Episode #43- The Adolescent Teenager-Raising Happy and Successful Teens in an Age of Anxiety and Distraction

Today’s teenagers and preteens are growing up in an entirely new world, one that is defined by social media and mobile devices. This has huge implications for our parenting. Understandably, many parents are paralyzed by new problems that didn’t exist less than a decade ago, like social media and video game obsession, sexting, and vaping. A highly acclaimed sociologist and coach at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center and the author of Raising Happiness, Dr. Christine Carter melds research—including the latest findings in neuroscience, sociology, and social psychology—with her own real-world experiences as the mother of four teenagers. In The New Adolescence, you’ll find realistic ways to help teens and preteens find joy, focus, ease, motivation, fulfillment and engagement. The Doctor Dads discuss many of the themes of Dr. Carter's book. Important awareness that any parent or individual that works with kids should know. In this episode we discuss some of the following topics: • Providing the structure teens need while giving them the autonomy they seek • Helping them overcome distractions • Teaching them the art of “strategic slacking” • Protecting them from anxiety, isolation, and depression • Fostering the real-world, face-to-face social connections they desperately need • Effective conversations about tough subjects—including sex, drugs, and money The New Adolescence is a realistic and reassuring handbook for parents. It offers road-tested, science-based solutions for raising happy, healthy, and successful teenagers.   Christine Carter, PhD, is the author of The Sweet Spot (2017) and Raising Happiness (2011). A sociologist and Senior Fellow at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, Carter draws on the latest scientific research in psychology, sociology and neuroscience— and uses her own real-world experiences—to give parenting, productivity and happiness advice. A sought-after keynote speaker and coach, Dr. Carter also teaches online classes that help people live their most fulfilling lives. She lives with her husband, four teenagers, and dog, Buster, in Marin County, California.