2 - neurogility

Speaking of Teens

Episode#2: Is Your Teenager Under Too Much Pressure to Succeed?

WARNING: Although this episode is not about suicide, I do read a portion of a teenager’s suicide letter at the beginning of the show. If you’d rather, you can skip ahead approximately 1 minute.

You’re likely well aware that overall teen mental wellbeing has been in decline for a while, and the pandemic has made it that much worse. But even before the pandemic one area of research has, over a period of several years, uncovered a surprising trend. More and more teens feel tremendous pressure to not only succeed academically but to excel in as many ways as possible to be sure to get into a good college. Our narrow view of “success” is taking an enormous toll on our high achievers. Is it time to redefine “success” to improve our teens’ mental health and wellbeing?

Please feel free to reach out to me at acoleman@neurogility.com I’d love your feedback and ideas!

For Free Parenting Guides and E-books, go here.

Access transcript here.

Books on this issue:

“Denise Pope, Ph.D., a lecturer at Stanford University, published Doing School: How We Are Creating a Generation of Stressed-Out, Materialistic, and Miseducated Students in 2003, followed by Madeline Levine’s The Price of Privilege in 2008, and Jessica Leahy’s 2016, The Gift of Failure.

The following are some of the resources consulted for this podcast:

Attachment to the Social Construct of Success and the Myth of the "Good College": Effects of Toxic Stress on Affluent Adolescents

Public and private college grads rank about equally in life satisfaction

It’s Time to Tell Your Kids It Doesn’t Matter Where They Go To College

Students should focus on high school, not college – The Evanstonian

All the ways American teenagers are under enormous pressure to succeed

Survey: Teens Feel Intense Pressure to Succeed -- Even if it Means Cutting Ethical Corners