According to our Psychology of Adolescence book (page 187), there is a negative trend in young adolescents. Based on the reading provided, emotional stability, agreeableness and conscientiousness do increase from adolescence to adulthood. I don’t think social media is a positive influence on personality changes because an individual can portray themselves as something other than their own personality traits, and it’s essentially dishonest. There can be assumptions, but since everything on social media is up to the user, it’s not necessarily factual. The factor that is associated with identity exploration is openness to experience. Sensation seeking promotes identity exploration because this makes the individual more likely to try new things like travel or try new things although this can also lead to negative behavior like trying drugs or engaging in risky behavior.

It’s important to consider the specific motivation underlying identity activities because if the individual is being forced to partake in certain activities or get into a specific career that, for example, parents have chosen for them, then they are less likely to be autonomously independent and reach identity achievement. Risky behaviors can be considered functional because they can also serve the purpose of a lesson learned. Sometimes curiosity gets the better of individuals, but doing those things and knowing that they don’t like it or are not as interested than they thought, can make a huge difference in the direction they will choose to go in life. I personally have not really engaged in risky behavior and was often called a “goody two shoes” because any time I was offered something like drugs, or to go do something illegal or dangerous, I was very firm in my no. I do, however, consider myself an observer and definitely pay attention to the behaviors of others and the consequences. I knew a girl who went out drinking and decided to drive home with her friend. She ended up getting in a car accident and her friend died. I also have heard several stories of fellow high school classmates/friends who have gone out drinking and driving and the accidents have been catastrophic and even fatal. Because of this, I honestly, don’t even drink period, but when I do, I refuse to get in the car with anyone or drive, and will call an uber or taxi. I’d say this has made me careful and even disciplined. This has contributed in me making responsible decisions and not being careless with my life and other’s lives.