Elkind believes one manifestation of adolescent egocentrism is the imaginary audience. In his view, the imaginary audience is a mental construct. Bell and Bromnick’s research surveyed hundreds of teenagers about their worries and concerns, and then asked them why those were particular concerns to them. The importance of other people’s judgments was important in many categories, including concerns about friendships, fitting in, and being popular. Image and appearance also emerged as a main concern, however only in relation to other people’s opinions. Teens said, “People might not like you if you are not fashionable”and “No fat people are popular”.
The authors conclude that the imaginary audience is a result of social concerns that have real consequences in terms of self-esteem, self-confidence, popularity, approval, and social support. The teenagers wanted to avoid being bullied, laughed at, or called names.
The recent explosion of adolescent blogs and social networking websites suggests that adolescents are drawn to these forms of expression to perform for an imaginary audience.
After watching the video Elkind’s Theory of Adolescent Egocentrism and reading the listed articles, in your original discussion post, address the following questions. Be certain to discuss your opinion.
Do you think that the adolescent thinks the imaginary audience is real or imagined?
Why do you think that?
