Grown-ups can often talk about teens and social media in a way that fails to capture real teens' experiences.The directors of the Center For Digital Thriving (CDT) are different — they get it. In this episode, TTL teens meet with CDT directors Emily and Carrie to discuss the mental gymnastics of navigating our relationships with tech and social med…

In celebration of Earth Day, we made this episode about a person who, in the face of climate change, chose to take a risk and make something new. In partnership with UNICEF USA, This Teenage Life teens speak with Alexia Akbay, founder of Symbrosia, a company that grows seaweed. When fed to cows, Symbrosia's product reduces cows' methane emissions. …

This past March, TTL celebrated its 5th birthday! In this episode, the teens share stories of how they joined TTL and what the community has meant for them. All our current participants used to be listeners. If you want to join us too—or reach out and request and episode topic or say hi—feel free to email us at team@thisteenagelife.org…

How do we stay resilient in the face of procrastination shame and test anxiety? When our bodies are in fight and flight and our brains are not thinking straight, what should we do? In this episode, the teens teams up with Arizona State University professor Jamie Valderrama, who teaches various stress management courses, to learn about the neurophys…

In this episode, the teens discuss their experiences on group chats — sharing stories about social dynamics and feelings of inclusion and exclusion. This episode features the amazing work of Emily Weinstein and Carrie James at the Center for Digital Thriving (CDT). Their research inspired this episode. Learn abotu their work at: Behind Their Screen…

In this episode, the teens chat with Aleeza and Fonzo, the hosts of The Moth’s teen podcast, Grown — here on Apple podcasts and Spotify. We discuss our daydreams and anxieties about growing up and becoming people we want to be.This Teenage Life által

In this episode, TTL participants reflect on their varied experiences throughout the pandemic, from its beginning to what things are like now. The teens discuss anxiety, social changes, and dealing with complex grief. Some of the participants featured in this episode helped create a Teen Vogue article about high schooler's experiences during the pa…

This week's episode is about climate and eco-anxiety. The teens discuss their grief about the climate emergency and other environmental crises. They then talk about transforming their feelings into shared action. Thank you to UNICEF USA and Anya Kamenetz. Look out for a future episode about young climate innovators and their inspiring solutions.…

Inspired by one of This Teenage Life's newest members, this episode is about one young person's experience navigating identity development and middle social dynamics while also grappling with her experience of autism. If you are interested in sharing a story or want to request an episode — email us at team@thisteenagelife.org.…

Yesterday was Valentine's Day in the U.S. and so it feels apt to revisit a topic from a previous episodes: crushes. In this episode, we share our thoughts on having crushes (or not), what it feels like, how and with whom to talk about our crushes, and much more.cThis Teenage Life által

In this episode, TTL participants explore their own insecurities and interview Gracie and Clyde Lawrence from the amazing band, Lawrence— here on Youtube + Spotify—about how music can serve as an outlet for reframing past and present insecurities. This episode was made in collaboration with PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs' podcast On Our Minds.…

This is an episode about two teens who have experienced being bullied and who are working to overcome it. Being bullied can take a toll on self esteem and mental health. It can feel like you're the only one going through it and it will never end. Even though it does end, there is still more we could do to stop bullying and to support people being b…

In this episode, Rani, one of the teen contributors to This Teenage Life, shares about her relationship with poetry. She describes how it became an important outlet for creative and emotional expression. Overcoming criticisms, she has stuck with writing, and it continues to be a faithful friend. Check out Rani's work on Instagram @a_brokencorwn.…

The holidays are a complicated time for many people. They bring up all kinds of feelings — nostalgia, cozyness, goals for the future, and anxieties about those left behind. Two days before the commencement of our next cycle around the sun, we share an episode with you that we made exactly a year ago. It's reassuring to hear this and reflect on the …

Is the idea of productivity helpful? Harmful? How does it affect our mental health and well-being? How do the teens relate to productivity culture? In the midst of New Year's resolutions and goals, we revisit this episode about the pressure to be productive and how it affects us. We're working on new episodes for 2024. If you have any ideas you'd l…

