This Teenage Life

After 400 years of oppression and the brutal murder of George Floyd, the Black Lives Matter movement has swept the nation bringing people to demand an end to racist policing. In this episode, we share our feelings on the recent events and how they have impacted us. To all our black listeners: We stand with you and we love you.  Antiracism Resources: bit.ly/ANTIRACISMRESOURCES Books related to antiracism: White Fragility, link by Robin Diangelo, Michael Eric DysonMe and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad How to be an Antiracist, link by Ibram X. Kendi Bad Feminist, link by Roxane Gay  Related petitions you can sign (takes less than a minute):  https://www.change.org/p/mayor-jacob-frey-justice-for-george-floyd https://www.change.org/p/andy-beshear-justice-for-breonna-taylor  https://www.change.org/p/glynn-county-distric-attorney-justice-for-ahmaud-arbery A youtube video that has ~1 hr of music and art from black creators — the ads (don’t skip them!) generate revenue and are donated to a variety of

Not all of us have a fur baby to cuddle up next to, but for those who do or have had one, I think we can say with certainty that they cause immense joy. During these times where we are spending more time at home, we get to be with them for a lot longer. Sometimes they love that, but some of them might get annoyed. In this episode we take a dive into our relationships with our pets from the past and present and how they are like a family member, vital to our changing realities. 

During these times, many teenagers are stuck at home with their parents — for better or for worse. In today’s episode, Olivia has a conversation with her mom about their relationship, motherhood, and what it means to be a mom during this pandemic.

Adolescence can be messy. 13 is a particularly challenging time — friend groups can be tricky, puberty can be disorienting, and in general, at 13, a lot of people seem to feel insecure about belonging. In this episode, we talk about our experiences being 13.

We only know the voices in our own heads. But most people have some kind of inner monologue. Sometimes our inner monologue can go in circles or be negative, especially when we're alone. And we're alone a lot more these days. In this episode, we share what our inner monologues sound like, and what we do when we want to shift from being negative to having a more positive outlook on the world.

As the routines of our lives shift and we confront the reality of spending weeks, if not months, at home, we talk about how we grapple with and experience boredom and how we use it to start new hobbies and develop new creative projects.

Kindness matters, especially during this dark time, even if what you're doing doesn’t seem like a big deal. In this episode, we talk about small acts of kindness that we’ve noticed recently and how they’ve affected us.

COVID-19 is a global pandemic. We're grateful to be healthy, and are also grappling with staying at home, without school or social interaction with friends. In this episode, we video-chatted to talk about how our thoughts and experiences of COVID-19 have unfolded thus far.

Have you ever wondered what you'll think of yourself when you look back on your teenage years? In this episode, we hear stories from young(ish) adults in their 30s reflecting on their teenage lives.

Moving from one country to another can be especially difficult. It can be hard to grasp the nuances of a new culture and you’re often misunderstood. In our final episode of our moving series, we hear stories of international moves.

In this episode of our moving series, we hear stories about how people have adjusted or are currently coming to terms with living in a new place.

This is the first episode in our multi-part series about moving. In Part 1, a young woman shares her story of choosing her own path, moving 300 miles away from her home.

Sometimes we’re overly self-conscious about how we’re seen by other people. In this episode, we explore how we change our behavior when we want other people to like us.

In high school, exploring your gender identity and sexual orientation can be a part of constructing your identity. In this episode, we discuss our experiences with queerness. 

Do you believe in love? Have you ever been in love? How do you feel about having a romantic relationship in high school? In this episode of This Teenage Life, we talk about love.

Sometimes parents make stuff up. This is especially the case when we're little. From Santa to where babies come from, in this episode, we share stories about the lies parents told us as kids.

What is adulthood? The idea of becoming an adult is exciting, but also scary. On this episode of This Teenage Life, we discuss our fears about adulthood.

When we're awake, we may not be aware of the strange and surreal worlds in our minds. When we're asleep, they come alive. In this episode, we share stories of odd dreams that continue to haunt us.

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.      

There are times when you feel powerful, and times when you feel like you've lost your power. This episode is about small moments experienced by a group of teenage women; times when they felt like badasses, and others when they felt just the opposite.