In a world with so much pressure to excel academically, make family proud, and maintain financial stabiliity, it can feel difficult to pursue creative passions. These passions often get pushed aside as school and career planning takes over. But what if creativity is part of your job? In this episode, the teens share their thoughts on favorite creative practices, how that's changed as they've gotten older, and whether or not they plan to pursue their creative passions in the future. We also chat ...
Sep 27, 2024•20 min•Season 7Ep. 4
Many of us grew up consuming tv, movies, or social media that portrayed teenagehood in a very specific way - parties, sweet 16 birthdays, first kisses, drivers licenses, sleepovers, and more! There can be pressure to do all these things while still a teenager, but is this realistic? In this episode, the teens discuss how they approach the typical "teenage bucket list," grapple with stress to be a certain way, and live authentically in the present.
Sep 20, 2024•22 min•Season 7Ep. 3
In this new series, we chat with individual TTL participants about their life as a teenager in this exact moment. This episode features Saniya, a 16 year old from Canada, as she discusses familial pressures, starting her junior year of high school, racial dynamics in her city, pursuing soccer, and more.
Sep 12, 2024•11 min•Season 7Ep. 2
Graduating from high school is an exciting milestone to celebrate, but it can also be overwhelming! No matter what path you take, there are so many new unique challenges to face like homesickness, “adulting” tasks, and building new relationships. In this episode, some of our participants in India share their experiences being out of high school and taking on the adult world.
Sep 07, 2024•22 min•Season 7Ep. 1
Finding your thing, your passion, your hobby — it's something so many teens and adults seek. Ellie, a teen based in New York City, was drawn to birds from a young age. Her interest has since blossomed into a much greater pursuit. In this episode of TTL, we dive with Ellie into her bird world. We reflect on how to translate what resonates with us into actions that connect us with ourselves, each other, and the natural world.
Aug 29, 2024•17 min•Season 6Ep. 40
The internet is often seen as a chaotic and scary platform, but is it still possible to find genuine connections on it? In this episode, one of our contributers, Maith, shares how a humble attempt to create a blog ( www.maithworld.blogspot.com ) turned into a treasure trove of friendships. This is the first episode in Tech for Humans with Maith, a new series where she explores the complicated relationship teens have with technology to facilitate more dialogues on the topic....
Aug 22, 2024•16 min•Season 6Ep. 39
This week’s episode, led by 15-year-old TTL contributor, Lydia, is about gun violence in U.S. schools and gun control. Teens based in the U.S. talk about their experiences with lock downs, lock down drills, and what they think needs to change in order to make our schools safer. Check out March for Our lives to see how you can join a movement to make our schools safer. https://marchforourlives.org/
Aug 19, 2024•18 min•Season 6Ep. 38
Summer break is wrapping up in the US and college application season is on the horizon for many high school seniors. This time can bring about immense pressure, stress, and self-doubt. It can also be very exciting. This episode documents the emotional dimensions of the application process for two college-bound TTL participants as they reflect on this past year.
Aug 08, 2024•20 min•Season 6Ep. 37
Join This Teenage Life participants for our first creative workshops in partnership with Culture Therapy! If you have ever wanted to learn how to make comics, write calligraphy, or meet and hang out with our team, please fill out this interest form . In this episode, you will get to know our first workshop leaders, Kashika and Cloe, and learn about their experiences with their respective art forms, how creating has helped them, and why you should join us for their workshops!...
Jul 30, 2024•9 min•Season 6Ep. 36
Birthdays can be a special time to celebrate the love and joy that comes with being alive. They can also be kind of...weird. Between planning parties, finding the perfect gift, navigating social media posts, being the center of attention, and a general expectation that it needs to be the best day ever, birthdays can often lead to stress or disappointment. In this episode, we hear from the teens about their experiences with memorable birthdays, party planning, gift-giving, and more. We hope this ...
