I was chatting with a friend a couple of weeks ago about whether teens today have it harder, easier or about the same as we did in the 90s. We concluded that each generation of teens has its struggles that are uncommon to its parents.

Growing up in the 90s, we saw a lot of economic prosperity, the advent of personal technology and an explosion of creativity in the music and film industries. Our major tragedies—that I recall—were the Gulf War, bombings of federal buildings and the USS Cole, and a presidential impeachment. 

Teens today are more connected than any generation prior. Technology has made it possible for them to stream all their entertainment right into the palm of their hands. They’re also busier than we were in the 90s. Teens today have had adult-like schedules since they were school age. And in terms of world stresses, they’ve grown up with school shootings, a protracted war, a pandemic, and civil unrest to a level not seen in decades. Mix in social media, and you can see how kids today can easily become overstimulated by it all. 

This means that parenting teens today differs from how we were parented. That’s why we brought in one of the foremost experts in parenting as our feature story: Americas Supernanny, Dr. Deborah Tillman. She talks about how to parent teens from every angle. As our teens face a more challenging world than we inherited, understanding how to talk to them about what they see, think and feel can help them adjust and enter adulthood knowing they have the love and support of their parents. 

Also in this issue and, related to the feature, is our Ask Mom column. It addresses the question of how to help kids who are anxious that the world is ending. 

I hope you’ll enjoy this issue. Be sure to check out all the fun Halloween-related content we have, including some yummy no-bake recipes you can make with your kids.