Children experience the world with a careless abandon and a sense of endless amusement for the most mundane things. As they grow older, that sense of wonder dims along with their natural curiosity. They stop asking why after every explanation. They start to conform, and soon  they become teenagers.Teenagers who are excited to reach all their milestones like having a curfew after ten, the half dreaded half anticipated first kiss, first job, first driver’s license, first love, the first time truly feeling alive.

But, then there are other kinds of firsts like the first real argument with your parents, the one where they seem like strangers, the first time the heart is broken a pain so terrifying so new,the first time feeling ordinary, and then feeling unextraordinarily blue about being ordinary, the most unexpected first the one where it feels like life is just going through the motions. And then shortly after comes the first existential crisis. like the first time a glow stick has been cracked and the liquid has been activated it is forever changed   That chemical change will make a person consider everything. “Why am I here?” “What’s the point of all this?” “Is there a God?” “Will I be forgotten?”

An existential crisis is not as grave as it sounds although some people do spend a lot of time thinking about the life and death. An existential crisis is when an individual contemplates the reason for their being, and whether their life has any meaning or value and even purpose. People respond to this in a variety of ways. Some turn to religion to answer the bigger questions. Others completely change their outlook on life either by living life to its full potential and others do the complete opposite by letting their lives flow.

During adolescence is usually the first time someone will have an existential crisis usually existential crises are experienced by more intelligent young adults simply because they are more self aware than others. According to author Dr. Bruce Kehr these young adults who once found pleasure in achieving great academic success hit a wall where they completely change their outlook becoming uninterested in school, rebellious, depressed and even lost. “Looking back I went through a lot of existential problems in my teen years. I remember crying and just feeling emotional. I didn’t understand why I was here,” said Taylor Vazquez, 26.

Teens react to existential crises in many ways. Some change their outlook on life and start living in a more carefree manner. While others simply keep on living like they’ve always done. Many people turn to religion to answer questions that don’t have answers yet. Mostly people do whatever will give them a sense of peace during time of uncertainty.

The reason teenagers experience existential crises is because during those years teens are developing and going through their firsts. All the events that cause strong emotions can lead to an existential crisis from the first time a teen experiences death and realizes no one is around forever, to the first time they see a baby come into the world and consider all the possibility that little bundle they hold in their arm has.