Parents of teenagers can’t avoid headlines about how their kids are acutely vulnerable to the intoxicating pull of social media and relentless peer pressure. With so many external forces attempting to control their kids, is it even possible for parents to have influence?
Luckily, there’s some good news: New research shows parents shouldn’t give up attempts to communicate with their kids in a meaningful way. In fact, “parents have as much influence as teachers and as peers do, even in adolescence when it seems like they would rather eat nails than have a conversation with you,” says Jenny Anderson, a journalist who pioneered coverage on the science of learning at Quartz.
