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# Understanding Teenagers

Helping Adults Relate To Teenagers

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## Posts

- [Teenage Anger: Why It Happens and How Parents Can Help](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenage-anger-why-it-happens-and-how-parents-can-help/) - Learn why teens get angry, what it means, and practical ways parents can help without making things worse. A guide to handling teenage anger and building connection.
- [Why Isn’t My Teen Taking Responsibility?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/why-isnt-my-teen-taking-responsibility/) - How fear-based parenting impacts your teenager’s sense of responsibility. Learn strategies to foster independence and trust in your parent-teen relationship.
- [Why Teens Push Back: and How to Get Them to Listen](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/why-teens-push-back-and-how-to-get-them-to-listen/) - Ever tried to get your teenager to do something simple—like unpack the dishwasher, turn down the music, or respond to a text with actual words? It can feel like trying to program a microwave using only interpretive dance. You’re waving your arms with purpose, absolutely certain you’ve made your point… but all you get is
- [Good Kids. Weak Moments. Parenting in the Digital World.](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/adolescence-parenting-digital-world/) - Netflix’s Adolescence hits hard. Here’s what it reveals about teens, tech, and how parents can respond—with clarity, calm, and connection
- [Should You Keep Your Teenager Off Social Media?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/should-you-keep-your-teenager-off-social-media/) - You knew this day was coming. Your teen has that look—the one that says, I’m about to make an unreasonable demand, and I expect you to cave. “Mum, Dad, I NEED Instagram. Literally everyone at school is on it. If I don’t have it, I won’t know what’s going on. I’ll have NO friends.” Right.
- [7 Tips For Helping Teens Start High School](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/7-tips-for-helping-teens-start-high-school/) - Practical ideas and conversation starters for parents to help their teenager start high school well - and to help parents deal with their baby growing up.
- [What Every Teenager Needs: Encouragement](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/what-every-teenager-needs-encouragement/) - Everyone knows positive messages are important, especially for young people. Clear, well timed messages of affirmation are vital for a young person's sense of self-worth and confidence. But some positive messages are not as effective as others. Being able to translate your positive feelings to your teenager in a manner that will make a lasting
- [How To Build Confidence in Teenagers](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/how-to-build-confidence-in-teenagers/) - Teenagers and confidence—two words that sometimes feel like they’re from entirely different planets. One moment, your teen is delivering a profound insight that makes you wonder if you’re raising the next great philosopher. The next, they’re tripping over their own feet while trying to leave the room. Confidence in teens is a delicate balancing act—just
- [The 7 Secrets of Motivating Teenagers](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/the-7-secrets-of-motivating-teenagers/) - There is a good reason that the stereotypical view of modern teenagers is they are lazy kids who just want to sleep in, play computer games, surf the net and hangout with their friends. The reason this view exists is that all around the world this is all parents see their teenagers doing.The image of
- [Parenting an Unmotivated Teenager](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/parenting-unmotivated-teenager/) - This article calls out some of the most common feelings and mindsets experienced by parents who are struggling with unmotivated teenagers have, and offers some practical ideas on how to take positive steps forward and deal constructively with your teenager's lack of motivation.
- [Helping Teenagers Manage Stress](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/helping-teenagers-manage-stress/) - Dealing with a stressed Teenager? Here's a simple guide help you understand when your teen is stressed and how to help them.
- [Parenting Tweens: The Ultimate Guide](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/parenting-tweens-the-ultimate-guide/) - Parent your tween with confidence! Discover insights, practical strategies, and tips for fostering independence, communication, and resilience in your tween.
- [Top 10 Tips for Getting Teenagers to Talk](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/top-10-tips-for-getting-teenagers-to-talk/) - As parents, getting teenagers to talk can often feel like trying to master a long-forgotten art form. One moment they’re sharing every detail of their day, and the next, they’re locked in their rooms, headphones on, completely unapproachable. Getting a teenager to talk is like trying to untangle a power chord – frustrating, time-consuming, and
- [15 Simple Things You Can Do To Improve Your Relationship With Your Teenager](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/15-simple-things-can-improve-relationship-teenager/) - 15 simple things parents can do to maintain a healthy relationship with their teenager.
- [Dealing With Entitled Teenagers -The Ultimate Guide](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/dealing-with-entitled-teenagers-the-ultimate-guide/) - A guide to understanding and dealing with entitled teenagers. Discover why teenagers are entitled, the signs you have an entitled teen, and what to do about it?
- [8 Ways To Deal With Entitled Teenagers](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/8-ways-to-deal-with-entitled-teenagers/) - In the previous post, we looked at what is meant by Entitled Teenagers and some context as to why the phenomenon has increased in recent years. If you haven’t already it would be helpful to go back a read that post first. This post will provide a more detailed understanding of how entitlement develops and what parents can
- [Entitled Teenagers: What Is Going On?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/entitled-teenagers-what-is-going-on/) - Penny is the mother of 2 teenage boys. She and her husband Jeremy have spent the last 16 years doing all they could to give their kids the best possible upbringing. They made a commitment when they had kids that they would avoid making the same mistakes their parents did raising them. They were going
- [Accepting the Teenager You Have](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/accepting-the-teenager-you-have/) - Accepting the Teenager You Have: Embrace quirks, blunders, and love them unconditionally. It's a wild ride of growth, weird haircuts, and trust the process!
- [The Importance of Parent Self-Care: Raising Teens with Sanity Intact](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/parent-self-care/) - If you are raising teenagers the practice of parent self-care is vital. Explore why self-care is not just important but essential for you and your teenager.
- [Building Trust with Teenagers: A How-To Guide for Parents](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/building-trust-with-teenagers/) - A short guide for parents who want to know more about building trust with teenagers. Learn the basic steps to creating a high-trust home environment
- [Fixing Teenage Thinking Errors](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/fixing-teenage-thinking-errors/) - Do you have a teenager who is never at fault, or refuses to take responsibility for her actions always, blaming someone else? Or maybe your teen gets angry and storms off at the drop of hat, acting like he is a helpless victim? Is your teenager one of those kids who is constantly anxious or
- [Generation Z: Multitasking Teens](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/generation-z-multitasking-teens/) - A recent survey of Australian teenagers has found that the current and future generations will have multi-tasking hardwired into how they operate. It also appears that although teens use technology more, the average population is not that far behind. Reason to consider carefully just what is the nature of technology fueled generation gap. The survey
- [Mean Girls: Why Teenage Girls Can Be So Cruel](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/mean-girls-why-teenage-girls-can-be-so-cruel/) - Jo is a fifteen-year-old girl. She is average at her high school work and she is involved in school tennis in summer and netball in winter. In the past, she was well accepted, having a close group of friends and getting along well with most of her peers. After a day off with illness,
- [Does Your Teen Have an Eating Disorder? (ii)](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/does-your-teen-have-an-eating-disorder-ii/) - In my last post I outlined what eating disorders are and how prevalent they are within western countries, particularly Australia. The onset of eating disorders occurs most of the time during adolescence. For this reason it is worth taking some time to identify what the possible causes and symptoms of eating disorders could be. It
- [Does Your Teen Have an Eating Disorder? (i)](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/does-your-teen-have-an-eating-disorder-i/) - When I was a youth worker some of the most common issues I encountered when working with female teenagers were eating disorders. Eating disorders were also some of the least understood issues by parents and other concerned adults. If you are from the majority of the population who have little or no understanding of eating
- [Teenagers & Peers](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenagers-peers/) - The saying goes you that you can choose your friends but you can't choose your family. When it comes to teenagers this saying takes on a whole other level of significance. When talking about teenagers it doesn't long before the subject of friends and peer groups comes up, sometimes in a good way, other times
- [5 Ways Parents Can Reduce Teenage Smoking](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/5-ways-parents-can-reduce-teenage-smoking/) - According to the Cancer Council (Australia) 43,000 kids take up smoking in Australia every year. Approximately 15,000 Australians die from smoking related causes every year - more than from alcohol and illicit drugs combined. More than 80% of adults smokers started smoking before the age of 18. None of this is probably very surprising, but
- [10 Ways to Develop Resilience in Teenagers](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/10-ways-to-develop-resilience-in-teenagers/) - Why is it that some people can handle even the most difficult of circumstances in life without missing a beat, while others seem to crumble at the slightest disappointment or obstacle? The answer is resilience. Resilience is the ability to successfully manage life and adapt to change and stressful events in healthy and constructive ways.
- [Parent & Teen Conflict: Choosing How to Respond](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/parent-teen-conflict-choosing-how-to-respond/) - One of a teenager’s primary functions in life is to help parents and carers discover limits of their patience, or more particularly what happens when those limits are reached. Adults who once regarded themselves as calm, level headed, easy going people find cause to consider anger management classes or a sedative prescription from their local
- [When is a Teenager Depressed?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teendepression1/) - “I’m really worried about him. He seems to be acting strange and is always angry. I think he might be depressed!” Comments like this are not uncommon from parents of teenagers. Given the emotional roller coaster that is adolescence, knowing how to distinguish between normal teenage angst and genuine clinical depression can be very confusing.
- [Teenagers & Bullying](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenagers-bullying/) - The research suggests it is more common than many people think. But could you tell if a teenager in your life was being bullied? Bullying involves a power imbalance and deliberate acts that cause physical, psychological and emotional harm. It can involve physically aggressive behaviour, verbal or relational forms of aggression like name-calling or social
- [Australian Teenagers & Sex](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/australian-teenagers-sex/) - After my recent post about attitudes towards sex and contraception of teenagers in the US someone asked if there was any similar Australian research. Well there is in fact, and it was quite remiss of me to not refer to it before now. La Trobe University carries out a survey of year 10 and year
- [What Most Concerns Teenagers](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/what-most-concerns-teenagers/) - Besides the important issues of Facebook updates, applying Proactive solution, and not running out of mobile phone credit, what is it that really concerns teenagers these days? What would you say concerns the teens in your life? Would you guess global warming, getting a job, cyber-bullying? What about poverty or terrorism? This week Mission Australia
- [Teenage Mistakes in a Digital World: Is There Redemption?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenage-mistakes-in-a-digital-world-is-there-redemption/) - Take a second to think back to your own teenage years. I know it's not always pleasant, so allow me to make it slightly more uncomfortable. Think back not just to your teenage years, but try to recall the most embarrassing moments, the silliest decisions, the reputation damaging mistakes, the painful errors of judgment or
- [15 Tips & Resources for Mentors of Youth](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/15-tips-resources-for-mentors-of-youth/) - In my previous post I referred to part of a study by the Search Institute that collated the top 10 things teenagers want from adults in order to build meaningful relationships. The post raised the importance of teens developing strong relationships with adults who aren’t their parents, like neighbours, teachers, coaches, or youth group
- [The Teenage Brain - More Happening Than You Know](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/the-teenage-brain-more-happening-than-you-know/) - How often has a teenagers behaviour absolutely confounded you? Why is it that apparently smart, intelligent, and level headed young people seem to make some of the dumbest and most questionable decisions? Have you always thought a teenager's overly emotional response was due to raging hormones? The answers to many of those questions could be
- [5 Mistakes Adults Make Communicating With Teenagers](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/5-mistakes-adults-make-communicating-with-teenagers/) - By far the most common issue that comes up when discussing teenagers with adults is that of communication. Be it with regards to maintaining good relationships, effective discipline, or setting boundaries, the practice and skills of good communication are always involved. There are lots of ways that communication skills can be improved. An obvious method
- [Keys to Understanding Teenage Anger](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/keys-to-understanding-teenage-anger/) - Angry disaffected youth. It is an image or stereotype that has become so commonly associated with teenagers that it has become unhelpful. While not wanting to perpetuate unhelpful and inaccurate perceptions of adolescence, anger is a genuine experience of being a teenager. Many people associate anger as something to be avoided or feared. Extreme expressions
- [5 Reasons Teenagers Need Parents](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/5reasonsteensparents/) - It sounds like a question that shouldn’t be asked. One feels kind of guilty for even formulating the question. But time and time again I get the impression that in various ways people do ask the question. Never explicitly, but in subtle ways the question is asked – do teenagers really need their parents?
