According to the World Health Organization, one in seven adolescents is living with some type of mental disorder (WHO, 2021). That’s not just “a few kids who can’t handle it” — that’s millions of teens worldwide. In the U.S., the CDC reports that about 20% of teens have felt anxious in the past two weeks and around 18% report feeling depressed (CDC, 2023). Translation: you are not the only one.

Let’s be honest: parenting a teenager can feel like you’re suddenly the least cool person on the planet. They don’t need you to tie their shoes, pack their lunch, or remind them to brush their teeth anymore. (Okay, maybe still that last one.) On the surface, teens look independent. But here’s the thing: emotionally, they need you now more than ever.

This stage isn’t the time to check out. It’s the time to d

Everything…isn’t…trauma. I know—it’s controversial to say in a world that hands out trigger labels like candy. But hear me out: when we slap "trauma" on every uncomfortable or mildly irritating experience, we not only devalue the real stuff that truly messes kids up, but we also undermine their ability to tolerate life—because spoiler alert: real life can be super messy.

Here’s the gist: around 2010, childhood got hijacked. Smartphones and social media went from “new shiny gadgets” to “appendages permanently glued to every teen’s hand.” At the same time, free play, independence, and responsibility got shoved to the sidelines (Haidt, 2024).

So now we have a generation growing up with less real-world practice in, you know, life… but way more practice in curating a TikTok persona.

Shocking twist: it’s not going well.

According to a recent survey, about 72% of U.S. teens have used AI companions, and more than half are regular users (Benton Institute, 2024). Even more striking, 31% of teens say conversations with AI companions feel just as satisfying—or even more satisfying—than talking with real friends (CBS News, 2024).

Let’s just rip the Band-Aid off: not everything that looks like ADHD is ADHD. I know, wild concept. But I’m seeing way too many kids in my office whose “symptoms” aren’t about brain chemistry — they’re about screen time. Yep. The glowing rectangles are wreaking havoc on your kid’s attention span, memory, emotional regulation, and yes — even their behavior.

You’ve probably heard that “mean girls” are usually just insecure. Well, science actually backs that up. (Shocking, I know.) Studies show that confidence isn’t just about feeling good in your own skin—it also affects how you treat others. A study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that individuals with higher self-esteem are more likely to engage in prosocial behaviors, like kindness and cooperation (Baumeister et al., 2003).