• Prequel
  • Posts
  • šŸ™„ Teens and parents canā€™t even agree on the one thing they agree on

šŸ™„ Teens and parents canā€™t even agree on the one thing they agree on

Plus: AI can be ā€œerraticā€... Kids donā€™t want to be accountants... You donā€™t want them to be ā€œneetā€... And more!

šŸ‘‰ļø On Tuesday, I shared some advice from UPennā€™s Vice Provost:

ā€œPushing a student into one of todayā€™s hot careers is unlikely to produce a lifetime of self-realization and happiness.

And when parents focus on narrow careerism instead of seeking to raise inquisitive and ethical children, they not only risk preparing kids for the jobs of yesterday; they also tend to create bored and unfulfilled careerists.ā€

-Ezekiel J. Emanuel

šŸ‘ Many of you reached out in agreement, including one Med School professor:

ā€œI always told my medical students to build their ā€œtalent stackā€, as the job they will love hasn't been invented yet.ā€

šŸ‘€ If you missed this story, you can catch up on it here.

In todayā€™s issue:

šŸ“Š Flash poll: Time to teach life skills.

šŸ«£ News you need to know: Why life is so hard for teens these days.

šŸ§® Notable nibbles: AI can be ā€œerraticā€, kids donā€™t want to be accountants, you donā€™t want them to be ā€œneetā€, and more!

FLASH POLL

Whatā€™s the biggest challenge you face when trying to teach your kid life skills?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Source: Canva

Itā€™s never been harder to be a teen. But why?

According to a Pew Research Center study that was published this week, both parents and kids think that itā€™s harder to be a teen today than it was 20 years ago.

Ok ā€” we can pretty much all agree on that. šŸ¤·

But the most interesting insights this research revealed were the reasons why ā€” and how those reasons differed between parents and kids. šŸ‘‡

When parents were asked why itā€™s harder to be a kid these days, their top response was ā€œsocial mediaā€ (41%), followed by ā€œtechnology in generalā€ (26%).

ā€œSocial media is a scourge for society, especially for teens. They canā€™t escape social pressures and are constantly bombarded by images and content that makes them feel insecure and less than perfect, which creates undue stress that they canā€™t escape.ā€

ā€”FATHER, 40s

ā€œKids are being told what to think and how to feel based on social media.ā€

ā€”MOTHER, 40s

But when kids were asked the same question, their top response was ā€œmore pressures and expectationsā€ (31%), followed by ā€œsocial mediaā€ (25%)

ā€œWe have so much more homework and pressure from other kids. We are always being looked at by everyone. We canā€™t escape.ā€

ā€”TEEN GIRL

ā€œAdults expect too much from us. We need to get good grades, do extracurricular activities, have a social life, and work part time ā€“ all at the same time.ā€

ā€”TEEN BOY

Throughout the course of this entire research project, 65% of parents mentioned some form of technology when explaining why life is harder for kids these days.

That number dropped to 39% for teens, meaning theyā€™re largely blaming their hardships on factors that have nothing to do with technology. šŸ¤Æ 

Why do you think that is? šŸ§ 

Hit reply and let me know!

Story Source: Pew Research Center

NOTABLE NIBBLES

Source NYT

Iā€™ve got my finger on the pulse of stories that matter to you šŸ‘‡ļø

šŸ§‘ā€āš•ļø Donā€™t send your kid to school with a fever: Duh. šŸ¤¦ And here are 4 less-obvious things your kidā€™s school nurse wants you to know.

šŸ§  When it comes to mental health, the time is NOW: If you want to avoid mental health issues for your kids in their adulthood, address them while theyā€™re still kids.

šŸ¤– AI is as ā€œerraticā€ a humans: If your kid is using AI to help with their math homework, you might want to check their work before they turn it in.

šŸ«˜ Gen Z doesnā€™t want to count beans: Kids are no longer interested in becoming accountants.

ā›” You donā€™t want your kid to be ā€œneetā€: And no, this has nothing to do with being tidy.

šŸŽ¬ Plans for this weekend?: Inside Out 2 is officially the only animated film to ever hit $1 billion at the box office. My guess is itā€™s pretty darn good. šŸ¤·

šŸ‘‚ ICYMI: Teach your kids to stop responding ā€” and start understanding.

Hope you enjoyed todayā€™s issue!

Until next time,

Ivy

CEO ā€” Prequel

Follow my journey on LinkedIn

What did you think of today's issue?

Your feedback helps us create better newsletters for you!

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.