- [Teenage Girls Embracing Unrealistic Body Images](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenage-girls-embracing-unrealistic-body-images/) - Teenage girls can be prone to bouts of obsession over their own appearance. Obvious statement done for the day! Over the weekend a couple of pieces of research came across my screen that seemed to add another dimension to the typical teenage concern with body image. When considered in isolation they seem odd. When
- [Teenagers Don't Sleep Enough!](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenagers-dont-sleep-enough/) - Just about every one who has ever parented a teenager has made a complaint along the following lines: They never go to bed at a reasonable time They operate in slow motion in the mornings They waste the whole weekend sleeping The sleeping habit’s of teenagers form a part of the common adolescent stereotype along
- [Teen Peer Pressure: It's Not Always Bad](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teen-peer-pressure-its-not-always-bad/) - You don’t have to spend much time around teens to be aware of the power of peer pressure. From fanatical fashionistas to drug dealing deviates, the teenage peer group has an infamous reputation as the primary corrupting force responsible for transforming darling children everywhere into high-maintenance juvenile delinquents. Never mind how ridiculous the idea, if
- [Distracted Teenage Drivers](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/distracted-teenage-drivers/) - Do you live or work with a teenager who is a licensed driver? Ever wondered how focused, or not focused, they are when they are driving? Well here is some disturbing news. In a recent survey of over 2000 teenager drivers between the ages of 16- 19 nearly 9 out of 10 admitted to driving
- [Keeping Generation Z Safe Online](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/keeping-generation-z-safe-online/) - If you were to install a pool in your backyard you would of course install a fence around the pool, especially if you had young children. While the fence is a necessary safety requirement of owning a pool it is not the best way to protect your child from drowning. They won’t only encounter swimming
- [The Impacts of Divorce on Teenagers](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/the-impacts-of-divorce-on-teenagers/) - Divorce is painful. It is painful for parents, for kids, and for close friends and family. We all respond to pain differently depending on who we are and our stage of life. Teenagers are not immune from the effects of divorce. Every teenager and every family is unique. So too the reasons and dynamics of
- [The Do's & Don'ts of Helping Teens During Divorce](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/the-dos-donts-of-helping-teens-during-divorce/) - No one sets out in life to get divorced. But it happens, and it continues to happen, and it continues to affect not only the adults but also children. In the previous post we explored the impacts the divorce of parents has upon teenage kids. In this post we will look at some of the
- [Teenage Alcohol Abuse](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenage-alcohol-abuse/) - Males in their late teens and early 20's have been found to be most at risk of abusing alcohol. The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) recently released a report containing some stark numbers about level’s of alcohol dependence in Australia. Amongst the headline findings of the report was the revelation that alcohol abuse
- [Teenage Spirituality: Does It Matter?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenage-spirituality-does-it-matter/) - What do today’s teenagers think about the big questions of life? In a consumer society like ours, is there a danger teens consider life to be about the acquisition of stuff? Are they too busy rushing from one experience to the next chasing achievement or thrills? Or are they seeking some meaning beyond the material
- [How Can You Tell If Your Teenager Is Suicidal?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/how-can-you-tell-if-your-teenager-is-suicidal/) - The death of the 16-year-old son of a prominent British baronet has again focused attention on the tragic cost of youth suicides. The international press reported last week that Alexander Codrington, the eldest son of Sir Christopher Codrington, apparently shot himself while on the telephone to police after reportedly being upset about a break-up with
- [The 3 Deadly Sins Comitted by Parents of Teenagers](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/the-3-deadly-sins-comitted-by-parents-of-teenagers/) - Being a parent is not easy. It is a huge responsibility that requires significant skill and wisdom, and kids come with no training or resources provided. Then when you finally get it worked out for children they go and hit puberty and turn into adolescents. Lately I have been doing some research into best practices
- [Parents & Teenagers: 5 Must Have Conversations](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/parents-teenagers-must-have-conversations/) - Communicating with teenagers is not always easy. In fact sometimes it can feel impossible. When confronted with overwhelming levels of grunts, rolled eyes, and expressions that say “Why are you destroying my life by continuing to exist” adults can feel it is all just too hard. While communication can be challenging, it is important, and
- [Parents & Teenagers: 5 Must Have Conversations (ii)](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/parents-teenagers-5-must-have-conversations-ii/) - This is the second part of two-part post on conversations parents absolutely must have with their teenagers, preferably before the teen years. I want to acknowledge before continuing that talking about these topics will happen more effectively as a series of short conversations over time rather than one long conversation. These short conversations are most
- [8 Reasons Why Teens Are Increasingly Addicted to Online Gaming](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/8-reasons-why-teens-are-increasingly-addicted-to-online-gaming/) - Online gaming. Those words alone are enough to make some parents cringe in agony. The concept of versing opponents via the Internet isn’t as new of a concept as most think. As early as the mid 1990’s, Nintendo were experimenting with online gaming with their Super Nintendo console (mostly in Japan, where a hardware add-on
- [Parenting Teenagers During Coronavirus Quarantine](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/parenting-teenagers-during-coronavirus-quarantine/) - Strategies for parenting teenagers and looking after yourself during Coronavirus lock downs.
- [Helping Teenagers Maintain Important Relationships During Social Distancing ](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/helping-teenagers-maintain-important-relationships-during-social-distancing/) - Physical distancing requirements during the Covid-19 pandemic mean that a lot is being asked of your teens at the moment. We’re now in a climate where every single person has a social responsibility to look after the health of the community. Our teenagers are seeing, for the first time in their lives, how interconnected our
- [Acceptance: How to Improve Teenage Behaviour](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/acceptance-improve-teenage-behaviour/) - So many parents I hear from are desperate to change teenage behaviour. They have tried everything they can think of and their teenager's behaviour seems to only get worse not better. One of the things lots of these situations have in common is that parents are trying to effect change in their teenager’s behaviour, but
- [Teenagers & Technology: The Secret to Parenting Digital Natives](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenagers-technology-secret-parenting-digital-teens/) - “I have no idea what to do” “It is not what I grew up with” “I don’t understand it.” “I have no idea what they are doing and it scares me!” “It is a part of their life in a way I will never be able to appreciate or comprehend!” These comments, and many more
- [3 Ways to Kill Communication With Your Teenager: Part 3](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/3-ways-to-kill-communication-with-your-teenager-part-3/) - In this short series on how to kill communication with teenagers, we have looked at how parents sabotage their own efforts to establish and maintain open and healthy communication patterns with their teenagers- sometimes without even knowing they're doing it. You can read previous posts here and here. So far we discussed how ‘invalidating’ a
- [3 Ways to Kill Communication With Your Teenager: Part 2](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/3-ways-to-kill-communication-with-your-teenager-part-2/) - In the previous post, we began a short 3 part series on how parents often make the task of communicating with their teenager much harder than it needs to be. No one does this knowingly or on purpose (at least I hope not), but still, it happens, and it happens quite a lot. If you
- [3 Ways To Kill Communication With Your Teenager: Part 1](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/3-ways-to-kill-communication-with-your-teenager-part-1/) - It is the lament of many parents with teenage children, “They don’t talk to me. I don’t know what is going on.” Teenagers drive their parents to despair as the steady stream of information about what has happening in their life slows to a discouraging trickle of grunts and whatever’s. There are of course several
- [In Control or Controlling: How Do You Relate To Teens?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/in-control-or-controlling-how-do-you-relate-to-teens/) - Everywhere I look on the internet there are articles and courses available to enable parents to control their teenager. There is a lot less material around about being ‘in control’ as a parent. If the distinction is lost on you then please read on. I find it curious that courses and books about relationships, in
- [Controlling Teens: Does It Work?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/controlling-teens-does-it-work/) - In the previous post I suggested that being in control of our selves as adults is better starting point for building healthy relationships with our teenagers. In this post I want to briefly outline why the issue of control is a vexed one where teenagers are concerned. One of the most significant tasks of adolescence
- [Organisation and the Teenage Brain](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/organisation-and-the-teenage-brain/) - Always packing the wrong books for school or leaving lunch behind? Assignments always been done the night before despite getting set 6 weeks in advance? Never seem to know where anything is or where it was last used? If this sounds like your teenager, then don’t despair. It is very normal teenage behavior. And the
- [Teenage Anger Management: Help for Parents](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenage-anger-management-help-for-parents/) - Anger is a natural and inevitable part of life, teenage anger even more so. For parents living with teenagers who are constantly having verbal meltdowns or exploding into violent fits of rage, life can feel like a never ending battle. The constant anxiety and walking on eggshells awaiting the next outburst, then picking up the
- [Confusing Teenager's Character With Their Development](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/confusing-teenagers-character-with-their-development/) - Part of the complexity of living and working with adolescents is learning to distinguish the nature of the changes occurring in your teenager’s life. Are the developments in behaviour or temperament a temporary phase or are they permanent fixtures of an emerging adult identity? One of the reasons it is important to distinguish what is
- [8 Ways Parents Can Reduce Teenage Lying](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/8-ways-parents-can-reduce-teenage-lying/) - Does your teenager lie to you? Research conducted by Dr Nancy Darling of Penn State University found that over 96% of teenagers tell lies. Of 36 potential topics presented in the study, the average teen lies to their parents about 12 of them. Teens lie to their parents about drinking alcohol, drug use, what music
- [Most Common Reasons Teenagers Tell Lies](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/most-common-reasons-teenagers-tell-lies/) - No one likes being lied to. But when it is a loved one who lies to us it always worst. From frustration to rejection, confusion to curiosity, the sense that your teenager is lying to you can evoke a whole range of responses. Recently I have had a number of conversations about teenagers and lying,
- [Getting Teenagers To Cooperate Without Nagging](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/getting-teenagers-to-cooperate-without-nagging/) - Lots of parents with teenagers find themselves in a bind. On the one hand they want, or need their teenager to contribute around the house and learn responsibility. On the other hand, they don’t want to have to nag or constantly argue with their teenager. Lots of parents think you can’t have one without the
- [Peer Groups & Teenage Independence](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/peer-groups-teenage-independence/) - You wouldn’t have to be the parent of a teenager for long before you encountered statements from your teenager like “Johnny is allowed to stay up and watch (insert desired TV show/movie,)” or “Jenny’s parents said she doesn’t have to be home until…(insert desired time,)” or “Why can’t I stay home, I’m old enough to
- [Teaching Generation Z - Embracing Digital Learning](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teaching-generation-z-embracing-digital-learning/) - Recently I have been working on courses to help teachers connect more effectively with today's teenagers. In the process I have gone down numerous tangents, with varying degrees of relevance. One of the most relevant tangents is how technology is shaping the way teenagers think and relate. This is not a new field of enquiry
- [Digital Boundaries For Generation Z](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/digital-boundaries-for-generation-z/) - I have written previously on this blog about the issues of teenagers getting enough sleep. So it will come as no surprise to those who are regular readers of this blog that the following research about Generation Z and sleep caught my attention recently. Lisa Matricciani, a researcher from the University of South Australia, has
- [Teens, Technology, & Defensive Parenting](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teens-technology-defensive-parenting/) - Earlier this week I read some interesting research about parents who have iPhones (I posted the article on Understanding Teenagers Facebook page) and it got me thinking about the way technology is shaping the practice of parenting. There has been a lot written about how technology is shaping this generation of teenagers, but mostly this
- [The Teenage Brain & Peer Pressure](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/the-teenage-brain-peer-pressure/) - Peer pressure is one of those things often associated with adolescence. When you think of common issues encountered by all teenagers peer pressure comes up right alongside the usual suspects acne, hormones, first love, and pop music. Peer pressure is often used as the reason or excuse for why ‘good’ kids do stupid things. We’ve
- [When Teenagers Don't Count](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/when-teenagers-dont-count/) - My lounge room and the streets of London are literally a world apart. But this week 2 events that were a world apart reminded me about the basics of living and working of with teenagers. On Tuesday night I sat down and completed the national census form so that I could be counted amongst the
- [15 Ways to Help Teenagers Feel Like They Matter.](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/15-ways-to-help-teeangers-feel-like-they-matter/) - In the previous post I discussed how important it is for teenagers to feel like they count and what might happen when they don’t. Central to the adolescent journey is the daunting task of discovering and owning an adult identity. Our identity is made up of many facets. Some of the most significant are; knowing
- [You Can't Make Me! Dealing With a Defiant Teenager](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/you-cant-make-me/) - There can’t be very many. Maybe there are a special few here and there, but they are few and far between. What is this rare specimen I speak of? The parent who hasn’t had a teenager say to them at some point “YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!” The majority of parents who will hear this at
- [Should I Stalk My Teen on Facebook?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/should-i-stalk-my-teen-on-facebook/) - It’s one of the questions that will define this generation of parents - "Should I friend my teen on Facebook?" This is a defining question as it encapsulates the most significant shift in parenting for a couple of generations. The difference between parenting kids in the in the age of digital and mobile technologies compared
- [The 10 Commandments for Parenting Broken Hearted Teenagers](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/the-10-commandments-for-parenting-broken-hearted-teenagers/) - Most of us can remember when it happened to us! The internal anguish that we thought would never end. There was no comfort, no solace, and no hope! No matter what anyone else said you could not be consoled. This person, the one who had just broken your heart, was the only one you had
- [The Teenage Frenemy](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/the-teenage-frenemy/) - Teenage friendships are never boring. There is rarely dull moment. It seems drama, or melodrama, is never far away. Amongst all the ups and downs have you noticed that your teenager seems to mention one or two people more than most when discussing the latest relational disturbance? Is there always one name that seems to
- [5 Parenting Trends Undermining Teenage Resilience](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/5-parenting-trends-undermining-teenage-resilience/) - Recently I have been doing a fair bit of reading about teenage self-esteem and resilience for a book I am writing. Working through the material I have been struck by how many modern parenting practices are so focused on the well being of kids but are actually in danger of doing more harm than good.
