![]() What body positivity means to today's teensĮstrogen, evolutionarily speaking, is a very groovy hormone and master regulator in the brain. Today's teen girls are bombarded with messages about their bodies. When estrogen comes on board during puberty, it is particularly powerful at increasing a potent stress response to unmitigated stressors, and there is good reason for that. Of course, this is true for boys and everyone on the spectrum, too, but it is especially true for girls. Nakazawa: Puberty is a super vulnerable time for girls’ brain development. And then we have to layer upon that the stark reality that girls routinely face added threats like sexual harassment, rape and violence against women by virtue of being female.ĬNN: And girls’ brains are particularly sensitive to these stressors? ![]() It’s all heating up, literally, and social media platforms are created to increase the intensity of emotion. They learn that the more clothes you take off, the more “likes” you get, and that their bodies are going to get evaluated.Īdd to this the threats of global warming, school shootings and everything else. They are more likely to be “liked” or “disliked” based on their looks, and sexualized, than boys. Once they are on social media, the focus on appearance hits girls especially. Social media's focus on appearance is hard for girls, who may be "liked" or "disliked" based on looks. We’ve replaced that with a fast-moving culture and have also added in social media, which kids are not supposed to be on until age 13, but many get on much earlier. Our children are missing that important part of childhood, those in between years, ages 7 to 13, when they should be doing things like hanging out with their friends and lying in the grass to chat about whatever. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.ĬNN: What is it about this moment in time that makes life so much more emotionally challenging for teenage girls?ĭonna Jackson Nakazawa: There is so much focus on performance and competition. CNN spoke with Nakazawa about new brain science on girls and puberty, and how our fast-paced, online lifestyle doesn’t work well with our psychological needs. In her new book, “ Girls on the Brink: Helping Our Daughters Thrive in an Era of Increased Anxiety, Depression, and Social Media,” Donna Jackson Nakazawa looks into why this is the case, and what we can do about it. ![]() Research shows sharp spikes in depression and anxiety among girls in recent years, at rates notably higher than boys. Girls are growing with a rising number of external pressures, making their transition into teen and adulthood far more psychologically disturbing than it used to be. WSJ: Facebook knows Instagram is toxic for teen girls
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