Adolescent Egocentrism

Adolescent Egocentrism is the idea that adolescents believe their life is unique and interesting to everyone around them. They experience a time of increased self-consciousness and feel as though no one can quite understand them or what they are experiencing. One aspect of adolescent egocentrism is the imaginary audience. This refers to the idea that adolescents feel as if they need to be noticed or get some type of attention. They feel as if their lives are onstage and that everyone around them is aware of their personal lives. Adolescents may indulge in attention-getting behaviors in an attempt to be noticed by their peers. Another aspect of adolescent egocentrism is the personal fable. This aspect of adolescent egocentrism refers to the adolescent’s belief that they are unique and invulnerable. This is an important concept to know because it is directly related to risky behavior. It has been determined by developmentalists that egocentrism creates a sense of uniqueness and invincibility that may be blamed for some of the seemingly reckless behavior of adolescents. These behaviors include many dangerous and irresponsible activities such as drag racing, drug use, failure to use contraceptives during intercourse, and suicide (Dolcini & other, 1989). It is necessary for teachers to recognize this in order to provide adolescents with an adequate amount of guidance and attention. In theory this could keep adolescents from seeking attention through risky behaviors such as these.