Today’s teens face challenges that are both reminiscent of and different from those faced by Millennials and Gen X. Like their predecessors, today’s teens are thinking about the future and balancing their busy social lives with school. But today’s teens grew up as digital natives with social media at their fingertips, and their use of digital and online spaces to socialize and connect with others only grew during a pandemic that isolated them physically. And now more than ever, teens face social and political upheaval that impacts nearly every aspect of their lives.

 

With all of these challenges, how are teens doing? What is their mental health like and how do the ways they spend their time – in-person or online – impact it? How do social media and time online help or hinder teens’ well-being? Delve into teens’ brains to learn about their well-being, how digital tools can help them, pitfalls to avoid in their online world, and how teens navigate their increasingly hectic lives.