PSY 303 Final Paper. The Blind Side. Psychology Essay

PSY 303: The Blind Side
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Introduction
During adolescence, teens face numerous challenges that impact their desire to move towards becoming independent. In the movie, The Blind Side, Michael Oher, the main protagonist, is a troubled 17-year-old African American teen. Michael’s mother is a drug addict and abandoned him when he was 7 years. Michael has never met his father, which impacts his identity as a poor African-American male expected to fail by the community. Initially, Michael’s behavior and actions resemble those of concrete thinkers who fail to become abstract thinkers during the adolescence stage. However, the appearance of Leigh Anne in Michael’s life provides a stable and loving family that helps him to achieve his dream of playing American football at college. Based on The Blind Side, this paper explores how family structures, peer pressure and conformity, and race impact cognitive development and academic achievement among adolescents.
Family
Adolescence stage is a time when teens are moving towards becoming independent physically, emotionally and cognitively, and yet they are still growing. Santrock (2019) argues that although families have a limited role in the lives of adolescents, they are still required to provide a stable home that teens can use to explore the world and fashion their identity. However, when families are not supportive, adolescents tend to experience both mental and social problems compounded with inferiority complex and feelings of guilt. In The Blind Side, Michael was raised in foster care by different families, his mother was a drug addict who abandoned him when he was 7 years, and he never met his father. Therefore, before Michael was adopted by Leigh Ann, he performed poorly at school, he was skeptical about other people, and practiced self-isolation. These characteristics correspond to signs of inferiority complex, which is common in adolescents who have intense feelings of inadequacy.
Other than depicting the negative influence that families can have on the identity of teens, The Blind Side also shows how stable families help adolescents to excel. Before Michael was adopted by Leigh Ann, he was afraid to tackle the other players despite being nicknamed “Big Mike” and being ranked in the 98th percentile in "protection instincts." However, after adoption, Michael’s school grades improved drastically after Leigh Anne’s daughter, Collins, frequently accompanied him to the library. Similarly, Michael’s ability to play football improved drastically after Leigh Anne’s son, Sean Junior, became his personal trainer. The positive changes in Michael’s life indicate that to teens, family members are valuable role models that influence their identity and success.
Peer pressure and conformity
Adolescence is a stage of growth and perceptions. It is a time when members of similar age groups explore and share interests that are otherwise difficult to reveal to teachers or parents. Those belonging in a group are more likely to obtain acceptance and protection (Santrock, 2019). As a result, those who feel rejected are usually ready to do whatever it takes just to conform to the unani...