Raising Good Humans Adolescence Isn’t What We Think: The Real Reason Your Teen Isn’t Listening to You, Why They Push Back, and More w/ New York Times Journalist Matt Richtel
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Nov 21, 2025 
In this engaging discussion, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Matt Richtel dives into the complexities of adolescence, arguing it's a critical phase of intense information processing. He explains why teens often don’t listen and how parents can better support them by modeling curiosity and coping skills. Matt also highlights the generational dynamics at play and suggests practical strategies for managing emotional overload in teenagers, emphasizing the importance of love, clear boundaries, and allowing independence as essential facets of effective parenting.
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Adolescence As Information Integration
- Adolescence is a period for integrating the known (what parents teach) and the unknown (what works in a fast-changing world).
- This reconciliation drives intense information processing and intergenerational conflict.
Adolescent Overload Feels Like Everyday Road Rage
- Adolescents are frequently in states of potential overload because their brains are highly sensitized to absorb new information.
- That overload produces emotional explosions akin to adult moments of road rage.
Help Teens Reboot Before Rationalizing
- Reboot an overloaded adolescent before reasoning with them by using calming physiological tools like cold water, exercise, or breathing.
- Teaching and practicing these coping skills prevents futile logic during emotional crises.
