Inside Out 2 brilliantly expands on its predecessor, delving into Riley’s turbulent teenage years. Directed by Kelsey Mann, the film reintroduces familiar emotions alongside new ones, dealing with the complexities of growing up.

Riley, the central character, is now a teenager navigating the complexities of adolescence. As she faces puberty and transitions to high school, her emotions are thrown into turmoil. The arrival of new emotions challenges the established harmony among her existing emotions.

This sequel captures the essence of emotional complexity, making it relatable to both younger and older viewers. The animation is superb, and the voice acting remains exceptional.

Inside Out 2 is a beautifully-crafted, emotionally-rich film that continues to set a high standard for animated storytelling. I highly recommend watching the original Inside Out before diving into this sequel to fully appreciate the continuity and character development.

The post Inside Out 2 appeared first on The Teenager Today.

The post Guilt appeared first on The Teenager Today.

Life as we know has been altered with the fast-paced environment around us. And as we learn to grow and adapt to the changing demands, there is a heavy focus on achieving excellence. However, the bid to excel often puts emotional well-being in the back seat. A person’s ability to understand, comprehend and deal with their emotions shapes their personality significantly.

Studies have shown that the lack of ability to understand a situation can directly affect or hamper one’s growth. Identifying and communicating is an integral part of development. The human mind and its reactions have always intrigued me, captured my curiosity and has been a starting point of many of my explorations. As a student of psychology, I plan to dig deeper into such pursuits in a more structured format.

Growing up, I realised that teenagers, including me, find it very difficult to identify and express what we feel in a healthy manner, which is why I understand the importance of being able to talk about your emotions openly from a young age as it translates into a future ability to do the same. Middle school is perhaps the most eventful time as a child as it sets the tone for adult relationships. A child during this phase of life goes through a lot of emotions, and I wish I had better tools to help and understand what I felt. This is the time when one is no longer a toddler and has to navigate relationships and feelings independently. Social dynamics get more complicated and you start having stronger feelings, reactions and opinions.

Subscribe to The Teenager Today print / digital editions to read the full article.

The post 3 Steps Towards More Meaningful Conversations To Encourage Emotional Intelligence appeared first on The Teenager Today.

Social media is an amazing platform for you to share your most memorable moments and biggest successes with your friends, family and the world. But have you ever stumbled upon a post or story online that made you feel a certain kind of way? A pang of jealousy, perhaps?

Maybe it was a friend sharing a major accomplishment, and while part of you was happy for them, another part felt a pang of envy that you haven’t had the same success or maybe it made you question yourself and feel inadequate? This mix of feelings is more common than you might think, and it’s a scenario that many teens, like Aarav, experience in the digital age.

In one such instance, Aarav found himself wrestling with unexpected envy when he saw a post from a classmate who had won a prestigious environmental science competition. Despite being an advocate for environmental activism himself, Aarav felt overshadowed by his classmate’s achievement. This complex cocktail of admiration and jealousy took Aarav by surprise, prompting him to reflect on his own values and how he chooses to interact online.

Initially tempted to leave a snide comment or make a passive-aggressive post, Aarav was able to realize that these impulses stemmed from his envy rather than the supportive spirit he aspired to embody. This moment of self-awareness was crucial; it led him to genuinely congratulate his classmate, thereby transforming a moment of personal turmoil into one of collective celebration for their shared cause.

Tips for managing envy and for being supportive of your peers online

1. Always Acknowledge Your Feelings: It’s perfectly natural to feel envious at times. By recognizing and understanding these emotions, you have taken the first step towards managing them. Sometimes just simply acknowledging them helps makes it feel less overwhelming.

Subscribe to The Teenager Today print / digital editions to read the full article.

The post Navigating the Waves of Online Interactions appeared first on The Teenager Today.

As I open my eyes to the gentle rays streaming into my room, I am excited. The solitude and quiet of the early morning hours allows me to appreciate that I am alive, I have a new day with immense joy and opportunity ahead of me. A wave of peace rushes over me followed by a thought: How could I extrapolate that peaceful feeling to those around me — to my family, my neighbours, my community, my country and my planet? It’s not that difficult to do things a little differently.

Come to think of it, human beings have been able to avoid extinction because we can change. Change is the only constant. Adaptability is what we have in abundance. A sense of hope fills me as I envision a peaceful world, one that is accepting. A world where judgement is left in courtrooms where opinions are not impulsive and latitude for expression is gracefully given. A world which is inclusive, where differences are viewed with wonder and curiosity rather than suspicion and fear. The first step would be to cut out the noise, the verbosity, to communicate with empathy and not ego. To communicate simply without jargon and ambiguity. To communicate, to create, not to destroy.

