059: Helping Teens Integrate Their Compartmentalized Selves

More and more parents today are saying their kid is one way at school but act a totally different way at home. Parents hear rave reviews from teachers about how kind, respectful and conscientious their teen is at school or in public, but parents are confused because their teen seems to only behave this way at school. In this week's episode, Roy addresses this phenomenon which he says is not at all new. Roy has experienced teens displaying different selves and personas in different aspects or roles of their lives, what Roy calls a "compartmentalization of selves. Roy explains that social media has only exacerbated this behavior, which is not necessarily a problem as all people have multiple selves. Roy suggests that parents and other adults admit this truth to teens in an appropriate way so that teens understand that adults can relate. While changing selves is normal, a lack of consistency between different selves may hold consequences a young person has not considered. Roy encourages parents to those living or working with teens to ask teens about this issue and how they see their different selves and offers further tips to enable teens to visualize and realize the dynamics involved in these situations without a condemning or judgmental tone. Today's Teenager podcast is produced for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to nor should it be used as a replacement for professional counseling Roy has established Today's Teenager as a non-profit organization dedicated to covering the expenses of therapy sessions and other mental health services for teens and families that would otherwise be unable to afford them. Visit todaysteenager dot com for more information. Dr. Dore and her staff embrace their orthodontic patients like family. In addition to traditional metal and ceramic braces Dr. Dore enjoys using Invisalign clear aligners, and she is an Invisalign “Preferred Provider." Call her today for a free exam and Live Life Smiling at (337) 267-SMILE, or click here to learn more about Dr. Dore and her practice.