- [5 Questions To Help Teens Interpret Culture](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/5-questions-to-help-teens-interpret-culture/) - Try and imagine a future where the morality and social awareness the world’s inhabitants is shaped entirely by tabloid current affairs programs, viral YouTube videos, and MTV. Hopefully it won’t be the entire population, but there are an increasing number for whom such a reality is becoming increasingly probable. A 2010 survey found that children
- [What Every Parent Needs to Know About Setting Boundaries For Teenagers](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/what-every-parent-needs-to-know-about-setting-boundaries-for-teenagers/) - Some topics are good to know about, others are essential. Establishing and maintaining clear and appropriate boundaries for and with our teenagers fits in the latter category. Whether the issue is communication, discipline, safety, conflict, or developing independence, boundaries is part of the answer. With this in mind I thought it would be good to
- [Teaching Teens Money Management](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teaching-teens-money-management/) - Do you feel sometimes like you are a cash machine for your teenager? Do you only to get a civil conversation and smile out of them when they need money for something? Helping your teenager learn the value of money and how to manage their own money is an important task for those parenting teenagers
- [Sex, Texts, & Automobiles](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/sex-texts-automobiles/) - Does your teen own a smartphone? If they do, have you had a serious discussion with them about how to use it in a safe and sensible manner? Smartphones, and other such mobile devices, are reshaping the way we live. They are but a taste of what the digital future will look like. So pervasive
- [Squabbling Siblings - Reducing Teenage Conflict](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/squabbling-siblings-reducing-teenage-conflict/) - Even though teenage sibling bickering and arguing is inevitable, it doesn't mean parents are powerless to do anything to reduce it. Parents exert a significant influence on the relationship between two youths and the amount of fighting between them. This is good news for those of you who want more peace, less arguments and generally
- [How Teenagers Feel About Learning](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/how-teenagers-feel-about-learning/) - How is your teenager going at school? Do they look forward to going to school and enjoy the challenge of academic learning? Or are they a less than enthusiastic student? With a new school year starting in northern hemisphere, and southern hemisphere kids heading back for the second half of their academic year it seems
- [Teaching Teens Emotional Intelligence](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teaching-teens-emotional-intelligence/) - Helping teenagers succeed at school is about a lot more than just learning the 3 R's and having access to the internet. As discussed in the last post a teen's capacity to learn can be severely impacted by their emotional state. When teens feel anxious, angry, or upset they will absorb far less than when
- [Teenage Sexting: What Can Parents Do?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenage-sexting-what-parents-can-do/) - What do you say if your teen comes to you distressed having received an unwanted image of someone else’s naked body? What do you do if you find explicit sexual images on your teenager’s phone? Even more importantly, what do you say to your teen or tween when they get their first phone about the
- [Why Parents Shouldn’t Praise Teenagers](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/why-parents-shouldnt-praise-teenagers/) - As parents, we all want our kids to grow up with a positive sense of who they are and what they can achieve. We hope our kids will grow up with the self-belief to chase their dreams, change the world, find happiness, and live their life to the full. In order for young people to
- [The Dad Factor: Why Teenagers Need Dads](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/the-dad-factor-why-teenagers-need-dads/) - This weekend was Father's Day here in Australia. While the focus of Father's Day is to honour and say thanks to dads for all they do, it got me thinking about exactly what it is we, as dads, do for our kids. More particularly, I am reminded about how important dads are for teenagers and
- [When Parents Can't Trust Teenagers](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/when-parents-cant-trust-teenagers/) - How should you respond if your teenager’s behvaiour means you are unable to trust them anymore? This is a problem faced by most parents of teenagers at some point during their child’s adolescence. In the previous post, I discussed how important it is for parents to maintain their teenager's trust. But trust is a two
- [I Think My Teenager is Using Drugs](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/i-think-my-teenager-is-using-drugs/) - If you are the parent of a teenager the thought that your child is using drugs will provoke a whole range of emotions: anger, fear, disappointment, and helplessness to name a few. The problem is, amidst the emotional tumult generated by the possibility of living with a drug addict, you have to determine if your
- [Rude Teenagers & Their Attitude; What Can Parents Do?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/rude-teenagers-can-parents/) - The sarcasm, the cutting remark, the dismissive tone, the eye roll, the not to subtle put down, or just outright rudeness; all are common experiences for parents of teenagers. Rudeness and “attitude” seem to be synonymous with teenagers. Dealing with a disrespectful attitude and constant rudeness is one of the most common issues I encounter
- [10 Reasons Teenagers Love Snapchat & What Parents Need to Know](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/10-reasons-teenagers-love-snapchat-parents-need-know/) - A comprehensive Snapchat guide for parents that outlines how Snapchat works, why teenagers love it, and what parents need to know about it.
- [Teaching Teens Financial Literacy](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teaching-teens-financial-literacy/) - Teenagers are costly creatures. On top of their schooling fees, they’re consistently signing up to another expensive extracurricular activity, impressively eating enough for four, requiring new clothes every other day…. It’s always yet another expense that will see you open your wallet again, and again, and again. Be it tuckshop orders or public transport tickets,
- [Is Technology Isolating Your Teenager?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/is-technology-isolating-your-teenager/) - Does your lounge room look like the picture at the top of this post? Have you ever found yourself looking at your family who are all in one room yet every set of eyes is focused on different screen and immersed in an activity of conversation that does not involve any one else in the
- [When To Give Your Teenager More Freedom](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/give-teenager-freedom/) - How much freedom should I give my teenager? How do I balance between my teenager's need for independence with ensuring their safety and well-being? How much is too much when it comes to giving teens responsibility? What is the right age to let my teenager ...insert what ever activity it is that stresses you...? These
- [Teenagers & Exams: How to Help Stressed Teens?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenagers-exams-how-to-help-stressed-teens/) - End of school exams can be a stressful time for teenagers, their parents, and those who teach them. With Australian High School students beginning their final exams this week I thought it would be worth taking some time to explore the issue of exam related stress in teenagers There is no shortage of articles and
- [Help Your Teen Organise Their Bedroom](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/help-teen-organise-bedroom/) - All parents are well familiar with the fact cleaning and maintaining their rooms in order are not among teenagers' priorities. At this age, kids are more interested in discussing the latest celebrity gossips with their friends, listening to their favourite Taylor Swift album or browsing through their Facebook news feed. The results are the stuff
- [Why Your Teenager Hates You?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/why-your-teenager-hates-you/) - It is like a slow motion scene in a movie. Everything seems to happen so slowly yet there is nothing you can do to prevent what is about to happen. A scornful stare. A shake of the head. Shoulders up as she inhales deeply preparing for the big moment. Then the words, uttered with a
- [Eating Disorder Websites: What Are Your Teens Reading?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/eating-disorder-websites-what-are-your-teens-reading/) - We all know the Internet is a fantastic way of finding other people who have interests and passions just like you. No matter how obscure or niche your passion you no longer need to feel alone. A quick search of your favourite hobby or pastime and you will more than likely find other enthusiasts who
- [Walkmans & iPods - The Tale of 2 Generations](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/walkmans-ipods-the-tale-of-2-generations/) - In recent breaking news Sony has ceased the manufacture and distribution of the cassette Walkman (For some of us the bigger news flash is that they have still been making them). The final batch are now on sale in Japan and after that you will no longer be able to purchase Walkmans from the manufacturer.
- [Letting Teenagers Fail - Why It Matters](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/letting-teenagers-fail-why-it-matters/) - The saying goes “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” This is not traditional parenting advice, nor is it perfect parenting advice, but it wouldn’t hurt this generation of teenagers if it got a bit more of an airing. Parenting teenagers with the goal of keeping them happy or preventing them from enduring any form
- [Does Your Teen Trust You?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/does-your-teen-trust-you/) - How many of us would walk into a shop to purchase something without making sure we had a means to pay for it? When you go to buy something you make sure you have the means of providing payment, cash, credit card or some form of credit account with the store in question. Money is
- [Majority of Teenagers Still Bullying](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/majority-of-teenagers-still-bullying/) - The high profile school yard crime of the new millennium is bullying. Bullying seems like it is in the headlines on a weekly basis. It appears every teacher and student in our schools to be conscripted into courses instructing them on the dangers and signs of bullying. Schools are producing anti-bullying discipline policies quicker than
- [Managing Teenage Screen Time](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/managing-teenage-screen-time/) - It would have to be the biggest parenting challenge of the early 21st century, "How much screen time should I give my kids?" Parents who weren’t raised in an online world are trying to work out what it means to parent teens who are growing up in digitally saturated world. Rarely a week goes by,
- [13 Ways to Get Teenagers Talking](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/13-ways-to-get-teenagers-talking/) - Grunts, rolled eyes, one word answers, and silence. These are some of the most common parental experiences of teenage communication. Just when it feels like kids are getting to the age you can have more interesting and meaningful conversations with them, they suddenly stop all meaningful verbal communication. If can be frustrating and concerning having
- [How Texting Can Save Teenagers](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/how-texting-can-save-teenagers/) - Found this great TED talk from earlier this year. It provides a whole new way of thinking about the value of texting. Take 5 minutes to watch it. Inspiring, challenging and opens up a whole heap of possible conversations.
