This Teenage Life

Birthdays can be a special time to celebrate the love and joy that comes with being alive. They can also be kind of...weird. Between planning parties, finding the perfect gift, navigating social media posts, being the center of attention, and a general expectation that it needs to be the best day ever, birthdays can often lead to stress or disappointment. In this episode, we hear from the teens about their experiences with memorable birthdays, party planning, gift-giving, and more. We hope this episode normalizes all the feelings, good and bad, that come with birthdays.

In times of stress, sadness, or loneliness, many of us turn to art to find solace and belonging. Whether it's a visual art practice, a musical experience, or a new hobby, creative pursuits can connect us to ourselves and others, supporting emotional wellbeing and mental health. In this episode, the teens share how they use art in their lives. Our friends from culture therapy also share their experiences. If you're interested in being part of art and creativity centered online workshops, fill out this form. Also, check out culture therapy's Substack, along with TTL's new Substack!

For several of us at TTL, games like Minecraft and Roblox offer expansive digital universes in which we can make our own worlds and find other people with shared interests. In this episode, we hear from TTL participants along with members of the ExperienceCraft community, who use Minecraft as way to connect in the face of grief. Check out ExperienceCraft and and Connected Camps if you're looking for awesome ways to connect with teens interested in digital worlds and gaming!

For many young people, it can be hard to avoid the gossip, drama, and rumors that pass through the halls at school. While engaging in these behaviors can sometimes bring excitement, drama often leads to misunderstandings, hurt, and feelings of isolation. In this episode the teens discuss their thoughts on gossip, stories about rumors they have dealt with, and how to avoid school drama.

It can be isolating and lonely to feel different from your peers, whether that's because of your identity, social and political beliefs, or simply the way you think about the world. Fortunately, there are so many others out there who don't fit within various social norms who ar ealso working to construct community. In this episode, TTL participants team up with hosts from the Future Perfect Project's podcast "I'm Feeling Queer Today" to explore what it means to be a "misfit," the strengths that come with being different, and how to find spaces where you belong. While this episode is a celebration of Pride Month and the beauty of self acceptance, this conversation is for anyone who feels like they bump up against the status quo. Thank you to Celeste, Emma, Lily, and Eric for joining us for this episode. Click the links below to learn more about their incredible work: https://www.thefutureperfectproject.org/podcast https://www.thetrevorproject.org

The media is filled with stories about the global teen loneliness crisis. Yet, we rarely hear from teens themselves. In this episode, sponsored by Learning Enterprise at Arizona State University, we hear from teens around the globe about their experiences of contemporary loneliness, and how they're navigating it. We hope this episode helps to destigmatize loneliness so people realize: while you might feel lonely sometimes, you are not alone in that feeling. To learn more about ASU and This Teenage Life's partnership, go to https://info.learning.asu.edu/this-teenage-life

High school seniors are about to graduate, and many will head to college. Starting college can come with a whole set of uknowns and distorted expectations of how the transition "should" go. In this episode, This Teenage Life contributor, Ummul, shares voice recordings of herself and her frieends from their freshman year. They share about their experiences navigating the transition to their new academic, residential, and social lives.

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 media. We hope this episode can inspire more conversations about teens and tech that are grounded in the experiences of teens themselves. For resources check out the Center for Digital Thriving resources page at: https://digitalthriving.gse.harvard.edu/resources/

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. To learn more about UNICEF's Innovation30 effort, supporting young climate innovators shaping the future, check out their website.

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 [email protected]

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 neurophysiology of stress and techniques they can use to self-regulate and be resilient in the face of stress flare ups. Thank you to Arizona State University's Learning Enterprise for sponsoring this episode! ASU Learning Enterprise's Foundational Learning Health Literacy Project is empowering learners to actively manage their health and well-being through comprehensive and engaging, open access content that decreases informational gaps. Check out this link to learn more.

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 Screens, their amazing book CDT's website and their resources on thinking traps. CDT's new app, which is great to do with family and friends to discuss tech use and values.

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.

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 pandemic, which you can read here: https://www.teenvogue.com/story/the-class-of-2024-didnt-know-high-school-without-covid

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 [email protected].

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.c

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 bullied. At TTL, we are all about destigmatizing speaking out and making sure people don't feel alone. Listen to our episode to hear our stories but in case you're experiencing bullying, here are some more resources: Thank You Next: Overcoming Bullying, a previous TTL episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Cybersmile Help Center Child Mind Institute Resources The Trevor Project

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 cyclical nature of time. 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 [email protected]. Also feel free to check out our own TTL Wrapped 2023. Happy New Year from the This Teenage Life team and talk to you in 2024!

