Talking To Teens: Expert Tips for Parenting Teenagers
Kids & Family
Click for full show notes, exercises, and parenting scripts from this episode
For parents, technology can be quite the headache. We want kids to stay connected to the world, but is their iphone distracting them from school? Is all the time spent on social media making them depressed or anxious? Should we be limiting their screen time, blocking websites or supervising them while they’re scrolling through Tik Tok? At this point, it’s tempting to just throw their phones in the trash and forbid them from going on the computer at all!
But if we try to set rules or even just tell them to put the phone down, they’re suddenly slamming the door in our faces or rolling their eyes. Even when we have the best intentions, trying to monitor teen’s tech use can turn into a cycle of nagging and arguing. If we’re going to escape all the bickering, we’ve got to convince teens to make the change for themselves, instead of trying to force them to budge.
Our guest this week is not only an expert on how screens are affecting budding minds, but also has some seriously smart tips for talking to teens about it all. Alex J. Packer spent 14 years as President and CEO of FCD Educational Services, the leading nonprofit providing drug education and substance abuse prevention services for schools across the world. His new book, Slaying Digital Dragons: Tips and Tools for Protecting Your Body, Brain, Psyche, and Thumbs from the Digital Dark Side, touches on a new kind of addiction–the compulsive use of screens in our society, particularly amongst young adults.
In our interview, we’re diving deep into the harmful effects of tech on teens, and getting into how to help kids cleanse themselves of toxic tech habits.
Click for full show notes, exercises, and parenting scripts from this episode
Ep 174: Key Traits For Resilient Teens
Ep 173: When to Hand Over Control
Ep 172: The Link Between Indulgence, Addiction, and Depression
Ep 171: Instilling Compassion for Principled Teens
Ep 169: How Early Could Your Teen Retire?
Ep 168: Having Race Conversations
Ep 167: What Self-Directed Learning Can Do for Teens
Ep 166: How to Harness the Voice in Your Head
Ep 165: Secrets to a Better Connection
Ep 164: How to Modify a Personality
Ep 163: Forget Hormones! What’s Going On Inside the Teen Brain?
Ep 162: Could You Handle an Emotional Teen?
Ep 161: Keys to Beating Low Energy (Without Sleeping More!)
Ep 160: Does Your Family Need a Code of Excellence?
Ep 159: Breaking Down Anxiety
Ep 158: The Knowledge Gap
Ep 157: "Hey! That's MINE!"
Ep 156: The Funny Thing About Depression…
Ep 155: Growing Apart in Middle School
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