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Teen Mental Health in the Digital Age: Strategies for Parents
What's in this episode
Parenting teens today isn’t just challenging—it’s completely different than it used to be. In this episode of the Where Parents Talk podcast, host Lianne Castelino sits down with clinical psychologist Dr. Jerry Weichman to unpack what’s really driving the rise in teen anxiety, stress, and emotional overwhelm—and why so many parents feel unprepared to handle it. Drawing on nearly three decades of experience working with over 6,500 families, Dr. Weichman explains how social media and smartphones have fundamentally reshaped adolescence. Today’s teens aren’t just dealing with peer pressure—they’re navigating a constant stream of comparison, validation, and unrealistic expectations that can deeply impact self-esteem and mental health. At the centre of the conversation is what Dr. Weichman calls “electronic addiction”—the compulsive, dependency-like relationship many young people have with their devices. He breaks down why this is happening, how it affects developing brains, and what parents must do to set effective boundaries without damaging trust. But this isn’t about fear—it’s about action. Dr. Weichman offers clear, practical strategies to help parents shift from reactive to proacti