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The influence of parents over and above the media influence on teenagersThere is a great deal of debate on the media influence on teenagers. And rightly so. Depression among teenagers is widespread in the western world.  It is my personal belief, however that the influence of parents is far more powerful than the media influence on teenagers. Yes, our children are more exposed now than ever to the media but that just means that we need to work a bit harder to counteract the effects of what they are exposed to.Research has shown that parents, more than anybody can promote their child's self esteem. Although teens are often shy to admit it, they need to know that they qualities they possess are valuable to the important adults in their lives.All parents want their children to have high self-esteem, but modern life is hectic and stressful and our lifestyles often don't give us enough time with our children. We sometimes give ourselves a hard time because of this, rather than seeing the value in the everyday things we say to, and do with our children that boost their self-esteem quite naturally.For example, every time we praise our kids they remember it. They take it on board and replay it in their lives. Those positive statements stay with them and form a part of their being.We can never be too generous with words of encouragement and praise. Just a simple "Wow, I really like that drawing, your art is fantastic!" and similar positive affirmations can make a big difference to a child or teenager's perception of him/herself.The media influence on teenagers is vastly reduced when it is counteracted by parents who consistently point out their qualities.Helping our children to see their own movement forward is also a great way to boost them. Children are at their happiest when competing with themselves rather than with others. They feel pressured when they are trying to play football better than Ben, for example, but feel challenged in a positive way when trying to improve their own game.It's incredible how using simple techniques such as these can counteract media influence on teenagers. The messages they see and hear simply don't have the same strength or resonance as the positivity they get from their parents.It's also important to remember that your child is different to your child's behaviour. It makes a lot of difference if we say, "What you just did was naughty", or "You are a naughty child." The first statement allows the child room to move forward. The second condemns him or her as a person, and reduces self-esteem.Depression among teenagers is not an insoluble problem. Neither is the media influence on teenagers.It is, however, down to parents, carers and educators to take care of ourselves, nurture our own self-esteem and teach our children to do the same.
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| Thanks to all your emails and questions, I've been able to tailor my book to the specific needs of those suffering from eating disorders and of those who are so desperate to help but don't know where to begin. Thank you all! My name is Kathy. I suffered from anorexia and bulimia for over 20 years. Thanks to the help of a fantastic cognitive behavioural therapist, I beat them both. |
I have written this book so that you can discover the secret of how I beat my eating disorder and began my journey towards a life of
| Based on the 5 years of therapy which got me better, my book will take you through the process of identifying and recognising the thoughts behind your eating disorder, and then eliminating them, replacing them with the positive thought patterns that will aid your recovery. |
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