Jealously and Envy and your Teens

Jealousy isn't only an emotion that teens will experience, many adults have jealous or envious moments in their life.

However when jealousy starts to prevent your own happiness and causes you emotional distress, it may be the time to look deeper into what is causing this.

Teens will usually experience jealousy with their peers - whether it is a friend that has a family of means, or a popular teen that was blessed with the looks of a supermodel, jealousy and envy can become a point of contention and sadness.

Many people feel jealous from time to time. Jealousy is easy to deal with, once you understand what it's teaching you.  This can be complicated, however it can also be a learning experience that will end up benefiting you or your teen.

A recent study in the journal Developmental Psychology found that adolescents who experience low self-esteem and extreme loneliness tend to worry that friendships are threatened by others, causing jealousy that can lead to aggressive behavior. The researchers found that intimacy (in this case through friendship) begets vulnerability, resulting in jealousy and aggression.

The study also reinforced current beliefs about females being more jealous than males.

While it may never be possible to completely avoid having jealous feelings, experts do believe it is possible to control jealous behavior.

To learn more about how to handle jealously and your teens, visit Discovery Health.

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