Jul 26, 2024•21 min•Season 6Ep. 35
In times of stress, sadness, or loneliness, many of us turn to art to find solace and belonging. Whether it's a visual art practice, a musical experience, or a new hobby, creative pursuits can connect us to ourselves and others, supporting emotional wellbeing and mental health. In this episode, the teens share how they use art in their lives. Our friends from culture therapy also share their experiences. If you're interested in being part of art and creativity centered online workshops, fill out...
Jul 22, 2024•21 min•Season 6Ep. 34
For several of us at TTL, games like Minecraft and Roblox offer expansive digital universes in which we can make our own worlds and find other people with shared interests. In this episode, we hear from TTL participants along with members of the ExperienceCraft community, who use Minecraft as way to connect in the face of grief. Check out ExperienceCraft and and Connected Camps if you're looking for awesome ways to connect with teens interested in digital worlds and gaming!...
Jul 22, 2024•14 min•Season 6Ep. 33
For many young people, it can be hard to avoid the gossip, drama, and rumors that pass through the halls at school. While engaging in these behaviors can sometimes bring excitement, drama often leads to misunderstandings, hurt, and feelings of isolation. In this episode the teens discuss their thoughts on gossip, stories about rumors they have dealt with, and how to avoid school drama.
Jul 05, 2024•19 min•Season 6Ep. 32
It can be isolating and lonely to feel different from your peers, whether that's because of your identity, social and political beliefs, or simply the way you think about the world. Fortunately, there are so many others out there who don't fit within various social norms who ar ealso working to construct community. In this episode, TTL participants team up with hosts from the Future Perfect Project's podcast "I'm Feeling Queer Today" to explore what it means to be a "misfit," the strengths that ...
Jun 15, 2024•13 min•Season 6Ep. 31
The media is filled with stories about the global teen loneliness crisis. Yet, we rarely hear from teens themselves. In this episode, sponsored by Learning Enterprise at Arizona State University, we hear from teens around the globe about their experiences of contemporary loneliness, and how they're navigating it. We hope this episode helps to destigmatize loneliness so people realize: while you might feel lonely sometimes, you are not alone in that feeling. To learn more about ASU and This Teena...
Jun 09, 2024•26 min•Season 6Ep. 30
High school seniors are about to graduate, and many will head to college. Starting college can come with a whole set of uknowns and distorted expectations of how the transition "should" go. In this episode, This Teenage Life contributor, Ummul, shares voice recordings of herself and her frieends from their freshman year. They share about their experiences navigating the transition to their new academic, residential, and social lives.
May 28, 2024•19 min•Season 6Ep. 29
Grown-ups can often talk about teens and social media in a way that fails to capture real teens' experiences.The directors of the Center For Digital Thriving (CDT) are different — they get it. In this episode, TTL teens meet with CDT directors Emily and Carrie to discuss the mental gymnastics of navigating our relationships with tech and social media. We hope this episode can inspire more conversations about teens and tech that are grounded in the experiences of teens themselves. For resources c...
May 10, 2024•17 min•Season 6Ep. 28
In celebration of Earth Day, we made this episode about a person who, in the face of climate change, chose to take a risk and make something new. In partnership with UNICEF USA, This Teenage Life teens speak with Alexia Akbay, founder of Symbrosia , a company that grows seaweed. When fed to cows, Symbrosia's product reduces cows' methane emissions. To learn more about UNICEF's Innovation30 effort, supporting young climate innovators shaping the future, check out their website ....
Apr 22, 2024•14 min•Season 6Ep. 27
This past March, TTL celebrated its 5th birthday! In this episode, the teens share stories of how they joined TTL and what the community has meant for them. All our current participants used to be listeners. If you want to join us too—or reach out and request and episode topic or say hi—feel free to email us at team@thisteenagelife.org
Apr 14, 2024•25 min•Season 6Ep. 26
How do we stay resilient in the face of procrastination shame and test anxiety? When our bodies are in fight and flight and our brains are not thinking straight, what should we do? In this episode, the teens teams up with Arizona State University professor Jamie Valderrama, who teaches various stress management courses, to learn about the neurophysiology of stress and techniques they can use to self-regulate and be resilient in the face of stress flare ups. Thank you to Arizona State University'...
