ADOLESCENCE, AFFECTIVITY, AND FAMILY: DATING AS AN EXPERIENCE OF IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION

Abstract

This article discusses teenage dating as a significant experimentation in the construction of youth identity and emotional formation in contemporary times. Based on Erik Erikson's psychosocial theory, adolescence is analyzed as an age-related time lapse marked by the search for recognition, belonging, and self-affirmation, understanding affective relationships as part of the human maturation process. The study also addresses family tensions in the face of children's growth, especially in the context of contemporary cultural and digital transformations. Drawing on the contributions of Donald Winnicott, Axel Honneth, Zygmunt Bauman, Byung-Chul Han, and Paula Sibilia, it reflects on family mediation, dialogue, and the impacts of digital platforms on youth romantic relationships. Articulated within this discussion are the empirical evidences from Paula, Paula, and Klemz regarding the role of journaling and spirituality as vital subjective resources for self-listening and emotional protection against dependence on external validation. It is argued that family guidance based on dialogue and recognition can contribute to healthier relationships and to the integral formation of the adolescent.