Youth Without Youth

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary angst is “a strong feeling of being worried or nervous : a feeling of anxiety about your life or situation”  or “a feeling of anxiety, apprehension, or insecurity <teenage angst>”. When I hear angst i automatically hear teen in front of it, it is also stated in the definition. Those teenage years is where the coming of age process is mostly seen. Angst is definitely a defining feature of the coming of age process. 

Youth without youth is a song by Metric. This song tells a story of a child growing up, going from playing with toys to smashing windows. Their lyrics depict the evolution of a child, going from one stage to another. It definitely represents a coming of age process. 

The coming of age process is an important stage in life. This is when we start to open our eyes to the real world and start making decisions that will effect the rest of our lives so it definitely is a stressful time. I personally just felt a defining moment in my coming of age process. I just recently got my license and i felt an enormous change from youth to adulthood. This amazing feeling of independence came over me the first time I drove alone. At first I didn't want to drive alone, I was scared to leave that safety zone I was always in. I actually wanted my mom to come with me. I then realized it was time to go over to the other side and learn to be responsible and safety was something I had to make sure of my self. I would have to say that angst is the perfect word to describe the whole experience. I felt really insecure and vulnerable the whole time. I was so nervous and the feeling of anxiety just consumed me. 

As I was searching for some information on teen angst, I came across a lot of articles and comments about how to avoid teen angst or stop these emotions in teens. I found these opinions really ignorant about the coming of age process. Angst is a huge part of growing up and becoming an adult. As  much as it sounds like it could be the worst time of your life, it actually is not, it so important to go through these emotions and feelings to realize what you want in life. One of the titles of an article I found was: “Helping adolescents deal with anger and other emotions effectively”, adolescents don’t need help, its getting through these emotions and struggles of life alone that will help them become an adult.