Teaching teens in a tumultuous world
Recently I had the privilege of sitting and talking with a group of adolescents who weren’t my own children or my friends’ children. These were teens who I knew well enough to where they felt comfortable with me, but not so well that I was privy to their ongoing emotional patterns or personal stressors.
In other words, I had no preconceived notions of where the conversation would lead or indicators of what would be said.
The conversation started with an open-ended question that led to some vulnerable, authentic answers. As I sat there and really listened to the words that came from their mouths and observed the expressions on their faces, it quickly became apparent that kids are really struggling in today’s confusing, overstimulating, divisive world. They talked about anxiety and depression permeating their generation.
They were so intuitive and honest that I could have talked to them all night. Unlike many adults I know, kids and teens are beautifully philosophical, curious and open to hearing opinions. Folks who do not routinely hang out with younger generations may assume they are detached from reality and live in an online world controlled by algorithms and influencers. And while, yes, these are components of the modern zeitgeist all kids must navigate, they have the same wonder about the world and hopes for their futures as we all did when we were their ages.
As I drove home from this encounter, I thought about the conversation I had with that group and conversations I’ve had with my own children who are middle and high school ages. These kids don’t remember a world without smartphones and 24-hour news cycles. They survived a pandemic during their formative years, observed racial and civil unrest and they’ve grown up with “leaders” who are not good role models of leaders and many who are not even decent human beings.
None of the kids I spoke to that particular evening are of voting age yet, but they are close, and it made me realize young people are the ones who have the most to lose or gain from the political issues currently being debated. They are a generation fearful of school shootings. They are the generation who may have to repair Mother Earth, even though it was those who came before them who weakened her. They are the generation who will be impacted by policies related to reproductive rights, civil rights, the economy and immigration.
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Being young and full of dreams but watching adults everywhere complain or debate issues that will ultimately influence their very existence creates a heavy world for them to live in. I, for one, am an adult who is willing to learn from this and do what I can to ensure these incredible young people feel worthy and hopeful for the future. Listening and really hearing them is step number one. Step two is modeling behavior that comes from a place of love, community and intelligence, insead of fear and personal gain.
A couple of years ago, I read something that said, “Whatever you appreciate, you create more of.” It resonated so much with me that I wrote it out and posted it on the wall space above my desk. Every day I look at it and think, “What am I going to appreciate today?” “Where am I going to allow my attention to flow?” “For what and whom do I owe gratitude?”
As we continue through election season, think about the young people you care about and vote in a way that will protect them and help them be brave. Find the courage to have honest conversations with kids where you are not telling them what to think but you are teaching them how to think. Help them learn to listen to that inner knowing that comes from a source of integrity and dignity. Encourage them to get outside and relish the gifts nature has to offer. People who honor and enjoy earth’s bounty are much more likely to care for her. Help these young people understand the benefit of making choices that benefit human rights versus choices that benefit individual rights.
I talk with my children about following their True North, the internal compass that helps steer our journey through life. It offers a blueprint of who we are at the core and how to lean into the highest version of ourselves. It helps us stay grounded when it feels like everything is spinning out of control. Can you just imagine how different the world could be if we all just stopped forcing and controlling and truly followed our True North?
We have to offer our younger generations love and hope. A great way to do this is teaching them to question the loud voices on TV and on their phones, and instead, listen to that very wise voice that has always and will always be inside of them.
(Susanna Shetley is a writer, editor and digital media specialist. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
