Most people today believe that emotions work on a number of levels. A common view is that emotions consist of:

Subjective feelings

This is how we interpret what we are feeling at any time. These are inner personal experiences. How one person interprets "being in love" will likely be different from the next person.

Expressive behaviours

This refers to the outward signs that a feeling is being experienced. These behaviors can be intentional or unintentional, and includes facial expressions as well as body language.

Physical reactions

This involves body changes which occur when we experience an emotion. It is often our awareness of the changes that makes us suddenly aware that we are experiencing an emotion.

Many movies and television shows portray teenagers as bouncing balls of hormones - giving teens a bad rap. On the rare occasion where a film or video tries to examine a teenager's emotions, the tone is often condescending. Teenagers are people who experience a wide range of feelings, and are not just pimply-faced troublemakers. Yes, life is a roller-coaster ride, but our emotions serve a number of functions to keep us on track. Important functions of emotions include:

Arousal - emotions cause us to move and take action.

Motivation - emotions provide the adrenalin to control behaviour.

Adaptive functions - emotional reactions help us cope with difficult situations and occur when we are under stress.

Adding color to our lives - expression of feelings through art, poetry and literature gives us enjoyment. Along with that, the expression of emotions from day to day with people adds color too!

Controlling social interactions - identifying the emotions that others are feeling through their facial expressions, body language and tone of voice helps us figure out a way to respond. In some cases, we may be attracted to another, in others, we may be warned to move away.