This Teenage Life

This week, we have another thrownack episode for you: All about climate and eco-anxiety. The teens discuss their grief about the climate emergency and other environmental crises. They then talk about transforming their feelings into shared action.

This week, we're re-releasing our 2022 interview with author and naturalist Sy Montgomery. Life can feel especially lonely if you think humans are the only creatures on this planet. Getting close to animals and the natural world can help us connect with ourselves and each other. On Earth Day 2022, we spoke with Montgomery about forming deep relationships with animals and how getting to know animals can change us.

Today, we're throwing it back to a Season 1 of This Teenage Life with a re-release of the episode "Parents Are People Too."
As kids, it's often hard to see that parents are not just parents. They're human beings who have their own needs, emotions, styles, fragilities, crushes, etc. In this episode, we talk about moments when we began to discover that parents are, in fact, people too.

In this episode of This Teenage Life, teens discuss what independence means to them: how they discover it, the challenges of balancing freedom with still being a "kid," and how their sense of independence evolves from high school to college.

It can be challenging to navigate between being yourself and trying to fit in. It can feel vulnerable to express enthusiasm yet nonchalence can get in the way of making true friendships.
How do we create honest and authentic friendships with other people? What has worked or not worked for us in the past? In the spirit of starting off 2026 with some reflection, hope, and desire for increasing authenticity, we share this episode on friendship. Happy New Year! 
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