3 Ways To Talk To Your Teen About Skin Health
Adolescent Acne: 3 Ways To Talk to Your Teen About Skin Health Teen health is a tough topic that every parent will have to address at one point or another. From sex education to bodily changes, and hormones, talking to your teen about personal health and wellness is paramount. One personal hygiene topic at the forefront of many teens’ and parents’ minds is acne. No teen wants to deal with dreaded breakouts, pimples or skin imperfections, but countless do. If your teen is dealing with acne, it is important for you to do your best to offer support. In order to get that conversation started, here are three ways to better support and talk to your teen to address acne and the importance of skin health. Remind Them They are Not Alone Your teen may feel that they stick out or feel a sense of isolation due to their acne. It is your job to help remind them that they are not alone. Perhaps you yourself had to deal with acne as a teen or have friends whose teens are going through the same thing. Remind your teen that acne is very common and many face a breakout here or there. To help support your child, you can have them connect with other teens who have acne and ask them what tips they have and what is working for them. Your teen will value that they have someone their own age to get advice from. In addition, they can look for inspiration from skin-positive influencers as a positive way to leverage social media, and connect with others that can relate. Help With Stress Management Stress can play a role in teen acne. In a study concerning acne and stress, researchers found teenagers who were under high levels of stress were 23% more likely to have increased acne severity. This is why it is so important to help your teen with stress management. Teens are under a lot of pressure, from school to friends, extracurricular activities and coping with the pandemic. All of this combined can be very overwhelming. Recognizing the signs of stress and managing it can make a big difference in skin health. Have your teen determine ways that can help them when they are under increased stress. Some strategies can be deep breathing, mindfulness or meditation. Encourage A Skin Care Regimen Assist your teen in developing a dedicated skin care routine that can help to
Teen Activist Hannah Alper Sets Sights on Changing the World
Teen Activist Hannah Alper Sets Sights on Changing World Hannah Alper, a 17-year-old advocate and blogger, is out to change the world. Her work has impacted many lives through her insight on climate change, social justice and anti-bullying. She has not only written a book titled Momentus, but she also speaks at conferences and TED Talks around the world. She also recently appeared in a documentary called CitizenKid: Earth Comes First, which raises awareness of climate change issues and empowers kids to take action. “I never thought that I was too young (to become an activist), I just did it,” she said when asked about her many accomplishments as a young teen. INBETWEEN sat down with Alper to talk about her experience as a blogger, activist and motivational speaker and what she plans on doing next. In your blog and in your social media you are able to portray endless positivity. To what do you owe this enviable trait? My parents have always taught me to be a passionate and positive person. I am always called passionate, positive and optimistic. With all of the issues going on today, I could not do what I do without bringing positivity. There are so many things that we can do even though there are a lot of problems in the world. But we can be that change together. What is your biggest motivator? My parents. They have been to Washington and Kenya with me. I can talk to them about the issues I care about and share my experiences with them. I would also say that those young people that make a difference in the world also motivate me. They make me feel as if I am not alone and that there is always something you can do to make a difference. In a world where social media is on the rise and many young people are starting to gain their own voices, what would you say to young bloggers who want to make a difference? Keep going. I truly believe that social media is the biggest and best tool that we can use to change the world. If anyone is struggling with getting people to pay attention and join a movement, you need to keep going. We always need more people to share what they care about and social media is one way that we can begin that change. Social media is a truly incredible place and kids often
10 Teen Slang Words You Should Know
10 Teen Slang Words You Should Know Every generation has their own, unique way of influencing language, like creating slang that only their peers will understand. Today, as Gen Zers enter teenhood, many Xennials and Millennials will be hard-pressed to understand exactly what on earth they’re saying. With new cultural reference points and trending speaking styles coming from celebrities, shows and memes – basically, the Internet – now may be the time to follow in Oprah and Gayle’s footsteps and freshen up on your teen slang. “Slang is, by definition, just informal language. In that sense, slang shouldn’t be considered “degraded language” but, rather, a variant of the predominant variety used by a community of speakers. From a sociolinguistic perspective, adolescents are generally the primary drivers of language change. They are more daring and creative with regard to language and they innovate much more than do speakers in other age brackets. This tendency to innovate language is part in parcel of the cognitive development that teenagers experience during adolescence, which sees them asserting their independence from their family unit and forging strong social connections with peers. Peppering their everyday speak with slang terms known primarily or exclusively within the peer group helps to solidify the new social bonds”, says Jennifer Dorman, Instructional Designer in Didactics at leading language app Babbel. So you can get down with the kids – linguistically, at any rate –Dorman shares some of the most popular teen slang today, along with definitions: Skrrt: Rapidly leaving / expression of excitement The easiest way to wrap your mind around this term is to think of the sound a car makes as it’s driving away at high speed, with its wheels screeching. It’s pronounced similarly to ‘skirt’, but usually in a high-pitched tone, and was first popularized in rap songs to convey the rapper trying to get away from something, or someone. Waste man: Worthless person A waste man is a negative term to refer to someone who makes poor decisions, acts poorly or is not doing much with their lives. Finsta: Fake / Fun Instagram This term is another attempt by teens to deceive their parents and was originally used to refer to a ‘fake Instagram’ account, which would be used for posts you don’t want your parents, or wider family, to see. The meaning has since grown to include any secondary or fake item, like a second Twitter account, or a secret phone. Cancelled: No longer relevant Frequently used when speaking about celebrities who are considered no longer relevant, or have said or done