Raising Greener Teens is a part of the EcoParent Podcast Network: https://www.ecoparent.ca/podcasts

About the Episode:

Social Media is changing the teenage brain and interfering with the work a teenager must do to prepare for their future selves, but teens are also more dependent on social media than ever. What can a parent (and teen) do? In this episode Hayley Newell explains how the teenage years are the time for individuation where teens go from relying on an outside authority to an internal authority. To do this, dopamine forces them to feel more at this time to light the emotional spark and help them overcome the fear and reservation needed for them to “launch”. Social media interferes with this dopamine response and encourages passivity, it puts your teenager (and you) into situations ruled by mob mentality, and their social interactions are being controlled by an outside influence that makes money from grabbing their attention. Hayley guides us in thinking about how to question and survive social media, cancel culture, and our own relationship with our phones. Then my teenager simplifies it all in her “Teen Splain”.

Guest Bio & Links:

Hayley Newell is a registered therapeutic counselor and regular educator and podcast guest on issues related to the brain and nervous system. “Go to the source. Ask teenagers about their experiences. What are the challenges and the needs?” she says. To help you learn more she encourages everyone to read the book the The Teenage Brain: A Neuroscientist's Survival Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults. Learn more about her, her work, and her suggested reading at HayleyNewell.com

About the Show, and your Host:

Are you a parent to a teenager? For most parents, the teenage years can be the most challenging. Parenthood will make the best of us rethink our fundamental values and question our preconceived beliefs. The Raising Greener Teens podcast invites listeners to use their skills of curiosity, research, and humour to further develop as experts in the care of their family and to help guide the teens in their care to do the same.

Host Manda Aufochs Gillespie is the author of Green Mama & Green Mama-to-be, creator of the award-winning website thegreenmama.com, and founder of Folk University (folku.ca) and FolkU radio. She interviews doctors, naturopaths, sex educators, brain researchers, drug counsellors, parents who seem to be doing it better, and all sorts of interesting people in this series to provide inspiration to parents of teens and pre-teens, and—hopefully—teens themselves. Join Manda and her teenage daughter as they ask the experts: Is this the way it’s supposed to be?

About the EcoParent Podcast Network:

The EcoParent Podcast Network helps busy families live a healthier, greener lifestyle. Our host experts are imperfect, real, busy parents just like you who share ways to lower our collective carbon footprint and practical strategies that make a difference to your family’s health, the planet and to our children’s future. We offer raw, honest conversations and actionable advice across our six podcasts: pregnancy & birth, pediatric wellness, kids’ nutrition, green beauty, healthy home, and raising greener teens. Join us and get inspired to live a more sustainable, healthy life! www.ecoparent.ca/podcasts

Partnerships:

Audio magic on this episode was performed by the incredible Kattie Laur.

This pilot episode was made possible with support from Ontario Creates.