For many folks, January is a theoretically a time of goal setting and self-improvement aspirations. Of course, many of us want to grow and change, but do we have to do it in a particular way in a particular way? In this episode, teens from This Teenage Life discuss their fraught relationship with the idea of New Year's driven goals/resolutions and …

In the fast-paced, tech-driven world we live in, it can be easy to become self- centered...specifically human-centered. In this episode, we hear from the teens about animal-friends who keep them grounded and inspired. We also hear from the prolific naturalist and author Sy Montgomery (Molly's hero) and illustrator Matt Patterson, creators of Of Tim…

For many of us here at This Teenage Life, how we talk to ourselves influences how we connect with others. In this episode, teens and experts share about their experiences and understandings of self talk, along with strategies for shifting thoughts that undermine us into thoughts that are more supportive. Here are some resources to learn more about …

From tests, to essays, to the constant pressure to be productive...many teens at This Teenage Life are expressing how academic stress is overpowering their love of learning. How can teachers and students come together to change this — to foster wonder, joy, and help heal our relationships with learning. In this episode we explore all kinds of strat…

Here we’re responding to listener emails requesting an episode on how to navigate being queer while also living in religious communities where it’s stigmatized to be LGBTQ+. To explore this tension, we interview LGBTQ+ activist, Chaim Levin, who speaks about his experience being gay, coming out, and ultimately closing the conversion therapy center …

Whether it be drifting apart from old friends, having a friend move to a new place or school, or severing ties with toxic friends, losing touch with people can be difficult and painful. In this episode, we're talking about the many different kinds of friend "breakups," as TTL participants share their experiences and advice.…

When teenagers feel seen and heard as whole people by teachers, it makes a huge difference in their experience at school. In this episode, we hear from teens and educators from across the U.S. about how teachers can foster strong connections with teens and build the trust needed for authentic check ins. This Teenage Life is sponsored by the XQ Inst…

The world is heavy right now. The wars unfolding are tragic and many of us feel devastated and helpless. In this moment, what are some small things we can do to cultivate compassion and kindness in ourselves? How can we be the peace we want to be with the people and animals around us? In this episode, teens share how they practice compassion and re…

Our hearts are broken for those affected by the conflict and violence going on in the Middle East right now. We call to TTL community members to be the peace and humanity the world desparately needs.This Teenage Life által

This summer, Molly, the adult who works on This Teenage Life, visited the Seeds of Peace Camp, which brings together youth from regions of conflict including teens from Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, India, Pakistan, and the U.S. She spoke with campers from the Middle East and South Asia who had taken the leap to meet folks "the other side." Man…

It's been a while since our last episode on the topic, so after many requests, we're making another episode on periods. In this one, teens share stories and reflections on getting their periods for the first time, navigating the logistics and their feelings about periods, and working to destigmatize menstruation. At the end of the episode, we speak…

Social and academic dynamics are especially complex during the transition back to school. Some students are entering new schools for the first time while others are reuniting with friends they haven’t seen in months. In this episode, the teens discuss their back-to-school emotions, strategies for entering a new school year, and tips teachers can us…

In this episode, one of the amazing teens who works on the show shares her story about how she's navigating and processing the absence of her mom in her life — the ways she has struggled and grown, and how she has strengthened other connections that support her.This Teenage Life által

Universities in the U.S. are starting up again. For many students, espeically freshmen, there's a lot of feelings around making friends. How do I connect with people? Are the people I'm meeting the first week going to be my foregver friends? How do I expand beyond my comfort zone and meet new kinds of people? In this episode, Carson, one of the col…

With the new Barbie movie recently released, we're feeling nostalgic for childhood. On this episode, we're discussing our favorite toys, what they mean to us, what we think about letting them go (or not), and how each of us keeps our inner child alive.This Teenage Life által

Walking may seem like a simple, everyday activity, but for many TTL participants, it's a way to destress and find inner peace. In this episode, we discuss the important role that walking plays in our mental health.This Teenage Life által

We need sleep to stay healthy, and grown-ups often talk about how we should sleep more. But falling asleep can be hard. Between smart phones, overthinking, and FOMO, there’s a lot that can get in the way. In this episode, we share our experiences surrounding sleep. To hear other episodes on sleep, check our old episode on dreams: https://open.spoti…