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 share ways that better help them become the people they want to be.

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 like to share, email us at [email protected]

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 Time and Turtles, a gorgeous book about healing, time, and learning from other creatures. Thank you to Sy, Matt, and their turtle community! Check out Matt's beautiful drawings here!

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 strategies for more positive self talk. Teen Vogue on talking to your younger self CMI on how to change negative thinking patterns CMI on helping kids who are hard on themselves Thank you to Arizona State University's Learning Enterprise for sponsoring this episode! ASU Learning Enterprise's Foundational Learning Health Literacy Project is empowering learners to actively manage their health and well-being through comprehensive and engaging, open access content that decreases informational gaps. Check out this link to learn more. Shout out to Taina Coleman and Cara Macari from the Child Mind Insitute for their contributions to this episode!

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 strategies including totally shifting the way we teach and learn math. This Teenage Life is sponsored by the XQ Institute, the leading organization dedicated to rethinking the U.S. high school experience so that every student graduates ready to succeed in college, career, and life. If you're a student who wishes to drive change in your high school community, check out XQ's Youth Voice toolkit. It's full of resources to develop, advocate, and execute a plan to improve your high school. Go to YouthVoice.xqsuperschool.org to learn more. Follow XQ America on TikTok and on Instagram to share your experience as a student and change what learning looks like. Resources from the Episode: Check out Sarah Strong's book Dear Math: Why Kids Hate Math and What Teachers Can Do About It

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 used amongst his religious community. This episode was made via a conversation between teens and Chaim, but teen voices have been re-recorded with adult ones to preserve their anonymity. Many folks who work on TTL identify publically as LGBTQ+ and we've made previous episodes on the topic including Coming Out Story and Queerness. If you're looking for more resources, check out The Trevor Project's Resource Center. If you have any requests for episode topics or just want to say hi, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]. Below are some resources for

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 Institute, the leading organization dedicated to rethinking the U.S. high school experience so that every student graduates ready to succeed in college, career, and life. If you're a student who wishes to drive change in your high school community, check out XQ's Youth Voice toolkit. It's full of resources to develop, advocate, and execute a plan to improve your high school. Go to YouthVoice.xqsuperschool.org to learn more. Follow XQ America on TikTok and on Instagram to share your experience as a student and change what learning looks like.

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 reach out to connect with others to feel less alone and overwhelmed in the world. Here is the organization, the Yellow Tulip Project, described by its Outreach Director, Danielle Whyte, towards the end of this episode.

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 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." Many of them defied the opinions of their political leaders and communities, traveling thousands of miles to speak with teenagers on the opposite side of their national conflict. In this episode, teens from Seeds of Peace shared their experience doing what they think is right in order to hear from their neighbors and nominal enemies. Then teens from TTL share their own experiences of connecting with folks from another side in their daily lives.

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 with the inspiring Jordana Kier, co-founder of LOLA, a comapany that makes great mensturation products for people who get their periods. To hear our first episode on periods, check it out here on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

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 use to make the beginning more welcoming. This episode is sponsored by the XQ Institute. Check them out at xqsuperschool.org. If you're a student, or a teacher who may be listening to better understand your students, you can join the conversation at XQ America on social media.

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.

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 college students who works on the show, and her friends explore how to cultivate friendships in college.

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.

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.

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.spotify.com/episode/6olXgG65l92SQos4bNPD8y?si=511f0455470c4857

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 feels like for them and how they deal with it. We explore this topic with science journalist and Radiolab senior correspondent, Molly Webster. Molly just published a children's book that touches on this topic called Little Black Hole, which you can order here!

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 is sponsored by the XQ Institute. Check them out at xqsuperschool.org. If you're a student, or even a teacher who may be listening to better understand your students, you can join the conversation at XQ America on social media.

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 more. We discuss the ups and downs of how the internet helps us learn, provokes FOMO, and how it's also the only reason This Teenage Life can exist!

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 reframing of back-up options as opportunities. In this episode, teens from This Teenage Life talk about their experiences of the college application process, and contributors in college talk about their transition from high school to college. This episode is sponsored by the XQ institute. Check them out at xqsuperschool.org. If you're a student, or even a teacher who may be listening to better understand your students, you can join the conversation at XQ America on social.

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.

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 [email protected] FYI, we're starting a new dialogue group for everyone this summer. So if you're interested, just reach out:)

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 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.

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.