An excerpt from a critique I wrote for my Academic Writing module.

How true do you think is this?

"The adolescent life stage is all about becoming an individual with their own identity. They want to have ownership to their lives. However, becoming an individual is not easy. At some point in a teenager’s life, he or she may feel lost and frustrated when they do not own an identity. Most teenagers seek to own a unique identity which they can claim as theirs, but many fail to realise that in their quest to seek for individuality, they are actually subjecting to conformity. They want to stand out by joining a sub-culture, in this instance, piercing. However, many do not realise that being part of a sub-culture already means that they are conforming to the norms of a certain group of people. They take on an identity that is accepted by a small group of people in the society. What differentiates them from within the sub-culture is how creative they can be with piercings. Some have the piece of metal stuck into their nose, some in their ears and some, at their navel. It is through this that they feel that they are different from the other teenagers, giving them a sense of individuality."

All of us just want a sense of belonging. To feel that we are part of something.

After which, we will want to feel needed too. For example, people will wear T-shirts that bear logos of their school or club. They probably feel that the shirt represents where they belong.

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