Life as a teenager can be a pressure cooker. Am I good enough? Do I measure up? Am I cool enough? Did my post on Instagram get over 100 likes? Am I smart enough? Are mom and dad pleased with me? What am I going to do with my life? Teenagers are often overwhelmed today.
Teenagers on the brink of college life face all the same insecurities we all did. But there is something very different about the challenges they face today.
On more than one occasion I have thought to myself that I am SO glad that social media didn’t exist when I was navigating my high school and college years.
It was hard enough without everyone watching and offering commentary on my life. Can I get an “Amen”?
There is a fascinating article over at the Atlantic by Conor Friedersdorf “Were College Students Better Off Before Social Media?”
There is much in this article worth reflecting on if you have or care about teenagers, but the insight that really caught my attention was this:
“I wonder if the cost of making mistakes now feels too high to risk them as often.”
Why? Because (more…)
