Teenage Problems and Their Solutions: The Teenage Journey, Challenges, Growth, and Guidance

I have always loved teaching young people. Children and teenagers have a special place in my heart. They carry great energy, strong dreams, and big questions about life. In my many years of teaching and counselling students from school to university, I have met thousands of young people. Many of them faced stress, pressure, fear, confusion, or inner conflict. These problems are very common today.

This series, Teenage Problems and Their Solutions, is based on what I have seen and learned from young people across India, especially in Kashmir. I have listened to their problems, tried to understand their fears, and helped them find answers. Many times, with the help of God, simple guidance solved difficult problems. When a young person feels better, the whole family feels better. That is why I want to share this guidance with all teenagers.

I am not a psychiatrist, nor am I a psychologist. The ideas in these articles come from basic understanding of human nature. They are about the mind, behaviour, emotions, and the way people grow. These ideas can help you understand yourself and your life better. My aim is to give you clear direction so that you feel stable, confident, and peaceful.

If even one teenager finds comfort and real guidance from these articles, I will feel that my work was worth it. Helping others gives me deep peace. I believe knowledge is valuable only when it helps people.

Growing Up

Growing from childhood to adulthood is one of the biggest life changes. It is a journey created by God. It includes physical growth, mental growth, emotional growth, and spiritual growth. You start asking new questions and thinking in new ways. You face challenges that help you learn and mature. The problems you face are not punishments. They are steps that help you grow. God prepares you for adult life by giving you experiences that build your strength and character.

Brain Development and Behaviour

Your brain changes a lot during the teenage years. Scientists have studied this only recently. With long experience in teaching religion and my academic background in science, I can say that God teaches us to be patient, to guide others well, and to help them grow slowly toward responsibility.

The part of your brain that controls decisions develops slowly. It becomes fully mature only in your twenties. But the part of your brain that controls emotions and desires grows much faster. This creates conflict inside you. Your emotions feel strong and intense. You want excitement, freedom, and acceptance. Yet you cannot always control these feelings or think calmly.

This is not your fault. It is a natural part of growing up. You are learning how to balance your feelings and thoughts.

The Duty of Elders

Parents and teachers must understand these changes. They should not call these young ones irresponsible or rebellious without understanding what their brain is going through. When they act quickly, make sudden decisions, or take risks, they are not trying to cause trouble. They are learning how to control their emotions. So, elders should guide them gently, speak kindly, and help them learn through experience. They should increase their responsibilities step by step because character takes time to grow, and the growing children need support, not punishment.

Hormonal Changes

Puberty brings strong hormonal changes responsible for changes in mood, energy, sleep, body, and even one’s feelings about oneself. Sometimes you may feel very happy. Sometimes you may feel sad, scared, or angry without knowing why. This is normal. These ups and downs do not mean something is wrong with you. They are temporary.

If you look at these changes with a spiritual mindset, you will feel less stressed. Growth is a gift. These changes help you become a complete human being.

Physical Appearance and Identity

During puberty, your body changes quickly. You grow taller. Your body shape changes. Your voice changes. You start to look more like an adult. These changes can make you feel shy or confused. Social media makes this worse. You see perfect pictures of people online and think you should look like them. But you must understand that God created every person with a purpose. Every body shape and every physical feature has a wisdom behind it. You do not need to look like anyone else. You only need to take care of your health and accept yourself.

Social Life and Peer Influence

During your teenage years, your social life becomes more important. You want friends. You want to feel accepted. You want to feel part of a group. This is completely normal. Humans need friendship and belonging. Sometimes you feel pressure to act in a certain way to impress others, while sometimes you compare yourself with others and feel low. Remember, this desire can sometimes push you into situations that disagree with your family values or affect your studies. You must learn to choose your friends carefully. Friends influence your choices, habits, and beliefs. Good friends lift you. Poor friends pull you down.

The Digital Environment

The digital world has changed teenage life completely. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok show you edited and filtered pictures. Do you know that the so-called ‘successful’ people only show the best parts of their lives online? No one shows their failures, sadness, or weaknesses. When you watch these filtered success stories, you feel that your life is not good enough. This is known as FOMO, the fear of missing out. The result is that you may feel jealous or sad when you see others enjoying things you do not have.

You may also feel pressure to post pictures, get likes, and look perfect online, and start living for the camera rather than living for yourself. Most of the time, this becomes very exhausting.

I have come across many young boys and girls deeply hurt because of online bullying and negative comments. Once something is posted online, it stays there. This creates stress that your parents never had to deal with. A healthy digital life needs self-control. So, you must use technology for learning, creativity, and communication, not comparison.

Academic Pressure

School and college pressure is very high today. Students compete for good marks, good colleges, and certain careers. This pressure is doubled when parents also expect high performance, due to which you may feel afraid of failure. You may feel that your life depends on your marks. In Kashmir, this stress is even stronger because opportunities are limited and competition is high.

Let me tell you how spirituality can help you in this situation. It teaches you that learning is important, both worldly and spiritual. But success is not only about marks. It is about understanding yourself, developing skills, learning discipline, and becoming a good human being.

If studies become a source of stress and fear, you lose balance. You must study with effort and trust in God. Your future depends on your hard work, and if you cannot achieve your ambitions, think that it was God’s plan.

The Kashmiri Context

Growing up in Kashmir brings special challenges. You have traditional values at home and modern ideas online. You study modern subjects but still want to keep your faith strong. You want to follow family teachings but also want independence. This mix can create confusion about your identity. You may ask yourself who you are, what values you should follow, and what future you should choose.

Kashmir has a rich history of learning, spirituality, poetry, and wisdom. This rich legacy can help you balance modern life with faith. You can take the best from both worlds. You can follow religion and still aim for success in education, technology, business, and other fields.

Your Journey Forward

Your teenage years are not a mistake or a problem. They are a training period. You are learning to manage emotions and discover your strengths. That means you are understanding your purpose. So do not rush, nor compare yourself with others. Walk step by step and ask for guidance when you feel confused. Talk to your parents, teachers, and elders. Read good books, pray regularly, and learn how to think with concentration. In this way, you can make small but consistent improvements every day.

God has given you a mind, a heart, and a soul. You were created with purpose. Your life has value. You have something special to give to the world.

The author teaches in the Department of Religious Studies at the Central University of Kashmir and is currently writing a detailed book about teenage problems and practical solutions.