Summer is fast approaching and many families are wondering the best use of the school break. Should teens have time to just relax and be free from responsibilities? Should they be working on academics that they found difficult during the school year? Should they be obtaining experiences to develop their resume? There are so many choices that it is hard
Read moreThe cultural perception of marijuana is that it is medicinal, natural, and not dangerous. Most consider it less addictive than many other illicit drugs and unlikely to create substantial impairment or behavior changes. These stereotypes likely have become more entrenched as many states legalize marijuana. While some of that is true, teen marijuana use has radically transformed in the decades
Read moreThe number of young adults in the United States who are living with a parent has increased significantly over the past couple of decades. In July 2022, half of adults ages 18 to 29 were living with one or both of their parents. While this was slightly lower than a recent peak in 2020 as a result of the pandemic,
Read moreOur nation faces a provider shortage in the mental health field at the exact same time that our nation’s youth are suffering from an epidemic of mental health illnesses. The CDC says that 80% of youth who need treatment have no access to a specialized mental health provider. Additionally, it takes years for people to qualify as mental health counselors,
Read moreA study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in March 2023 discovered that the mortality rate for children and teens in the United States surged in 2020 and 2021. Pediatric deaths increased nearly 11% in 2020 and more than 8% in 2021, which were the largest upticks in decades. The increased rate was primarily from fatal injuries
Read moreOver the last 10 years, the number of annual teen deaths from drug overdoses more than doubled. The increase is not coming from more teens using drugs, but rather from drug use becoming more dangerous. In 2021, fentanyl was involved in more than 77% of adolescent overdose deaths. In addition, the Office of National Drug Control Policy just declared an
Read moreNew research, published last month in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, demonstrates that potentially toxic chemicals found in everyday products are altering the hormonal and metabolic pathways needed for human growth and development in teens. What are “forever chemicals”? Researchers analyzed study samples from young children, teens and young adults, all of whom had a mixture of different synthetic compounds
Read moreAccording to the American Osteopathic Association, hearing loss in teens has risen by 30 percent since the 1990s, with 1 in 5 teens having some form of hearing loss. It’s important to know that the number one cause of hearing loss is noise, not age. Unfortunately, hearing loss due to excessive sound exposure is permanent, and there is no cure for
Read moreTeenagers and risk seem to go hand in hand. As teens walk the path of becoming independent adults, exploring their limits and abilities is part of developing their identities. Risk-taking is an important way for teenagers to learn about themselves. It peaks at around 15-16 years and tends to tail off by early adulthood. While it’s very stressful for parents,
Read moreTeens with self-advocacy skills are more likely to have higher self-esteem, a positive sense of identity, greater social connections, more leadership qualities and enhanced problem solving abilities. Self-advocacy is an individual’s ability to effectively communicate, negotiate or assert his or her own interests, desires, needs and rights. Self-advocacy can be used in many ways, for example a student with learning
Read moreMore than a million kids ages 5 to 14 are injured each year in sports and require a trip to the emergency room, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. Football has the highest incidence of injury, followed by basketball. Along with sports, the agency also reports significant injuries from things like playground equipment and skateboards. While high contact
Read moreRecently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the results of their Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a bi-annual survey that measures adolescent health and well-being. Collected in fall 2021, the survey responses from 17,232 U.S. high school students showed that most of the indicators for teen well-being worsened significantly from past years. The survey showed that experiences of
Read moreLast week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the results of their Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The survey, which has been conducted every other year for three decades, includes responses from 17,232 U.S. high school students and measures adolescent health and well-being. Collected in fall 2021, these survey responses represent the first data collected by CDC since
Read moreOne goal of raising children is to help them become increasingly responsible and independent as they age, and one of those developmental milestones on the path to independence is dating. Many parents and educators tend to shy away from talking about dating with youth. While we don’t think twice about discussing other independent living skills, such as budgeting or cooking,
Read moreFebruary is National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Unfortunately, almost a third of adolescents in the U.S. become victims of physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner. When teens hear “dating abuse,” they may think the term is limited to severe violence, such as rape or beatings. It’s up to the adults in their lives to let
Read moreTeenagers are not the easiest people to hold a conversation with. While it’s very normal and common for teens to separate from their parents, it can be frustrating and hurtful for parents when teens are distant or withdrawn. Parents often want to talk to their teens about school or their peers or possible trouble they need to avoid, but many
Read moreIn today’s current online environment, social media has encouraged vandalism through challenges, dares, or viral trends. For example, after the pandemic, the “Devious Licks” trend on TikTok portrayed students stealing or destroying items in school. The US Department of Justice defines vandalism as “willful or malicious destruction, injury, disfigurement, or defacement of any public or private property, real or personal,
Read moreAdolescence is both a time of critical brain development and high social media use. Adolescent brains are going through the most development and reorganization, second only to infancy, making them more susceptible to environmental influences. As a result, many doctors and parents wonder how social media will impact this generation. In today’s blog we examine the results from two recent
Read moreHigh control groups are organizations that entice unsuspecting individuals to commit to, and comply with, the group’s way of thinking, acting and believing. Cults are an extreme form of high control groups, but there are many other types, such as political groups, religious groups, gangs, multi-level-marketing (MLM), conspiracy theory communities, self-help groups, activist groups, and lifestyle groups. Some psychologists even
Read moreDealing with the emotions we feel inside is an important life skill that we all must develop. People who learn coping skills for managing their emotions have better relationships with others, report better well-being, and are more successful in their personal and professional lives. Parents often complain that their teens’ over-the-top reactions to the smallest issues are infuriating, but there’s
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