Adolescence is a period when people face misunderstanding and miscommunicate with others more than at any other life stage. It is challenging to make life-changing decisions and enjoy your present being. Adolescents seek support from their parents who, alas, adults forget that they were once teenagers themselves. How can you support your teens and let them know how much you care? Cheryl Eskin, the program director at Teen Line, shares observations she has gathered over the years.
August 12th, 2021
Inzhu Mukhametkali
Teen Line is a teen-to-teen hotline based in the US, where teenagers can talk to trained peers about the problems they are facing. At the age of 14, Cheryl became a listener at Teen Line which is where she works now. “I was drawn to the program because I was always a person people would come to with their problems. I loved talking to people about what was going on and trying to help,” says Cheryl. She joined Teen Line in her first year of high school and stayed there for four years. “I think this is what made me go into the field. Just the way I felt. It was something I could see myself spending life doing. And working with teenagers has always been my passion.”
It is hard to be a teenager today
“It is hard and scary. There are certain things that haven’t changed, but when I was a teenager, not everything I said or did could be captured online.” Fortunately, we don’t have photo or video evidence of all our most infamous moments. Even so, teens are surrounded by gadgets and social media that may harm their social image. Cheryl says that social media can make teens feel left out, especially when they see what other people are doing. It is the century of selfie-culture, when it stresses people out to post a perfect picture. They need 20 takes to finally choose one that deserves to be posted on their profiles.