- [Sexting Teens: Decriminalising Young People’s Sexual Practices](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/sexting-teens-decriminalising-young-peoples-sexual-practices/) - Cases of teenagers “sexting” each other have recently provoked panicked responses by media, parents, educators and policy makers in Australia. Now a Victorian parliamentary inquiry into the practice has been told it’s better to use discretionary powers to deal with sexting cases rather than new laws. “Sexting” can mean the creating, sharing, sending or posting
- [Arguing With Parents Helps Teens Handle Peer Pressure](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/arguing-with-parents-helps-teens-handle-peer-pressure/) - Having a teenager with the debating skills of a courtroom lawyer may be a blessing in disguise. According to the findings of a study conducted by researchers at the University of Virginia and published in a recent issue of the journal Child Development, teenagers who are able to hold their own during family discussions are
- [Teens: The Fastest Growing Smartphone Market](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teens-the-fastest-growing-smartphone-market/) - According to the study, young adults between the ages of 25 and 34 make up 74 percent of the smartphone market. Yet, through interviews of some 20,000 mobile users in July, the group found that teenagers between 13 and 17 are becoming smartphone owners at a much quicker rate than young adults. Based on Nielsen’s
- [Tips for Parents:  Facts About Teens and Marijuana](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/tips-for-parents-facts-about-teens-and-marijuana/) - What information should all parents have about the serious risks of all drug use in the early teen years? And what can parents do in the face of the trend towards increased use of pot among teens? This article has some helpful insights and links to current research on the impact of marijuana use in
- [Teen Drinking Habits Linked to Parental Supply](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teen-drinking-habits-linked-to-parental-supply/) - Teenagers whose parents buy them alcohol to drink at supervised parties are four times more likely to develop "risky" drinking habits, research shows. Researchers have found that giving teens alcohol to drink unsupervised, or under the watch of another adult, carries the same risk. They also found parents were misguided in thinking that giving children
- [Cutting back on sleep for school work is counterproductive](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/cutting-back-on-sleep-for-school-work-is-counterproductive/) - The old aphorism that "you snooze, you lose" doesn't apply to students who stay up late to cram for a test or finish a class project. New research shows that sacrificing sleep for school work is a bad trade. Researchers from UCLA's Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior enlisted students from
- [Research: Time with parents is important for teens' well-being](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/research-time-with-parents-is-important-for-teens-well-being/) - Teenagers are famous for seeking independence from their parents, but research shows that many teens continue to spend time with their parents and that this shared time is important for teens' well-being, according to Penn State researchers. "The stereotype that teenagers spend all their time holed up in their rooms or hanging out with friends
- [Teens and video games: How much is too much?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teens-and-video-games-how-much-is-too-much/) - The gamer community had a near-miss this week in Ohio, when a 15-year-old boy collapsed after playing "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3" for up to five days straight. Players who delve too deeply into their electronic worlds can face various health risks, ranging from deep vein thrombosis, or blood clots, to severe dehydration. Read
- [Teens Preffer YouTube to Listen to Tunes](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teens-preffer-youtube-to-listen-to-tunes/) - iTunes? Old news. Radio? Ancient history. Buying a new CD? Maybe every now and then. But the most popular way today's teens discover music is through clicking around on YouTube. That's the finding of a new study by media research firm Nielsen. Its Music 360 report set out to learn how music is found, purchased
- [Drunkorexia: The New Binge Drinking](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/drunkorexia-the-new-binge-drinking/) - Since the beginning of 2012, the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention reported nearly one in six adults participate in binge drinking four times a month. The largest groups of binge drinkers are between the ages of 18 and 34 years old. New research from Simon Fraser University found an increasingly new popular form
- [Oral Sex Habits of Teens & Young Adults](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/oral-sex-habits-of-teens-young-adults/) - Experts said two-thirds of all youth between the ages of 15 and 24 had an experience with oral sex, risky behavior that the federal government said is contributing to the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. The report, "Prevalence and Timing of Oral Sex With Opposite-Sex Partners Among Females and Males Aged 15-24 Years: United States,"
- [Teenage Cannabis Use Linked to Anxiety](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenage-cannabis-use-linked-to-anxiety/) - Teenagers who smoke cannabis weekly or more are twice as likely as non-users to have an anxiety disorder in their late 20s, even if they stop using, a study of 2000 Victorian teenagers has found. Those who used frequently in their teens and continued to use on a daily basis at the age of 29
- [How Teenage Drinking Impairs Brain Development](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/how-teenage-drinking-impairs-brain-development/) - New research suggests brains scans can identify patterns of brain activity that may predict if a teen will develop into a problem drinker. The study also confirms that heavy drinking affects a teenagers’ developing brain. Using special MRI scans, researchers looked at forty 12- to 16-year-olds who had not started drinking yet, then followed them
- [70% of Teens Hide Their Online Behavior from Parents](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/70-of-teens-hide-their-online-behavior-from-parents/) - Despite their awareness of online dangers, teens continue to take risks by posting personal information and risky photos online, unbeknownst to parents. Many teens are accessing inappropriate online content, despite 73.5% of parents whom trust their teens to not access age-inappropriate content online. Specifically 43% of teens have accessed simulated violence online, 36% have access
- [Being Social in Youth Is Linked to Adult Happiness](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/being-social-in-youth-is-linked-to-adult-happiness/) - Good social relationships in your youth might translate to happiness as an adult, while doing well in school seems to have little influence on well-being later in life, new research suggests. The study is based on 32 years' worth of data for 804 people who participated in the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study (DMHDS)
- [Narcissists, Vanity, & the iGeneration](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/narcissists-vanity-the-igeneration/) - Experts are warning of the dangers of narcissism - from celebrity culture promoting fame and wealth above ethics and altruism, to internet-enabled self-obsession and discipline-averse parenting styles. Larry Rosen, Professor of Psychology at California State University in Los Angeles believes technology is affecting our emotional stability and exposing us to a range of psychological disorders
- [How Affluent Teens Struggle](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/how-affluent-teens-struggle/) - Many of today's most unhappy teens probably made the honor roll last semester and plan to attend prestigious universities, according to research by psychologist Suniya Luthar, PhD, of Columbia University's Teachers College. In a series of studies, Luthar found that adolescents reared in suburban homes with an average family income of $120,000 report higher rates
- [Conflict Resolution Tricks Every Educator Should Know](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/conflict-resolution-tricks-every-educator-should-know/) - This one is not really research or news, but a resource with a great list of ideas and strategies for managing conflict with teenagers. Teachers wear many hats: counselor, coach, referee, probation officer. With the pent-up energy and (later on) the raging hormones wreaking havoc on students’ sanity, conflict is bound to occur in classrooms
- [The Risks of Everyday Sexualised Communication Among Youth](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/the-risks-of-everyday-sexualised-communication-among-youth/) - A new report published by the NSPCC demonstrates, we need to move away from a focus on ‘stranger danger’ and the abstract threat of pornography on the internet. The report shows that young people need help in managing the everyday use of technology and their peer gender relations at school including those that are sexual
- [Truth, Trends, and Myths About Teen Online Behavior in 2012](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/truth-trends-and-myths-about-teen-online-behavior-in-2012/) - Interesting new data on the myths and facts about teenage technology use from Pew Research. Teens 2012: Truth, Trends, and Myths About Teen Online Behavior from Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project
- [83% of Teens Don’t Know How to Manage Money](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/83-of-teens-dont-know-how-to-manage-money/) - According to a new study by ING Direct an overwhelming majority of teens --87% -- admit they don’t know much about personal finance. Today, most teenagers are not learning any personal money management skills because no one around them talks about it. Read full article here Find out more about educating teenagers on money management
- [Research on Why Teenagers Exclude Peers](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/research-on-why-teenagers-exclude-peers/) - A new study has taken a more unusual approach, asking children and adolescents to recall times that they left someone out, and to explain their reasons for doing so. Holly Recchia and her team hope the findings could help design better interventions for reducing social exclusion. Read full article here Article published in journal here
- [Sex in Movies May Predict Teenage Sexual Behavior](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/sex-in-movies-may-predict-teenage-sexual-behavior/) - A recent study has found that exposure to sexual content in movies increases the chances of children adopting risky behavior later in life. "Adolescents who are exposed to more sexual content in movies start having sex at younger ages, have more sexual partners, and are less likely to use condoms with casual sexual partners," said
- [Why Millennials Don't Want To Buy Stuff](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/why-millennials-dont-want-to-buy-stuff/) - Compared to previous generations, Millennials seem to have some very different habits that have taken both established companies and small businesses by surprise. One of these is that Generation Y doesn't seem to enjoy purchasing things... Read full article here
- [Teens Like Texting More than Facebook to Connect With Friends](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teens-like-texting-more-than-facebook-to-connect-with-friends/) - Every generation of young people seems to be misunderstood by their elders, and today’s teens are no exception. While adults may accuse adolescents of preferring electronics to face-to-face contact, March data on teenage internet users in the US from Common Sense Media, a nonprofit that advocates for kids and families, shows that claim may be
- [80% of 10-year-olds Have Been on a Diet](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/80-of-10-year-olds-have-been-on-a-diet/) - A new campaign that aims to empower teenagers from today's image and weight obsessed society has revealed that the number one wish for 11 to 17-year-old girls is to be thinner. Miss Representation has released facts during its Keep It Real campaign, revealing that 80per cent of ten-year-old girls say they have been on a
- [Teens Using Plastic Surgery to Deal with Body Image Issues](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teens-using-plastic-surgery-to-deal-with-body-image-issues/) - Nearly 1 in 6 of 15- to 25-year-olds have considered breast implants, nose jobs, liposuction or other cosmetic procedures, according to a survey from global marketing agency InSites Consulting. Each year, thousands of them go through with the procedures. Nearly 77,000 teenagers (US) underwent elective plastic surgery last year, accounting for 5 percent of all
- [Drug Use World Map](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/drug-use-world-map/) - The World Drugs report for 2012 is out and it shows that 230 million people around the world - 1 in 20 of us - took illicit drugs in the last year. The report also says that problem drug users, mainly heroin - and cocaine-dependent people number about 27 million, roughly 0.6% of the world
- [Facebook Use Puts Girls at Risk of Depression](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/facebook-use-puts-girls-at-risk-of-depression/) - New data shows that girls who spend long periods on sites such as Facebook, Twitter or MySpace are far more likely to dislike their body and their weight. The university research - which surveyed 1,096 girls aged between 12 and 16 - found that 40 per cent were dissatisfied with their bodies, and half were
- [Teenage Persistence Is Learned From Fathers](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenage-persistence-is-learned-from-fathers/) - A new study published in the Journal of Early Adolescence found that dads are in a unique position to instill persistence and hope in their children, particularly in the pre-teen and teen years. Researchers from Brigham Young University analyzed 325 families over a four-year period, when fathers responded to questionnaires regarding their parenting style, and
- [70% Teens Hide Online Behavior From Parents](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/70-teens-hide-online-behavior-from-parents/) - Seventy percent of teens "hide their online behavior" from parents, according to a report, which was released Monday. The news comes from a 2,017-person survey funded by the online security software maker McAfee, which is pushing a product that helps parents monitor their kids online. These hidden behaviors include some things you might expect --
- [Social Media, Social Life: How Teens View Their Digital Lives](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/social-media-social-life-how-teens-view-their-digital-lives/) - Social Media, Social Life: How Teens View Their Digital Lives is the latest research report from Common Sense Media's Program for the Study of Children and Media. We surveyed over 1,000 13- to 17-year-olds nationally to understand how they perceive social media (like Facebook and Twitter) affects their relationships and feelings about themselves. Find the
- [Family Holiday Ideas: Australia](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/family-holiday-ideas-australia/) - Looking for ideas on what to do with the family for your holiday? Here is a list of destinations and ideas all around Australia. Whether it is a couple of weeks or a few hours, this infographic has ideas suitable for the whole family. Produced by HotelClub Family Hotels
- [Cyberbullying; Interview with Cyber Expert Susan Mclean](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/cyberbullying-interview-with-cyber-expert-susan-mclean/) - susanmcleancyberbullying.wmv from Generation Next on Vimeo.
