This Teenage Life

We cherish connection but in the pandemic, we’re struggling to foster the kind of closeness that comes from casual interactions with people. In this episode, we talk about our feelings of disconnection and how we’re trying to reach out and reconnect.

Today was a historically jarring and upsetting day — a mob raided and vandalized the U.S. Capitol. This isn't a normal episode. We made it in the last few hours and it's several of us processing our feelings and the surreal nature of today, trying to make sense of it all. 

It's a particularly weird holiday season. A lot of us are feeling particularly isolated right now. In this episode, we talk about our feelings of loneliness — when we feel lonely and what we do when we get these feelings. Also, we'd love to expand creative communities like ours. We're thinking of starting a listener-based This Teenage Life club. Email us at team@thisteenagelife.org if you're interested in joining:)

Clear skin, slim thick bodies — we’re often taught to associate our self worth with how we line up with societal expectations about beauty. In this episode, we speak openly and honestly about our body insecurities, where they come from, and how we are working on them. Below are awesome resources that help to cultivate more self-love. Here's: A video and article about what body positivity is. An incredible video by Dove that shows how the beauty industry sets completely unrealistic expectations about bodies. A This Teenage Life blog post about acne and an article about acne positivity.      

It can happen when you're filling out a form or checking out at the grocery store: an imposter-syndrome feeling that occurs when you're doing something "adult, while inside, you're still feeling like a total child. On this episode of This Teenage Life, we talk about feeling like awkward "pretend adults."

What does it mean to reach across the aisle and try to understand "the other side?" In this post-2020 election episode, we hear from two young people who founded a company called Civil Tea that's working to bring young people together to engage in dialogue.

We’re on edge. It’s a historic election, an extremely divisive moment in US history, there’s a pandemic and a climate emergency. We have all kinds of feelings as election day approaches. On this episode of This Teenage Life, we talk about our feelings about the 2020 presidential election.

Structural oppression is just that: structural. So without structural change, can our actions make a difference? In this episode, we discuss individual approaches to allyship and how these practices connect with our desires for a more just society.

Trader Joe’s meatballs in marinara sauce. Frozen grapes. Jalapeno chips. In this episode, we take a break from heaviness and talk about our favorite snacks.

Climate change is the biggest issue facing our world today, and has a special significance for young people as the generations most in need of change yet often without the opportunities to make change. In today’s episode, Molly and Olivia discuss climate change from a young person’s perspective.

Here at This Teenage Life, we’ve uncovered a phenomenon called “too muchness.” It’s a fear of being “too much” that can lead to self policing that holds us back from being our authentic selves. In this episode, we talk about our fears and critiques of “too muchness,” how it feels, and where we think it comes from.

It's a tough time. Fires. A pandemic. Political turmoil. When we're at home and feeling sad, angry, or anxious, what are some strategies we use to comfort ourselves? In this episode of This Teenage Life, we discuss what we do to make ourselves feel better.

Right now, many students and teachers are going "back to school," which looks very different this year. Many people will be experiencing school remotely, including us here at This Teenage Life. In this episode, we discuss our thoughts about remote learning, and explore our ideal scenarios for remote projects.

This Teenage Life is excited to announce our 10 for a Tee Challenge! If you can get 10 people to rate and subscribe to TTL, then we'll send you a limited edition This Teenage Life T-Shirt (or sticker, if you live internationally). In this episode, you'll hear all the details of the challenge. Thank you so much for listening to This Teenage Life, your support means a lot to us.

This episode was made in collaboration with a group of teens in Kabul, Afghanistan. Together teens in Kabul and California talk about times when they’ve “talked back,” and stood up for what they believe.

This episode was made in collaboration with a group of teens in Kabul, Afghanistan. Together teens in Kabul and California talk about beauty standards and moments when they feel empowered and beautiful.

This episode was made in collaboration with a group of teens in Kabul, Afghanistan. Together teens in Kabul and California talk about perseverance and times when they overcame societal expectations that got in the way of their goals.

Periods can be a sensitive subject. But at This Teenage Life we approach periods, and hopefully all things, with openness and curiosity. In this episode, we talk about our experiences of menstruation and our perception of periods.

In this episode of This Teenage Life, we talk about the phenomena of cancel culture on the internet and share our critiques and reflections.

It’s hard to replicate real life behind a screen. In quarantine, we’ve been trying to be ourselves and stay in touch with friends, but it’s challenging. As we end school and move into summer vacation, we’ve been learning a lot about ourselves, the things we’re struggling with, and the things we miss. In this episode, we give an update on our experiences being quarantined.