New Science on Navigating the Breakthrough Teen Years
Mar 15, 2024
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Explore challenges facing teens today like mental health and social media, turning them into growth opportunities. Learn about fostering executive function skills in children and setting boundaries on social media usage. Discover strategies for navigating mental health care and empowering families for mental health and skill-building.
Adolescent mental health crisis requires open communication and acknowledgment of feelings.
Balancing academic pressures and teen motivation post-pandemic is crucial for success.
Encouraging the development of executive function skills empowers teens for independence.
Deep dives
Ellen Galinsky's Latest Book: The Breakthrough Years
Ellen Galinsky's latest book, The Breakthrough Years, introduces a new scientific framework for raising thriving teens, focusing on the heightened brain plasticity during adolescence. The book emphasizes the timing of this critical developmental stage and provides tools to navigate the changes effectively. It offers a refreshing perspective, moving away from the narrative of adolescent troubles to highlight opportunities for support and growth.
Balancing Achievement Pressure and Motivation in Teens
The discussion addresses the challenge of balancing the pressure to achieve with motivating teens, especially in the context of post-pandemic school disinterest. With school engagement decreasing and adolescent motivation at an all-time low, parents and caregivers are presented with the task of aligning academic expectations with the reality of motivation levels.
Youth Mental Health Crisis and Parental Role
Exploration into the mental health crisis among youth reveals a significant increase in feelings of hopelessness and sadness among adolescents. Parents are urged to acknowledge and address this trend, understanding that societal pressures and the need for effective communication about emotions play crucial roles in fostering mental well-being among teens.
Navigating Social Media Concerns
Amid growing concerns over social media's influence, a diverse range of perspectives on its impact is discussed. Parents and experts are encouraged to engage in constructive conversations with teens about social media use, promote safety tools provided by tech platforms, and establish clear boundaries to support healthy digital habits.
Empowering Adolescents Through Executive Function Skills
Empowering adolescents through the development of executive function skills is highlighted as a key strategy for nurturing independence and problem-solving abilities. By fostering skills like working memory, flexible thinking, self-control, and goal setting, parents can equip teens with vital tools for success and resilience.
In this episode, Ellen Galinsky, author, educator, and researcher joins us to discuss the pressing challenges and anxieties facing parents and adolescents today. Delving into themes of Galinsky’s new book “The Breakthrough Years”, we explore adolescent mental health, the impact of social media, and the multitude of pressures teenagers have to grapple with. Listen to discover how to turn challenges into opportunities for growth and how to foster the development of executive function skills.
This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.