- [ADHD Medication The Most Prescribed Drug for Teens](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/adhd-medication-the-most-prescribed-drug-for-teens/) - Do you know what the most prescribed drug is for kids ages 12-17? It's methylphenidate. And that's scary. Methylphenidate is a stimulant medication used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). It goes by the brand names Ritalin, Concerta, Metadate and Methylin. According to a study just released in the journal Pediatrics, it's the top-prescribed drug
- [Teenage Online Video Consumption](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenage-online-video-consumption/) - Recently the Pew Research Center found that 95% of teens ages 12-17 were using the Internet. But their statistics found that a significantly smaller percentage of teens were using video functions like chatting, uploading video and streaming live video footage. The study did find that 80% of teens using the Internet used social networking sites,
- [Eating Disorders on the Increase For Boys](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/eating-disorders-on-the-increase-for-boys/) - The number of boys and men seeking help for eating disorders is on the increase according to statistics from South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust (SWLSTG). Last year 9 per cent of our eating disorder patients at the SWLSTG specialist Eating Disorder Unit were male, which is a significant increase from
- [Risky Rise of the Good-Grade Pill](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/risky-rise-of-the-good-grade-pill/) - At high schools across the United States, pressure over grades and competition for college admissions are encouraging students to abuse prescription stimulants, according to interviews with students, parents and doctors. Pills that have been a staple in some college and graduate school circles are going from rare to routine in many academically competitive high schools,
- [Sexting Teens Don't Care About Legal Consequences](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/sexting-teens-dont-care-about-legal-consequences/) - A new study has found that being aware of the possible legal consequences of sexting doesn't make teens do it any less. In fact, it may just make them sext each other more. Twenty percent of high school students have used their cell phones to send a sexually explicit photo, and 25 percent have forwarded
- [Parenting Tips for the Digital Age](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/parenting-tips-for-the-digital-age/) - Author Scott Steinberg attempts to answer their questions in a new series of high-tech parenting books called The Modern Parent’s Guide. The first volume, Kids and Video Games, went online as a free download this week. Internet, Web and Online Safety; Facebook and Social Networks; Smartphones and Apps; and Digital Music, Movies and Entertainment will
- [Parental separation from an adolescent perspective](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/parental-separation-from-an-adolescent-perspective/) - An Australian study emphasised the importance of listening to the perspectives of young people on their experiences of parental separation, including what is important to them in adjusting to their changing families. Adolescents make considerable adjustments when parents separate, and the findings illustrate adolescents’ differing developmental capacities to understand and accept family changes. Find research
- [Resetting Sleep Cycle Means Better Grades for Teens](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/resetting-sleep-cycle-means-better-grades-for-teens/) - Children change during puberty, so do their sleep habits. Specifically, their biological rhythms -- the sleep and wake cycle -- get longer to varying degrees. This can cause a teen to function better at night and need to sleep later. Adolescents with very long rhythms -- 25 hours or longer -- are considered delayed. When
- [Research Finds Defintion of "Cool"](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/research-finds-defintion-of-cool/) - According to a team of psychologists, today's definition of cool is less about being a rebel without a cause, and more about being friendly and warm. That's the conclusion of a new study which set out to find the contemporary definition of ‘cool,' a concept traditionally associated with characteristics like emotional control, rebelliousness, toughness and
- [Survey shows teenage sexual trends](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/survey-shows-teenage-sexual-trends/) - More than a quarter of Northern Ireland teenagers have had sex by the time they reach 16, new research has revealed. A third of them claimed it happened on the spur of the moment, according to a young life and times survey carried out last year on behalf of Queen's University and the University of
- [Facebook Grant Access to Under 13's](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/facebook-grant-access-to-under-13s/) - Facebook is developing technology that would allow children younger than 13 years old to use the social-networking site under parental supervision, a step that could help the company tap a new pool of users for revenue but also inflame privacy concerns. Read full article in Wall Street Journal here
- [Old People Select Stronger Passwords Than Teens](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/old-people-select-stronger-passwords-than-teens/) - People over the age of 55 pick passwords double the strength of those chosen by people under 25 years old. That's according to the largest ever study of password security, which also found that most of us choose passwords that are less secure than security experts recommend. This research was based on the hashed versions
- [1 in 10 Highschoolers have Been Physically Hurt by Boyfriend or Girlfriend](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/1-in-10-highschoolers-have-been-physically-hurt-by-boyfriend-or-girlfriend/) - After studies emerged more than a decade ago showing that the highest rates of physical and sexual assault happen to women ages 16 to 24, programs to prevent abusive relationships have concentrated on high school and college students. Research shows that some seventh graders have already experienced physical and emotional harm while dating. Read New
- [Early puberty may trigger anxiety](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/early-puberty-may-trigger-anxiety/) - Children who go through puberty early are at greater risk of anxiety and depression later in adolescence, research has found. Melbourne University and Orygen Youth Health researchers found that those who went through puberty earlier than their peers had an enlarged pituitary gland - the part of the brain responsible for triggering puberty - and
- [SIM Card Helps Parents Protect Children From Bullying](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/sim-card-helps-parents-protect-children-from-bullying/) - Parents will be able to control their child's mobile phone thanks to a SIM card remotely managed from a computer. The Bemilo system, to be run on the Vodafone network, offers a service for parents to prevent their children from going online, texting or calling during certain hours. Unlike an app, a child will not
- [Why Self-harm is Spreading](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/why-self-harm-is-spreading/) - Figures released on the Health Statistics NSW website show the rate of people being hospitalised for self-harm has more than doubled in NSW over the past 10 years. And the driver? Young women, where rates increased from 145 hospitalisations for self-harm for every 100,000 women aged between 15 and 24 in 1991, to 352 in
- [Depression Linked With More Internet Use](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/depression-linked-with-more-internet-use/) - According to researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology, people suffering from depression tend to spend more time chatting and sharing files with others. Two hundred and sixteen undergraduate students were monitored over a month’s time for actual Internet use. Higher scores on depression surveys — which were given at the beginning of the
- [Be Careful When Comforting Struggling Students](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/be-careful-when-comforting-struggling-students/) - Previous research tells us that students who see intelligence and ability as fixed will tend to give up when confronted by a difficult problem, whereas those who see intelligence as growable will persevere. But how do teachers' beliefs about ability affect the way they perceive and respond to their students' performance? Read full article here
- [Internet Porn & Teenage Sexual Health](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/internet-porn-teenage-sexual-health/) - A study by Australian researchers at the University of New South Wales and the University of Melbourne indicates an association between internet pornography and the sexual health of teenagers, with a review of literature in the area finding a strong correlation between teenage consumers of online porn and risky sexual behaviour. Read full article here
- ['Tough Love' Keeps Teens from Binge Drinking](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/tough-love-keeps-teens-from-binge-drinking/) - The headlines state that one in ten teens are binge drinkers and graphic photos of them vomiting in the street paint an unflattering picture of a sub-culture out of control. But, 90 per cent do not drink to excess and it may be 'tough love' by parents keeping the teens on track. A leading Australian
- [Teenagers in 2012 At Increased Risk For Heart Disease](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenagers-in-2012-at-increased-risk-for-heart-disease/) - Many American teenagers, including some with a normal, healthy weight, already have one or more risk factors for heart disease, researchers say. About 22 percent of today's teens have borderline-high or already high LDL cholesterol -- that's the bad type. And 15 percent have pre-diabetes or diabetes, according to the new research based on data
- [Serious Hearing Loss for 1 in 5 Teens](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/serious-hearing-loss-for-1-in-5-teens/) - Seventy-two percent of teenagers participating in a study experienced reduced hearing ability following exposure to a pop rock performance by a popular female singer. The level of hearing loss among American teens has risen to a level researchers have never seen before. So scientists from the House Ear Institute wanted to identify why this happening
- [Teen Drivers Texting - So Are Their Parents](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teen-drivers-texting-so-are-their-parents/) - In an online survey of 1,300 teen drivers with cellphones, scheduled for release Monday, the youths said that even though their parents may warn them against it, they think adult drivers send text messages “all the time.” A sizable proportion of the teens in the study also admitted to engaging in the same dangerous practice.
- [Peer's Parents Influence Teen Alcohol Use](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/peers-parents-influence-teen-alcohol-use/) - Researchers surveyed about 9,000 ninth-graders from rural school districts about their closest friends, their parents' discipline and if their parents knew who their friends were. If the parents of your teen's friends are unaware of their child's drug or alcohol use, or worse, condone it, that may make your child more likely to partake as
- [Evidence Links Early Cannabis Use to Psychosis](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/evidence-links-early-cannabis-use-to-psychosis/) - Early adolescent cannabis use may contribute to the development of symptoms of schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) in adulthood, according to new data from a longitudinal cohort study. Read full article here Link to research abstract & full text (payment required)
- [College Students Not So Good at Google](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/college-students-not-so-good-at-google/) - Students in a two-year ethnographic study referred to Google more than any database when discussing their research habits. But ironically, say the study’s authors, they weren’t very good at using it. The series of studies, known as the “Ethnographic Research in Illinois Academic Libraries Project (ERIAL)” is a collaborative effort by five Illinois universities that
- [Multi-Screen Media Usage Findings](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/multi-screen-media-usage-findings/) - According to Nielsen’s global survey of multi-screen media usage, watching video content on computers has become just as common as watching video content on television among online consumers. More than 80 percent of Internet respondents in 56 countries reported watching video content at home on a computer (84%) or on TV (83%) at least once a month.
- [Young male drivers are more vulnerable to sleepiness](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/young-male-drivers-are-more-vulnerable-to-sleepiness/) - One might imagine the vigour of youth would allow young men to shrug off the effects of a lack of sleep. In fact, a new study on driving performance documents that young men are particularly vulnerable to the effects of sleepiness, far more than older men. Read full article here
- [Effects on Young Women of Sexualised Images](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/effects-on-young-women-of-sexualised-images/) - A new study of 258 US school girls and 171 female undergrads by Elizabeth Daniels has investigated how women and girls feel when they see sexualised images of female athletes. The key finding is that the girls and undergrads who viewed the sexualised athlete images tended to say they admired or were jealous of the athletes' bodies, they
- [Australian Research Review of Teenage Texting Habits](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/australian-research-review-of-teenage-texting-habits/) - This is an interesting read... Text messaging is short, simple, lacks contextual clues and can be quickly done at any time of the day or night and sent from a vast range of geographical locations. A recent literature review of research into the use of texting by students published by the Journal of the Research
- [TV Haibts Linked to Unhealthy Diet in Teens](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/tv-haibts-linked-to-unhealthy-diet-in-teens/) - Researchers from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development found that the more TV a pre-teen or teenager watches, the more likely he or she is to skip daily breakfast, eat fast food, candy and sugar-sweetened beverages, and avoid fruits and vegetables. This was even after adjusting for factors like
- [One in Eight Teens Misuses Prescription Painkillers](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/one-in-eight-teens-misuses-prescription-painkillers/) - One in eight older teens has used powerful painkillers when they weren't prescribed -- and many of them start misusing the medications earlier than was previously assumed, according to new research. "The non-medical use of controlled medications in (teens) has surpassed almost all illicit drugs except for marijuana," said pediatrician Dr. Robert Fortuna, from the
- [Materialism & Teenage Self Esteem](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/materialism-teenage-self-esteem/) - This is not a new study (2007) but I have only just come across it. It suggest that as a teenagers self-esteem increases there is a corresponding decline in materialism. This further confirms what many of us will have observed that insecurity and having a poor self concept can lead to an increased desire to
- [New Study: 27% of Teens Upload Videos of Themselves](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/new-study-27-of-teens-upload-videos-of-themselves/) - According to a new study from Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project more than a quarter, or 27%, of teenagers surveyed record video of themselves and put it online. Lots of interesting current data about how teenagers use technology - especially concerning changes in online behaviour since 2006. Download PDF of research here
- [Majority of Teens Use Texting to Ask Out Their Prom Date](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/majority-of-teens-use-texting-to-ask-out-their-prom-date/) - Today’s teens send an average of 60 text messages a day, according to a recent Pew Research study, and that preferred method of communication is evident in the results of a new survey on proms. A survey of 1,243 teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 by the company TextPlus finds 58 percent of
- [With Teen Substance Use, It May Really Take A Village](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/with-teen-substance-use-it-may-really-take-a-village/) - New research suggests successful parenting of a teenager needs to include keeping track of their peers — and even the peer’s parents. While the task may seem daunting, researchers discovered parents were impressed that they could not only influence their own children, but they can also have a positive influence on their children’s friends as
- [Marijuana Use Up 80 Percent Since 2008 Amongst US Teens](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/marijuana-use-up-80-percent-since-2008-amongst-us-teens/) - Nationally projectable survey results released today by The Partnership at Drugfree.org and MetLife Foundation found that past-month marijuana use - particularly heavy use - has increased significantly among U.S. high school students since 2008. The Partnership Attitude Tracking Study, sponsored by MetLife Foundation, found that 9 percent of teens (nearly 1.5 million) smoked marijuana heavily
- [How Parents Can Shape Teenage Self-Esteem](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/how-parents-shape-teenage-self-esteem/) - When we think of parents and their child's self-esteem our thoughts tend to focus on how parent's praise or criticise their kids. Such thinking is understandable, as the words parents use do have significant impact. However parents can have a much greater role in shaping their teen's sense of self worth and esteem. There are
- [Some Teenagers Wired For Addiction](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/some-teenagers-wired-for-addiction/) - In the largest imaging study of the adolescent brain ever conducted — involving 1,896 14-year-olds — scientists report in Nature Neuroscience that some teenagers may be more inclined to experiment with drugs and alcohol, simply because their brains work differently, making them more impulsive. Read full news report here Journal abstract here
- [Overweight and obese teenagers with diabetes may be difficult to treat](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/overweight-and-obese-teenagers-with-diabetes-may-be-difficult-to-treat/) - According to a major study released earlier this week (April 2012), several ways to manage blood sugar in teens newly diagnosed with diabetes were tested. The researchers found that nearly half of them failed within a few years and 1 in 5 suffered serious complications. Read news article here
- [Interesting Generational Research](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/interesting-generational-research/) - Lee Rainie, Director of the Pew Internet and the American Life Project, recently spoke at the annual conference of the National Religious Broadcasters. This presentation focused on the media habits of Millennials and GenX and how their patterns of gathering and creating information are different in the digital age. See slideshow here or watch below
- [Most Alcohol & Drug Abuse Starts in Teen Years](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/3278-2/) - A survey of more than 10,000 teens, published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, found that almost four out of five teens had tried alcohol and more than 15 percent were abusing it by the time they turned 18-years-old. Some 16 percent were abusing drugs by the age of 18. Read full article here Original
- [Kids Handle DVD Players Better Than Shoelaces](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/kids-handle-dvd-players-better-than-shoelaces/) - Many schoolchildren are more confident using a DVD player or iPhone than tying their shoelaces, research claims As many as 45 per cent of children aged between five and 13 can't tie their shoe laces - but 67 per cent can work a DVD player, according to a poll by British electricity company npower. Read
- [Digital Natives Switch Platforms Constantly](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/digital-natives-switch-platforms-constantly/) - Digital Natives switch their attention between media platforms (i.e. TVs, magazines, tablets, smartphones or channels within platforms) 27 times per hour, about every other minute! Read more here
- [Australian Girls & Body Image Survey](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/australian-girls-body-image-survey/) - April 2012 edition of Girlfriend magazine published results on a survey of 1000 of its readers. The survey related to how teenage girls feel about themselves and their body image. Here is a link to an article the summarizes the findings and has some though provoking commentary to go with it.
