Explain the concept of identity crisis experienced in adolescence. Explain the basic strength that is required to overcome anxiety in this stage

What will be an ideal response?

ANS: Adolescence, between ages 12 and 18, is the stage at which we must meet and resolve the crisis of our basic ego identity. The self-image, which is an integration of our ideas of what we are and what we want to be, is formed during adolescence. If this process is resolved satisfactorily, the result is a consistent and congruent picture.
Shaping an identity and accepting it are difficult tasks, often filled with anxiety. Adolescents experiment with different roles and ideologies, trying to determine the most compatible fit.
People who emerge from this stage with a strong sense of self-identity are equipped to face adulthood with certainty and confidence. Those who fail to achieve a cohesive identity—who experience what Erikson called an identity crisis—will exhibit a confusion of roles. They do not know who or what they are, where they belong, or where they want to go. Even a negative identity, as society defines it, is preferable to no identity at all, although it is not as satisfactory as a positive identity.
Erikson noted the strong impact of peer groups on the development of ego identity in adolescence. He noted that excessive association with fanatical groups and cults, or obsessive identification with icons of popular culture, could restrict the developing ego.
The basic strength that should develop during adolescence is fidelity, which emerges from a cohesive ego identity. Fidelity encompasses sincerity, genuineness, and a sense of duty in our relationships with other people.