Pickteen – Let Teens Learn From Their Mistakes

As parents, we may struggle to understand our teenagers, and that’s OK; these years can be challenging and need special people to navigate them successfully. That doesn’t mean we should pass judgment on their choices – some of the greatest learning moments come when teens learn from their mistakes!

Teenagers can be resilient individuals, yet their emotions often swing from extreme to indifference. Facing pressures related to peer groups, body image issues and hedonistic experimentation as well as those caused by social media, climate change, and even Covid, they can sometimes act impulsively and recklessly, even occasionally making reckless choices that seem reckless to an adult eye.

By looking beyond the stereotype of mean girls, we can see how their behaviors may simply be ways of dealing with insecurities and fears. Whether a girl cuts off friends or bullies other girls or skips classes – they are suffering and this knowledge helps us show kindness and insight.

Pickteen is an ongoing series that follows hundreds of kids over 24 years, documenting their experiences and growth. We will see how their choices impact both their own lives as well as those around them – we will witness when they land their first job, start dating or make important life choices; but also be there when their relationships end in heartbreak, they relapse into addictions or experience sexual pleasure for the first time.