- [Middle-class Tweens More Likely to Try Alcohol](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/middle-class-tweens-more-likely-to-try-alcohol/) - More than one in three of those born in professional households had downed a full glass before reaching their teenage years, the statistics show. The 35 per cent figure among the middle classes is almost twice the level found among 12-year-olds across all economic groups. Experts said that most children who had drunk alcohol at
- [Cyberbullying & Bullying Are Not the Same](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/cyberbullying-bullying-are-not-the-same/) - University of British Columbia research comparing traditional bullying with cyberbullying finds that the dynamics of online bullying are different, suggesting that anti-bullying programs need specific interventions to target online aggression. “There are currently many programs aimed at reducing bullying in schools and I think there is an assumption that these programs deal with cyberbullying as
- [Balanced Review of Teen Sexting Research](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/balanced-review-of-teen-sexting-research/) - The problem of teen “sexting” has captured a great deal of media attention, causing concern among parents, educators, and law enforcement agencies. This paper reviews some of the most influential studies and considers their relative strengths and weaknesses. It provides a very helpful balance to the way the issue is reported in the mass media.
- [Is Texting & Twitter Harming Teen Writing Skills](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/is-texting-twitter-harming-teen-writing-skills/) - Educational website Edutopia.org, a part of the George Lucas Educational Foundation, has an online poll asking visitors to vote on whether they feel texting has become prevalent in school assignments; if it isn't a significant concern; if they believe students can keep texting and grammar separate; or if they don't feel strongly about any of
- [Blood Test to Diagnose Depression in Teens](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/blood-test-to-diagnose-depression-in-teens/) - The first blood test to diagnose major depression in teens, a breakthrough approach that allows an objective diagnosis by measuring a specific set of genetic markers found in a patient’s blood. The current method of diagnosing depression is subjective. It relies on the patient’s ability to recount his symptoms and the physician’s ability and training
- [Ecstasy & Speed Lead to Depression in Teens](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/ecstasy-speed-lead-to-depression-in-teens/) - A Canadian study on the effects of speed and ecstasy on young teens has found that those taking the drugs have a much higher chance of becoming depressed a year after usage. The study was conducted over a 5 year period and focused on 15 and 16 year-olds. Read the full news article here... Or
- [Being A Teenage Girl in 2012 - Interviews](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/being-a-teenage-girl-in-2012-interviews/) - Some really interesting interviews with 5 teenage girls from England about the issues they face growing up in 2012. The article appeared in the Daily Mail Online. You can read it here
- [Adolescence Lasts Until Age 24 - Not Good News](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/adolescence-lasts-until-age-24-not-good-news/) - Researchers believe the brain goes on maturing and is not fully developed until at least the age of 24. Puberty catapults adolescents into a period of risky behaviour powered by their raging hormones, their brains are ill-equipped to exert control and vulnerable to the effects of activities such as drinking and drug taking. Despite its
- [Cigarette Packaging Targetting Teenagers](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/cigarette-packaging-targetting-teenagers/) - Cancer Research UK has reviewed industry documents from the last 50 years and claimed that some described how packaging had been developed to appeal to new smokers, notably teenagers, through its size, colour and design. See news report summary here. Full report available here
- [Using Computer Games to Deal With Depression](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/using-computer-games-to-deal-with-depression/) - A 3D computer fantasy game that teaches good thinking habits as effectively as biological therapist units can. The game, designed for children and adolescents, is called SPARX . SPARX stands for Smart, Positive, Active, Realistic, X-factor thoughts. Full Article providing a basic explanation and overview of research on SPARX. Actual Abstract The effectiveness of SPARX,
- [10 Popular Apps for Teenagers](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/10-popular-apps-for-teenagers/) - With smartphones rapidly becoming the most common mobile device throughout countries like Australia, UK, and the USA, an increasing number of teenagers have access to the internet via their phone. And if they have access to the Net they have access to Apps (an App is a small program designed to run on mobile devices.)
- [Top 10 Blogs For Parenting Teenagers](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/top-10-blogs-for-parenting-teenagers/) - This week I thought I would share with the readers of this blog who it is that I like to read. It would be a somewhat long winded and cumbersome post to list all the online sources I subscribe to, so I will restrict this post to my top 10 sources for information about Parenting
- [What Teenagers Tell Their Parents](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/newsletter-what-teens-tell/) - There has been some renewed discussion recently about how much teenagers tell their parents. Much of it was prompted by a study that has recently been released by the The Korn Group, The Truth About Teens and Tweens, that looks at the lives of young people today and how much they are sharing with their
- [Mixed Messages From Parents & Teenage Drinking](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/mixed-messages-from-parents-teenage-drinking/) - How many parents have encouraged their teenage kids to drink at home believing that in doing so it is reducing the risk of their teen engaging in harmful use of alcohol? I know my parents did and I've known many parents of teenagers since who have done the same. The logic seems sound - by
- [Parents & Teenage Online Gaming](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/parents-teenage-online-gaming/) - In my previous post I discussed 8 reasons why teenagers are increasingly likely to struggle with addiction to online gaming. Knowing the reasons is one thing, knowing what to do about it is another thing entirely. This post is a place to start for parents who have teenagers who are into online gaming. Before I
- [Birthdays, Parenting, & Social Networking](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/birthdays-parenting-social-networking/) - Recently there was yet another great reminder that today’s teens are growing up in a world vastly different from the one their parents grew up in. I am not referring to global warming, iphones, Justin Bieber, or Nintendo DS. What I am referring to is one of the more precious traditions in most families –
- [Do You Know If Your Teen Uses Drugs?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/do-you-know-if-your-teen-uses-drugs/) - One of the fears parents have about their children's adolescence is that they will develop a drug or alcohol problem. The fear is not irrational. Many teens will experiment with various substances during adolescence, and we know that many addicts first encountered a problem with substance abuse during their teenage years. While there are known
- [Teenage Online Behaviour Consistent With Offline Behaviour](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenage-online-behaviour-consistent-with-offline-behaviour/) - It appears that teenagers are getting wiser about how they conduct themselves on online. While the risks are just a prevalent as ever, a majority of teens seem to be making wise choices. However as with most arenas of life, more than a few teens have regrets about choices they have made online. A survey
- [How Stressed Is Your Teenager?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/how-stressed-is-your-teenager/) - It is one of the many ironies of modern life. The more options we have to increase convenience in life, the more stressful life becomes. New research has found that stress is affecting a majority of modern families, and it is not just adults who are affected. Young people are experiencing significant levels of stress
- [How Mothers Affect Their Daughter's Self Image](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/how-mothers-affect-their-daughters-self-image/) - Today's post is by Belinda Hudson. Belinda is a full time teacher who has taught in schools in Australia and England as well as spending several years as a youth worker. Since her own experience in high school, Belinda has been passionate about helping young women accept who they are and develop a healthy self
- [Rethinking How We Educate Our Teenagers](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/rethinking-how-we-educate-our-teenagers/) - In the last few weeks in Australia the media has been awash with arguments about school league tables, national standardised testing, and funding formulas. While such matters should be debated, as they can have drastic effects on the quality of education, it felt like listening to people discuss how to rearrange deck chairs on the
- [All The Rage: 5 Retro Christmas Ideas for Teenagers](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/all-the-rage-5-retro-christmas-ideas-for-teenagers/) - Pop culture; it goes in one massive circle right? If a teenager had worn a pair of tight-fitted jeans two years ago they would have been condemned on the spot – but now it's cool. Just like they were in the 70's.
