What Do Teen Boys Talk About With Their Friends?

Girls aren't the only kids who gab with their friends. While teen boys may not seem equally as chatty in comparison to their female counterparts, that doesn't mean that they don't like to socialize and talk with their friends 1. Although it's unlikely that your teenage son will invite you to hang out and chat with his pals, understanding what your son talks about may help you to put his behaviors and actions into perspective.

Teen Talking Basics

Instead of the chatty group of giggling girls that you see standing outside of your son's school in the morning, teen boys are more likely to talk to their friends in a one-on-one environment 1. While this isn't to say that teen boys never talk in larger groups, it's more common for true conversations to happen during more private times. Additionally, boys tend to talk to others in a different way than girls do. Unlike girls, who tend to have no problems expressing emotion, your son may feel vulnerable or actually fear expressing his feelings.

Romantic Relationships

While your teen might not act in an upfront and forthcoming manner when you ask him about his latest crush, chances are that he will talk to his friends about her. Although your son may not go into the depth of detail or daydream about marrying that special someone in the same ways that a girl might, he will still look to his friends for support and advice. If you have concerns that your teen is talking to his friends and shutting you completely out of his life when it comes to dating, take a look to see if your reactions to his talk of a girl might be making him feel you are giving him the brush off. The American Academy of Pediatrics, on their Healthy Children website, notes that parents often act dismissive when their teens talk about falling in love. This could make your son turn only to his friends and avoid talking to you.

Sex

Although you might think of romantic relationships and sex as one in the same, your teen may talk about one without the other. For example, your teen and his friends might talk about non-specific sexual situations such as the meanings of certain words or acts that they have heard about from other friends or older siblings. Even if your teen isn't in a relationship or doesn't "like" a girl at school, he may still talk with his friends about sex in general. Although you might have made every effort to communicate openly with your teen about sex, he might still go to his friends with what he feels are embarrassing questions or the more suggestive types of topics. Additionally, your teen could get an unrealistic picture of sexual behavior that confuses him. He might talk with his friends about sex scenes from movies or popular TV shows in order to figure out what is normal and what society expects of him.

Leisure Activities

The teen years are often dominated by extra-curricular activities such as sports, drama club or other similar pursuits. According to the pediatric pros at KidsHealth.org, teens develop friend groups based on mutual interests. When your son gets together with his friends they are likely to talk about their interests whether football or computer games. Your son can share insider information -- such as his techniques for mastering a challenging video game level -- or give and get advice from his friends about favorite ways to spend free time.