Salutations, Ray of Resilience! 

With each new buzz and ping, apps have seemingly taken center stage in the ongoing dialogue about teen well-being. Sound familiar? This time, let's shift the spotlight. Our latest vlog unwraps a story not just about the digital world's giants but those behind the screens: our kids and us, their guides. WATCH IT HERE.

We've navigated this terrain, and our tried-and-true experience proves there's more beneath the surface. It's not about placing blame on Snap Map or another app du jour. It's about cherishing and nurturing the real connections — those heartfelt moments at home, where trust and guidance bloom.

Today's vlog introduces you to Addison's short experience with Snap Map: a fun app with a real-time friend locator map, and then the sting of being overlooked. We'll also touch on Ellie's struggle, caught between the digital age's pressures and personal well-being. These narratives echo the experiences of many, shedding light on the deep-seated need for genuine love, understanding, and mindful parenting.

Trust in our journey as we unearth these sagas, shedding light on the true essence of teen anxieties in a digital age. It's not just about understanding these apps; it's about the safe harbor of home, fostering an environment where our children learn resilience, worth, and the real essence of connection.

We're in this together, dear reader. I'm with you. Let's embark on this exploration, redefining the narrative and championing the profound influence of love and responsibility in our children's lives.
 

Parent Training for Anxiety: Stop Blaming the Apps

In a recent article published by the largest newspaper in the United States, I read about a phone app—who can keep up with them, eh?—that shows teens on a map where their friends are located in real time. Sounds fun, doesn’t it? Except that the article focuses on Addison, a 16-year-old who had just learned—from the app—that all her friends were at a party she had not been invited to. Big-time feelings of rejection. 

In March 2023, Common Sense Media reported that 45% of the surveyed girls said that location sharing had a negative effect on them. The girls say that location sharing can make them self-conscious about where they live and where they go. Some fear being stalked. Yet, by far the biggest cause of anxiety, they say, is knowing when they’re missing out.

This anxiety is part of the already-acute youth mental-health crisis, that U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has called “the defining public-health crisis of our time.” He said that social-media companies haven’t done enough to address the mental health of their youngest users.

Really? Again? Everywhere you read about teenage mental health, the blame is assigned to social media, phone apps, schools, gun laws, and everyone except the people who RAISED these kids and failed to love and teach them: the parents. 

The location app I just referred to, Snap Map, is used by 300 million people globally every month. The owners of the app deny all responsibility by saying that the app is “useful,” adding that the optional location-sharing setting is off by default and must be turned on by the user. This blames the kid, once again skipping the responsibility of the parents. 

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