- [Teenage Love In the Digital Age](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenage-love-in-the-digital-age/) - In my previous post I outlined the contours of dating and finding a romantic partner during adolescence. While that post is full of useful information (really it is you can check it out right here) it was lacking slightly. I made a passing reference to the impact of growing up in a digital world upon
- [Thinking Clearly About Parenting,Teenagers, & Dating](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/thinking-clearly-about-parentingteenagers-dating/) - It is great when your kids are little, they have their friends, they play with their friends, they come home. Life is so simple. When they are really young they have friends who are boys and girls and the difference barely matters. As they get a bit older they start to hang out with the
- [What This Generation of Teenagers Value](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/what-this-generation-of-teenagers-value/) - Ever wish you could grab snap shot into the collective mind of a generation. Well for those of us down under we get a chance each year to have a pretty good look. Every year in Australia a fantastic charity called Mission Australia conduct a nation wide survey of young people. This is the largest
- [Teenagers & Popularity: Life Can Be Hard At The Top](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenagers-popularity-life-can-be-hard-at-the-top/) - The school playground can be a hard place! I’m sure most of us have some memories of the stresses and strains of negotiating the politics of adolescent friendships and social networks - and we didn’t have to worry about online social networking. Popularity matters a lot when you’re a teenager. Even as an adult popularity
- [3 Things Every Young Teenage Boy Needs](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/3-things-every-young-teenage-boy-needs/) - This past weekend I have enjoyed observing via social media a good mate being a loving father to his son. As I have read the occasional update and seen a ‘twitpic’ or two of their father son camping trip, I have been reminded of what a formative time of life it is for young boys
- [Why Teenage Rebellion Is A Good Thing!](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/why-teenage-rebellion-is-a-good-thing/) - Ever since the iconic character of “Jim Stark” was brought to life on the big screen, the teenager years have become synonymous with angst and rebellion. Played by James Dean in what is arguably his career-defining role, Stark was the central character in the movie “Rebel Without a Cause.” Stark was the epitome of the
- [The Best Reason For Teens To Have a Mobile Phone?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/the-best-reason-for-teens-to-have-a-mobile-phone/) - Two questions: Should you get your teenager their own mobile phone? Should your teenager be encouraged to use their phone at school? The first question is one that clearly a majority of parents have answered in the affirmative – as a majority of teenagers now own and use mobile phones (75% of US teens own
- [5 Ways to Connect With Your Teens](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/5-ways-to-connect-with-your-teens-2/) - Jennifer Wagner has been working with the Internet and Millennials for years, including running computer schools for kids. Along with publishing her own successful blog Jennifer also writes for the Examiner's NY Parenting Teens, Momtourage and is part of the Yahoo Motherboard. Jennifer has generously agreed to write a guest post for Understanding Teenagers about
- [10 Things Teenagers Might Want This Christmas](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/10-things-teenagers-might-want-this-christmas/) - I know it is only just November, but if it's okay for Kmart it's okay for me to start talking about Christmas. This post is a heads up on possible presents your teen might want this Christmas...then again it may have nothing to do with what they want but hopefully it's an interesting read on
- [How Generation Z Are Being Shaped by Technology](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/how-generation-z-are-being-shaped-by-technology/) - Has technology changed the way teenagers tick? Teenagers today still go through puberty, adolescence, and all the associated personal and relational dramas that go along with that. So their basic desires, needs, and questions haven’t changed. But we need to acknowledge that the technology they have grown up with has completely changed the way people
- [How To Party Proof Your Teenagers](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/how-to-party-proof-your-teenagers/) - One of the great differences that emerge between parents and teenagers during adolescence is their attitudes about parties. Teenagers can't wait to start attending more "grown up" style parties, while parents would happily delay such events until their child reaches the age of 25! Both points of view are entirely understandable. Adolescence is all about
- [Generation Z & Their Digital Future](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/generation-z-their-digital-future/) - There is a lot to be said for changing perspective. Observing an object or issue from a point of view that differs to our normal frame of reference can completely alter our perception. We might discover previously unseen facets, have our perceptions altered, or be challenged to think in new and fresh ways. Recently I
- [Getting Teenagers To Do Housework](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/getting-teenagers-to-do-housework/) - This weeks statement of the obvious: Teenagers don't like doing housework! (Who does?) If the previous statement is true, then it would appear that teenagers may be getting their own way more and more. A recently released Australian study found the amount of time teenagers spend contributing to household chores has dropped significantly over the
- [5 Reasons Teenagers Take Drugs](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/5-reasons-teenagers-take-drugs/) - Can you remember the first time your were offered drugs? Maybe it was a cigarette down behind the toilet block, a swig of whiskey at a your friends house, or trying a joint at a high school party? Whatever the occasion, do you remember why you did it? If you can think of that reason,
- [Teenagers & Cars: A Deadly Combination](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenagers-cars-a-deadly-combination/) - Teenagers want independence. For many nothing symbolises independence more than obtaining their drivers license. It is one of the clear modern day rites of passage to adulthood. I can still remember the feeling elated at being able to drive myself to and from places without a parent in the car. The only thing better than
- [How "Just Say No" Fails Teenagers](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/how-just-say-no-fails-teenagers/) - One of life’s great reality checks is parenting or caring for young people. The process of trying to protect them and prevent them from making bad choices reminds all who try that we have very limited power. We may think we can control the world and people around us, but the reality is we have
- [The Pornification of Generation Z](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/the-pornification-of-generation-z/) - Are today’s teenagers so immersed in a culture where porn defines the contours of mainstream pop culture, that they are not even aware why adults would be concerned? Teenagers have always been, and will always be interested in sex. It is a natural curiosity associated with growing up. I am sure all of us have
- [7 Deadly Sins of Today's Youth](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/7-deadly-sins-of-todays-youth/) - When you think of the current generation of teenagers, what do you imagine they value? For some time we have known that Gen Y were more conservative than Xers and definitely more conservative than the Baby Boomers. The conservative trend seems to be continuing and accelerating with the emerging generation. Recent research conducted in Europe
- [Teenager: My Life Is a Catastrophy!](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenager-my-life-is-a-catastrophy/) - What do you do when confronted by a distressed teenager who is certain their life is ruined? Recent events have destroyed their hopes of a meaningful and enjoyable existence. During adolescence teenagers are a mix of massive insecurity, fluctuating hormones, rapidily changing brains, increasingly sophisticated thinking abilities, and terrifying new levels of self-awareness. All of
- [Blaming Teenagers For Adult Fails](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/blaming-teenagers-for-adult-fails/) - On a few occasions in recent weeks I have been reading criticisms of the current generation of teenagers and found myself continually asking the same question - “Is it really the fault of teenagers?” I found myself asking that question because it occurred to me that there was only one side of the story being
- [10 Ways To Alienate Your Teenager](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/10-ways-to-alienate-your-teenager/) - I am sure there are many out there who read the title of this post and thought twice about wasting your time reading further (if that was you - thanks for getting this far). You hardly need advice about how to annoy or anger your teenager. They already tell you they hate you, wish you
- [Technology Overload & The Teenage Mind](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/technology-overload-the-teenage-mind/) - Were you ever taught that the goal of technological advancement was to enable human endeavours to be achieved more efficiently resulting in a more leisurely lifestyle for all? Computers will save us time. Automated machines will take care of all manual tasks. Instantaneous communications will mean life becomes less stressful and easier to manage. Do
- [Go With The Flow: 10 Ways to Easily Engage Teenagers](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/go-with-the-flow-10-ways-to-easily-engage-teenagers/) - One of my axioms about working with teenagers is: "Adolescence is like gravity, It is much easier to work with it than against it." A lot of the talk about dealing with teenagers focuses on how to combat or overcome the forces of adolescence. As adults it can be easy to think of the teenager
- [Why Mobile Phones Are Essential For Teenagers?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/why-mobile-phones-are-essential-for-teenagers/) - We are all very familiar with teenagers who absolutely must have the latest fashion item or trendy gadget that is taking the world by storm. It was true when I was a teenager (Reebok Pumps or Walkmans anyone?) and nothing much has changed. As long as teenagers have access to money there will be people
- [Calling Teenagers "Fat" Hurts - Even If They're Skinny](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/calling-teenagers-fat-hurts-even-if-theyre-skinny/) - The old saying “Sticks and stones may beak my bones, but names will never hurt me” has been long acknowledged as less than accurate. Name calling and teasing can have real and very damaging effects, especially on young people. I‘m sure many of us can still remember names or verbal taunts from the playground or
- [Why Teenagers Take Risks](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/why-teenagers-take-risks/) - Taking risks is part of life. It is most definitely part of growing up. If we don’t take risks we never learn about our own capabilities or discover the joy of new experiences. Risk can be good, but they can also be unhealthy. Part of an adult’s role in nurturing teenagers is to encourage risks
- [Generation Z & Online Gaming](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/generation-z-online-gaming/) - Today's kids are playing games on consoles, computers, portables and online more than ever before. Remember when computer games were all about playing Pac Man or Space Invaders at the local arcade? Or when the ultimate in home entertainment was having an Atari console? How about when things got really high tech and portable games
- [10 Signs Of Low Self Esteem In Teenagers](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/10-signs-of-low-self-esteem-in-teenagers/) - Adolescence is a time of life when a person's self esteem is known to fluctuate significantly. It is estimated that up to a half of adolescents will struggle with low self esteem, many of these occurrences during the early teen years. In previous posts I have discussed the key factors that influence teenager's self esteem
- [Should Parents "Friend" Their Teens On Facebook?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/should-parents-friend-their-teens-on-facebook/) - Parents, are you a friend of your teenage child on Facebook? If you are do you know if your teen is happy about it? A survey, released last week by AOL and conducted by The Nielsen Company, sheds some light on one of the new battlegrounds of modern parenting. According to the survey, of 1,024
- [Energy Drinks and Teenagers: Do You Understand the Risks?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/energy-drinks-and-teenagers-do-you-understand-the-risks/) - I am sure many of us have been there before. You are running out of time, you have long since passed the point of being tired, and you still have a lot more to do! Whether it was for study, work, or getting through myriad of personal crises that always seem to happen simultaneously, the
- [What Teenagers Think of Their Schools](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/what-teenagers-think-of-their-schools/) - Recently in Australia there has been considerable debate about the quality of our schools, and particularly how we go about measuring and assessing that quality. Politicians, educators, parents, commentators, and even yours truly, have all had something to say about establishing a national curriculum, league tables, and national testing. The one group of stakeholders that
- [Inception, Ideas, & Teenagers.](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/inception-ideas-teenagers/) - Have you seen the movie Inception yet? I’m no movie critic, but I can thoroughly recommend it – great movie. If you haven’t seen it don’t worry, I won’t give too much away. The basic plot in the movie revolves around messing with people’s minds through their dreams. The title of the movie comes from
- [What Are Eminem & Rihanna Saying About Domestic Violence?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/what-are-eminem-rihanna-saying-about-domestic-violence/) - What are your thoughts on the new video "Love the Way You Lie" from Eminem and Rihanna? (Warning: it contains explicit language) On first viewing it seems to present a strong message against domestic violence by suggesting that violent relationships are a vicious cycle that are best avoided. The video contains various images of the
- [Educating Teenagers: The Cost of Measuring School Performance](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/educating-teenagers-the-cost-of-measuring-school-performance/) - If you haven’t already, take a minute to consider what will be required of today’s teenagers in 20 years time? As they become a significant part of the economy and start to shape the workforce, what type of skills and attributes will they require? What expectations will employers and policy makers have of them? While
- [Teenagers & The Internet: Who Is Mastering Who?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenagers-the-internet-who-is-mastering-who/) - The more you practise the better you get at something! The more you use a tool the greater your skill is. Eventually you become a master of what ever the skill or pursuit is. Unless of course you are a teenager and that tool in question is the Internet. The accepted wisdom of our age
- [Teenagers & Sexting: What is It & What to do About It](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenagers-sexting-what-is-it-what-to-do-about-it/) - 18-year-old Jesse Logan considered sending sexually provocative pictures to her boyfriend to be a normal part of an intimate teen relationship. They were young and in love, and of course she trusted him. As can happen in teenage relationships Jesse and her boyfriend broke up. He then thought he could share the pictures of Jesse
- [Texting: Connecting Teenagers & Parents?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/texting-connecting-teenagers-parents/) - If you are a parent of a teenager, do you use text messaging as a means of communication with them? Are you concerned about how your teens use their mobile? Should your teen be concerned about how you use your mobile? Research conducted by TRU Research and sponsored by LG was noteworthy for what it
- [Are Teenagers Leaving Facebook?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/are-teenagers-leaving-facebook/) - Is this the beginning of the next big switch or just one of many ebbs and flows to come? In the last couple of months the internet has been awash with reports of Facebook fatigue. Despite reaching more than the 500 million user mark recently there does appear to be growing levels of dissatisfaction with