Apr 02, 2024•17 min•Season 6Ep. 25
In this episode, the teens discuss their experiences on group chats — sharing stories about social dynamics and feelings of inclusion and exclusion. This episode features the amazing work of Emily Weinstein and Carrie James at the Center for Digital Thriving (CDT). Their research inspired this episode. Learn abotu their work at: Behind Their Screens , their amazing book CDT's website and their resources on thinking traps . CDT's new app , which is great to do with family and friends to discuss t...
Mar 25, 2024•33 min•Season 6Ep. 23
In this episode, the teens chat with Aleeza and Fonzo, the hosts of The Moth’s teen podcast, Grown — here on Apple podcasts and Spotify. We discuss our daydreams and anxieties about growing up and becoming people we want to be.
Mar 23, 2024•20 min•Season 6Ep. 22
In this episode, TTL participants reflect on their varied experiences throughout the pandemic, from its beginning to what things are like now. The teens discuss anxiety, social changes, and dealing with complex grief. Some of the participants featured in this episode helped create a Teen Vogue article about high schooler's experiences during the pandemic, which you can read here: https://www.teenvogue.com/story/the-class-of-2024-didnt-know-high-school-without-covid
Mar 13, 2024•20 min•Season 6Ep. 21
This week's episode is about climate and eco-anxiety. The teens discuss their grief about the climate emergency and other environmental crises. They then talk about transforming their feelings into shared action. Thank you to UNICEF USA and Anya Kamenetz. Look out for a future episode about young climate innovators and their inspiring solutions.
Mar 09, 2024•19 min•Season 6Ep. 20
Inspired by one of This Teenage Life's newest members, this episode is about one young person's experience navigating identity development and middle social dynamics while also grappling with her experience of autism. If you are interested in sharing a story or want to request an episode — email us at team@thisteenagelife.org .
Mar 03, 2024•16 min•Season 6Ep. 19
Yesterday was Valentine's Day in the U.S. and so it feels apt to revisit a topic from a previous episodes: crushes. In this episode, we share our thoughts on having crushes (or not), what it feels like, how and with whom to talk about our crushes, and much more.c
Feb 16, 2024•19 min•Season 6Ep. 18
In this episode, TTL participants explore their own insecurities and interview Gracie and Clyde Lawrence from the amazing band, Lawrence— here on Youtube + Spotify —about how music can serve as an outlet for reframing past and present insecurities. This episode was made in collaboration with PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs ' podcast On Our Minds ."...
Feb 16, 2024•26 min•Season 6Ep. 17
This is an episode about two teens who have experienced being bullied and who are working to overcome it. Being bullied can take a toll on self esteem and mental health. It can feel like you're the only one going through it and it will never end. Even though it does end, there is still more we could do to stop bullying and to support people being bullied. At TTL, we are all about destigmatizing speaking out and making sure people don't feel alone. Listen to our episode to hear our stories but in...
Feb 16, 2024•13 min•Season 6Ep. 16
In this episode, Rani, one of the teen contributors to This Teenage Life, shares about her relationship with poetry. She describes how it became an important outlet for creative and emotional expression. Overcoming criticisms, she has stuck with writing, and it continues to be a faithful friend. Check out Rani's work on Instagram @a_brokencorwn .
Feb 16, 2024•8 min•Season 6Ep. 15
The holidays are a complicated time for many people. They bring up all kinds of feelings — nostalgia, cozyness, goals for the future, and anxieties about those left behind. Two days before the commencement of our next cycle around the sun, we share an episode with you that we made exactly a year ago. It's reassuring to hear this and reflect on the cyclical nature of time. We are so grateful to have you as a listener and, as always, love hearing from you. Feel free to reach out, and say hi or sha...
Feb 16, 2024•20 min•Season 6Ep. 12