One of our most popular episodes is our first episode on Loneliness. But many of our episodes center around this feeling, and This Teenage Life basically exists so that we can authentically connect with ourselves, each other, and the natural world in service to feel less alone in the universe. In this episode, the teens reflect on what loneliness f…

Over the summer, we have the opportunity to dig into books that reflect our tastes, interests, and which transport us to other worlds. In this episode, we explore how we choose summer reading books, what we like to read over the summer, how this reading can be different from assigned reading, and how reading for pleasure can change us. This episode…

Teens on the internet — it's a hot topic. At its worse, there's the youth mental health crisis, phone addiction, and cyberbullying. At its best, there's emapthic online friendships, creativity, expanded perspectives, and deep knowledge seeking. In this episode, we describe our own relationships with the internet, social media, online friends, and m…

Applying to college in the U.S. is an multi-step, often emotional process. It can be challenging to write personal essays that construct neat narratives. And while we often try our best to get accepted to universities we like and can afford, for many of us, the college application process involves our first explicit experience of rejection and refr…

Many of us struggle with social awkwardness and anxiety about social interactions. In this episode, inspired by listener emails, we discuss our relationship to social anxiety and how we deal with it.This Teenage Life által

Growing up can be confusing. It's easy to look to the past or future and fantasize about "when we all had it figured out." But for many of us, looking back can feel bittersweet, especially when we think of the "simplicity" of being a kid. In this episode of This Teeange Life, we talk about our nuanced relationships with nostalgia.…

This Teenage Life currently has four dialogue groups. This May we want to start a group specifically focusing on teens (ages 13-19) who identify as boys since most people in our other groups identify as girls. We’ll be running it with actor Sullivan (Matt) Jones. If you want to join, email us at team@thisteenagelife.org FYI, we're starting a new di…

For many of us, writing is an outlet — a way to create and access other worlds or express our feelings. On this episode, we're exploring our relationships to journaling and how it helps us be ourselves.This Teenage Life által

This Teenage Life has teen contributors from dozens of countries. While we may have different languages and cultures, we've all had the experience of feeling excluded. In this episode, teens from across the world share their reflections on navigating cliques and popularity.This Teenage Life által

After many emails from listeners requesting an episode on music, we've finally made one about the songs we're listening to and what they mean to us. The episode shares our reflections. The link below is the playlist with the tunes:) https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2LdkRdV7l4d7dhb91uwRNl?si=256363b25c2b46d9&nd=1…

When you're in middle or high school, dress code can be a big part of your life. It can free you from thinking about what you have to wear, or it can make you incredibly self-conscious about your body. In this week's episode, we talk about our experiences of dealing with dress codes and how they make us feel.…

Many of us have or want adult in our lives who make us feel safe, seen, and heard. When teachers take the time to get to know us, they often transcend their role as subject guides and become more like life mentors. In this epsiode, we discuss how teachers can be open and make us feel safe while also being professional. This episode is sponsored by …

What does it mean to be a feminist? How can men support the feminist movement? Can men be feminists? In this episode, 17-year-old Stella, explores these questions. She interviews three men about their relationship with feminism and masculinity in an effort to investigate and solidify her own relationship with feminism. Music Attribution: Spleen & S…

Hobbies and passion projects are not only fun, they're powerful. They can restore us and serve as outlets for stress relief and creative expression. In this episode of This Teenage Life we share our diversity of hobbies and how they help us. If you have any ideas for episodes or just want to reach out and say hi, feel free to email us at team@thist…

My favorite study tips that have helped me most! For ADHD students or any student who struggles with studying. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theaveragelifeofateenager/messageSupport this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theaveragelifeofateenager/support…

On this episode, we reflect on the past year, using one word to sum it up — a great idea from one of the teens. Then, we set intentions for our next revolution around the sun together:) We are so grateful to have you as a listener and, as always, love hearing from you. Feel free to reach out and say hi or share your ideas for episodes at team@thist…

You ways, attitude to things, reactions to people determines how you grow.

Success is as a result of your personal growth at all times.