- [Bieber Beats Gaga: Pop Culture & The Rise of Social Media](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/bieber-beats-gaga-pop-culture-the-rise-of-social-media/) - Stop the presses! Amazing news! Justin Bieber has done it! Done what you may ask? The 16 year old Canadian sensation racked up more than 246 million views of his music video Baby on Friday, eclipsing Lady Gaga's Bad Romance which had a mere 245.6 million views. Maybe this doesn't leave you in a state
- [What Teens Want From Adults](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/what-teens-want-from-adults/) - I'm sure most of you agree that connecting with teenagers can be challenging. Apparently teenagers think connecting with adults is no simple task either. A recent survey released by the Search Institute in Minneapolis found, among other things, that teens are looking for more from adults in order to develop relationships. A survey of 1,860
- [Hannah Montana: Grown Up or Sexed Up?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/hannah-montana-grown-up-or-sexed-up/) - As you are probably well aware Hannah Montana is all grown up. It appears in order for young females (or young female pop stars) to grow up these days they need to be overtly sexual as if they are trying to prove something. I wonder what message this sends to our girls, and our boys
- [Teenager Mobile Phone Habits: Are We Keeping Up?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenager-mobile-phone-habits-are-we-keeping-up/) - I have come across this great graphic a few times now so I thought I would share it with you. It is created by Flowtown and based on data published by Pew Research which I have referred to in an earlier post. I wanted to share this graphic, because it presents the data really clearly,
- [How Starting School Later Can Help Teens.](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/how-starting-school-later-can-help-teens/) - It’s a scenario played out in countless households every morning. In fact it happens so often it is a cliché of adolescence. A parent rattling off an endless list of reminders, threats, and pleas, at increasingly rapid intervals, in a desperate attempt to get their teenage child out of bed in time for school. When
- [Teenagers & Mobile Phone Disorders!](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenagers-mobile-phone-disorders/) - Have you ever thought your teen’s mobile phone has become somehow anatomically attached to their body? Do you ever worry that the amount which they text might be dangerous? Well your fears may be well founded. Apparently mobile phones put teens at risk of developing all sorts of disorders. A study into youth communication habits
- [How Branding Is Shaping Teenagers](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/how-branding-is-shaping-teenagers/) - Ever wondered how growing up in a branded culture effects the way a person views the world? Have you noticed a differences between the way you respond and identify with brands and products and the way teenagers do? I came across this video today while catching up on some of my blog reading. It is
- [Teenage Girls & Twilight Movies: What is Going On?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenage-girls-twilight-movies-what-is-going-on/) - With the recent release of the third movie in the Twilight Saga: Eclipse I have decided to write a post for those of you, who like me, are wondering; “what is so good about these movies?” Admittedly there are a lot more of us males asking that question than females, yet it is a valid
- [Generation Z & The Shrinking Generation Gap](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/generation-z-the-shrinking-generation-gap/) - The science, or is that art, of describing, predicting and tracking generations has been an obsession of many within our youth obsessed, marketing driven, economy for over half a century. The Baby Boomers, who established and experienced a genuine generation gap between themselves and their parents, have sought to perpetuate and propagate generational difference ever
- [Teenagers and Politics](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenagers-and-politics/) - Given the events of the past week here in Australia, (we have just got a new Prime Minister) I have been thinking about politics and how teenagers engage with politics. The adolescent task of establishing an autonomous identity is commonly associated with a period of moratorium. This period of moratorium is when a teenager has
- [Lady Gaga & Madonna: Generational Distinctives](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/lady-gaga-madonna-generational-distinctives/) - Found this video today about a topic that has been rummaging around in my head for a while - Is Lady Gaga this generation's Madonna? Does the answer tell us anything about teenagers today? Similarities The above video gives a great example of just how similar Lady Gag is to Madonna. I am sure most
- [Why Teenagers Engage in Heavy Drinking](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/why-teenagers-engage-in-heavy-drinking/) - In previous posts I have discussed alcohol use amongst teens and the connection between parents and teenage alcohol use. In this post I thought I would look more specifically at heavy drinking amongst teenagers and some possible reasons for it. This idea was prompted by a recent study has linked parenting styles with heavy drinking
- [Peer Pressure: Not All Teens the Same.](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/peer-pressure-not-all-teens-the-same/) - It can be easy to stereotype when talking about demographic groupings. It is no different for those of us who talk about teenagers all day – we can generalise from time to time. So in order to appear balanced and nuanced I offer this post about peer pressure in teens. The point is a simple
- [Girls Starting Puberty Younger](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/girls-starting-puberty-younger/) - I think this is the type of headline no Dad wants to read. Most of us Dads would be happy for our girls to start puberty at about 15, and then start finding boys interesting at about 21. So the news from Europe that the average age of the onset of puberty has now fallen
- [Teenage Boys Need Food](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenage-boys-need-food/) - Just to add to my growing collection of "research that confirms the bleeding obvious" posts, I submit this study that confirms - teenage boys eat a lot -even more than girls! I am sure this is not anything new to parents of teenage boys who are still trying to adjust to their lower standard of
- [Teenage Attitudes About Contraception and Pregnancy](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenage-attitudes-about-contraception-and-pregnancy/) - A study has found more girls are using the rhythm method as a means of contraception, and a majority of both male and female teenagers think that it is okay for a single girl to have a baby. These are two of the findings in a study released by the Centers for Disease Control and
- [Should Parents Not Allow Teens to Drink?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/should-parents-not-allow-teens-to-drink/) - There is a new study out that suggests parents should practice zero-tolerance policy when it comes to teenagers and alcohol consumption. Researchers at Penn State University in the US claim that zero-tolerance does not contribute to alcohol becoming a “forbidden fruit” leading to drinking problems later in life. For parents of teenagers it can be
- [10 Things for Adults to Know About Teens & Grief](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/10-things-for-adults-to-know-about-teens-greif/) - Grief can be a difficult process for most people. It is particularly hard for young children and teenagers. It is during these two periods of life that we change and develop more than any other time in life. It is these changes that can make grief particularly hard for teenagers. There are many reasons teens
- [Teenage Girls Talk to Parents More](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenage-girls-talk-to-parents-more/) - Have you ever thought that teenagers don’t want to talk to their parents about sex, teenage girls talk to their mothers more than boys, and communication is proportionate to trust? Well you’d never believe it, but the research suggests that you are on the money! Apparently teens are willing to talk to parents about their
- [Teenager Literacy in Digital Era](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenager-literacy-in-digital-era/) - This is just a brief follow up post from a couple of days ago when I questioned the meaning of surveys that demonstrated kids in England were more likely to own a phone than a book (check out the post here). As I was conducting my daily wander through cyber space today I happened across
- [Teenage Computer Game Addicts](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenage-computer-game-addicts/) - I have never been one of those people who have really gotten into computer games. Partly it is because I think my hand finger co-ordination is probably not that good, and I never had them as a kid so I never developed the habit. However there was a point in life as an adult I
- [More Kids With Phones Than Books](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/more-kids-with-phones-than-books/) - The digital revolution continues to throw up new and somewhat bizzare stats. This is just another one for the list; kids in England are more likely to own a mobile phone than own a book. The National Literacy Trust in England surveyed 17,000 school students aged between 7 and 16. It found that over 85%
- [Why Are More Teenagers Out of Control?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/why-more-teenagers-are-out-of-control/) - An increasing number of teenagers are beyond the control of their parents and causing all sorts of problems. Apparently the number of these rampaging teens is growing. Figures from a government helpline in my home state, New South Wales, reported a 38% increase in 2009 from parents seeking help with their out of control teenagers.
- [Teenagers & Technology: 4 Myths About Digital Natives](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenagers-technology-4-myths-about-digital-natives/) - In an earlier post I briefly outlined the term Digital Native and how it has been used to describe the the relationship between today’s teenagers and the technology they have grown up with. For those who can’t be bothered looking up that post the basic thesis is; current day young people, who can’t remember the
- [Diagnosing Teenager’s Problems: Listen to Their Music](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/diagnosing-teenagers-problems-listen-to-their-music/) - Want to know what particular vice or psyhco-social problems the teen in your life is currently suffering, or about to suffer from, without spending a fortune on parenting courses, psychologists, or dvd box sets of Dr Phil? Well read on and save your teen, and your money. While conducting my daily scour of the internet
- [A New Kind of Star: Justin Bieber](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/a-new-kind-of-star-justin-bieber/) - Justin Bieber. If you have never heard of him then you are obviously not a tween and not spending a lot of time with tweens or teenagers. Justin Bieber is the current pop sensation of the “fans scream hystercially at the mention of his name” kind. In the same vein as Elvis, the Beatles, and
- [Teenager's Self-Esteem: 5 Ways Adults Can Help](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenagers-self-esteem-5-ways-adults-can-help/) - In my previous post I discussed what self-esteem is and some key factors that influence the self- esteem of teenagers. In this post I will look at 5 ways adults can help increase and maintain healthy levels of self-esteem for teenagers. Focus on Things That Matter to the Individual Self-esteem is the way someone evaluates
- [Teenagers and Self Esteem: Key Factors](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teenagers-and-self-esteem-key-factors/) - Our self-esteem, the general self evaluation one makes of oneself, can vary throughout life - particularly during major life changes. It's no wonder then that during the changes and challenges of adolescence there can be significant fluctuations in a teenager's assessment of their own self-image and/or self-worth. My next couple of posts will be dedicated
- [What is a Digital Native?](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/what-is-a-digital-native/) - Digital Natives was a term first used my Mark Prensky (2001) to refer to the generation of kids who grew up with digital technology as a given – those who don’t remember a world without the internet, mobile phones or mp3 players. The term is used to differentiate between those for whom digital technology is
- [Beginners Guide: IM & SMS Language](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/beginners-guide-im-sms-language/) - "Oh mum it was so LOL!" Part of living in the digital world, that many teens inhabit, is learning the lingua franca, or native language. Many of you may already be doing so and doing so very well - particularly if you regularly communicate via SMS or Twitter. However for some of you the native
- [74% of Teenage Boys Like Shopping](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/74-of-teenage-boys-like-shopping/) - According to a recent international survey 74% of teenage males stated they enjoyed shopping. Before you start thinking the survey is flawed it also found 92% of teenage girls like clothes shopping - so it’s not that out of sync with reality. Other interesting findings in the Habo Global Fashion Survey, which polled over 60,000
- [What Teenagers Think of Parents](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/what-teenagersthinkofparents/) - In the previous post I suggested that parents often doubt the role they have in their teenagers life and development. The doubt springs from 2 basic beliefs; teenagers don’t really need their parents, and teenagers don’t really want their parents. The previous post suggested 5 reasons why the first belief is misguided. This post will
- [The Teenage Space Race](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/the-teenage-space-race/) - Most of us realise that developing a sense of independence or autonomy is central to the process of adolescence. The need to cast off the identity defining reliance on significant adult care givers and establish a clear sense of individual definition and self reliance is a challenge that drives a great deal of teenage behaviour.
- [Concerts Come & Go – But Friends Can Last Forever (well at least longer than a concert)](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/eventsfriends/) - Just read an interesting post by Merideth over at Y Pulse which demonstrated a truth about teenage behaviour which is all too easily forgotten in our hyper consumer society- events are ultimately an excuse to hangout with friends. During the US recession teenage spending on movies and concerts dropped, but sales to that market of
- [Acne, Mobile Phones, & Teenagers.](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/acne-mobiles/) - I have been doing some thinking about the number of teenagers with mobile phones. There has been a lot of talk in the media recently about sexting, cyber-bullying, and the like. While these are serious and important concerns, little attention seems to be given to the context of these evolving problems. While not wishing to
- [The Waitresses Guide For Connecting With Teenagers](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/waitressguideteens/) - I was reminded of an old psychology study the other night by a waitress who served my wife and I when we were at dinner. Not that the waitress said anything about the study, but what she did do was kneel down next to where we were sitting resting her arms on our table. By
- [Teenage Depression: Causes and Prevention](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teendepression3/) - In the previous post we looked at 5 things you can do if you think a teenager may be depressed. In this thrid and final post we will discuss what are the possible causes of depression, and how to lower the risk factors for teenagers getting depressed. What causes depression? There is no one definable
- [5 Things to Do If You Think a Teenager is Depressed](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/teendepression2/) - In the previous post we looked at what constitutes depression and what some of the key indicators that suggest a teen may be depressed.In this post we will discuss 5 things you can do if you think a teenager may be depressed. Try Talking A great start is to try and talk to them about
- [An Adult’s Secret Weapon for Relating to Teenagers](https://understandingteenagers.com.au/example/) - Statistics have never been my strong point. Whether I’m collating them, remembering them, or using them, it just seems to be hard work for me. But one stat I have never had trouble understanding, remembering or using is this one: 100% of adults have been teenagers. Sounds obvious I know, and every one I tell

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