolescents aged 12-14 overestimate the level of development of their volitional qualities, especially patience and energy. Schoolchildren of 12 years old have disharmony in the development of basic volitional qualities, but already at the age of 13 some harmony appears. At the age of 15, adolescents as a whole adequately assess the development of their basic volitional qualities - self-esteem and assessment by the group coincide. But these teenagers tend to overestimate perseverance, independence, purposefulness.
3.2. Physiological development of a teenager
One of the essential features of adolescence is rapid physical development and puberty.
Often two concepts are confused: “adolescence” and “puberty” (usually this refers to the age of up to 20 years). However, these are different concepts. Puberty (puberty) is only a part of adolescence, marked by a sharp acceleration in physical development and puberty. As for adolescence, it is the period from the onset of puberty to the moment when a person becomes an adult.
Puberty is accompanied by rapid physical development and ends with puberty.
At the age of about 12-13 years, the pituitary gland intensifies. Under the influence of increased functioning of the endocrine glands, the excitability of the nervous system increases (excitation prevails over inhibition). Therefore, there is an increased irritability, irascibility, resentment of adolescents. Their behavior becomes affective.
In addition, due to the increased work of the pituitary gland, adolescents develop increased sweating and teenage acne.
This is a period of intensive morphological and functional restructuring of the body, going in two directions and designated by scientists in such figurative expressions as "growth spurt" and "hormonal storm" or "endocrine storm".
The growth spurt is an individual process. Teenagers quickly add in growth. But the increase in muscle mass lags behind the growth of bones. Teenagers look thin, stooped. At the same time, some guys experience muscle pain, which also leads to increased irritability.
As a rule, rapid physical development in boys occurs between the ages of 10 and 15 and peaks at about 14 years of age. In girls, it begins between 7.5 and 11.5 years and reaches a maximum at about 11 years 8 months. During the period of the most intensive growth, girls add 8.5 cm per year, and boys - 10-12 cm. Girls usually stop growing at the age of 19, and boys - 21-22 years, although after that many of them may stretch out a little more.
During the period of increased growth, the spine lags behind the growth rate of the body in length. And since before the age of 14 the intervertebral cartilages have not yet ossified, the spine is malleable to curvature with an incorrect body position, therefore, the greatest violations of posture are observed at 11-15 years, although during the same period they are most easily eliminated.
During this period, the development of the muscular skeleton according to the “male” or “female” type takes place, the features of masculinity and femininity begin to be seen more clearly.
Uneven growth in different directions creates imbalances in the body of a teenager. Children often feel at this time clumsy, awkward, sometimes take unnatural, pretentious poses. Therefore, even any joke about the appearance of a teenager can cause a violent reaction, so it is hard for him to think that he is ridiculous and ridiculous in the eyes of other people.
There is an imbalance in the development of the circulatory system: the growth of blood vessels lags behind the growth of the muscles of the heart (the heart grows faster than the lumen of the blood vessels increases), which can cause functional disorders in the activity of the cardiovascular system and manifest itself in the form of low endurance of the adolescent body (heartbeat, headaches, fainting, dizziness, increased blood pressure, fatigue, exposure to adverse climate influences, etc.). And such manifestations cause a rapid change in physical condition and, accordingly, mood.
Given these features of the physical development of adolescents, it is necessary:
Follow the diet - food should be rich in vitamins and proteins
Observe the regime of the day - you need a good sleep and active rest
Ventilate rooms more often, spend more time outdoors.
Rapid physical development and puberty proceeds differently in different adolescents. This largely depends on how adults take into account the ongoing changes in the body of a teenager. If adults are sensitive and considerate towards the children, then irritability, harshness, and resentment are smoothed out.
Psychophysiological characteristics of a teenager:
Increased excitability of the nervous system (excitation prevails over inhibition)
Increased irritability, irascibility, resentment of adolescents
Affective nature of behavior
Increased fatigue, decline in performance
The weight of the brain is approaching that of an adult
Criticality to the negative traits of his character.