The duality of our present is a bit perplexing. We have a million words for social media but very few for our friends. It is easier for us to make excuses rather than ask for help. We spend time on the construction of our sentences rather than thinking about the consequences they will have. In a world of emojis and short messages, we have clearly lost sight of the longer story.

Subscribe to The Teenager Today print / digital editions to read the full article.

The post Create A New Tomorrow appeared first on The Teenager Today.

Most of us are adept at using smiley emojis or emoticons on social media. Smileys are popular; we use them to convey emotions of happiness. Dentists nowadays publicize their profession in terms of ‘smile works’ by highlighting smile makeovers, artificial braces, teeth whitening, etc., and some business ventures are named Smiley. Gifts galore appear on sale with a smiling face as an expression of love and happiness. Remember the old jingles for toothpaste which used a smile to sell their products? Do smiley pictographs always bring a smile to the one receiving them? It all depends on the state of mind or environment of the receiver. The sender cannot be sure about the reaction of the receiver. In reality, smileys on digital media can never truly express feelings and emotions.

Could it be that, engrossed in the world of smileys and glued to our gadgets and computers, we have forgotten to smile at one another? A smile is a conscious or subconscious movement of facial muscles conveying mirth or pleasure. Smiling enlivens us as we look up from our gadgets and look at the ones around us with a welcoming smile, a kind smile, a confident smile, or a caring smile. Your actual smile can make a huge difference. Poets have been inspired to write beautiful lines on the effects of a smile. Let’s see where a smile wins over a smiley.

Subscribe to The Teenager Today print / digital editions to read the full article.

The post Do you have a Sunshine Smile? appeared first on The Teenager Today.

By nature, humans are friendly, pleasure-seeking, compassionate, kind, giving and forgiving creatures. Our “nature” or personality really comprises of unique inclinations that we cultivate in our thinking, feeling, and behaving to serve ourselves as well as connect with the larger world around us. Yet, from infancy and childhood, as we advance into teenage and adulthood, seeds of negativism begin to sprout. And some of them blossom into large spanning trees that colour our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours negatively. This unconstructive thinking clouds rational judgement and interferes with personal, academic, and interpersonal advancement.

You don’t feel good when you’re angry, sad, frustrated, upset, jealous or aggressive, right? By repeatedly feeling these negative emotions you could develop a thinking error that is commonly called a negativity bias. Like an anchor that locks the ship at sea, this makes you focus on that one bad thing even if there is a mountain of good things right in front of you. Think about the following situations:

• When your teacher (who always loves your work) told you once that your assignment wasn’t good enough, you can’t stop thinking about how bad you are.
• When your best friend’s invitation to a party does not reach you due to a technical glitch, you think that your friendship has ended.
• When you were asked to speak in front of the class, and your mind went blank, and you could not think of what to say, you felt like you were stupid.
• You said something about a friend in front of everyone that embarrassed him, and now you feel you cannot face your friends anymore, ever again.
• Your parents did not acknowledge your dance performance and you thought that nobody ever appreciates you or notices that you’re good at what you do.

All of them may have made you feel like you are not good enough or others are insufficient and that the world is an unfair place. You could become cynical and passive-aggressive too. You might change your outlook towards yourself and others and become pessimistic or negative. However, with deliberate effort and practice, you can learn to let go of negative thoughts and create a more optimistic outlook towards your life, irrespective of the bad that happens to or around you.

Subscribe to The Teenager Today print / digital editions to read the full article.

The post 5 Hacks for Positivity appeared first on The Teenager Today.

Dear S.M., thank you for opening up for the first time. I can imagine how tough this situation has been for you. I do not suggest you open up to anyone who you are not comfortable with. When we share something with someone, we generally expect certain answers of reassurance, and if you are not getting those and don’t feel validated enough, it is best not to disclose your past. I also feel it is very important for every person to have a source of venting. If you don’t receive that from someone known, I suggest you speak to your school counsellor who will certainly guide you better. Being in a traumatic household, focusing on studies can be very difficult, however, I also want you to know that if you wish to live separately in the long run, you would need to be independent financially and emotionally. One of the keys to this is by focusing on your academics now so you can be capable enough to move out and find yourself the right sources. At this point you are very young and naïve; I don’t want you to fall prey to any bad influence or listen to anyone advising you wrongly. Your past will take time to get buried, but what you do in your present will ultimately curate your future.

The post I am a sad and mortified kid appeared first on The Teenager Today.

Ever since I started college, I have been looking forward to being a ‘working woman’. The suits, the desks, the paycheck … all of this makes it look so glitz and glam. I grew up watching my father enjoy the perks of it all. But little did I know of the grind.

And there I was on 12 June 2023, in my neatly-ironed shirt, trousers, laptop in hand, and close to zero expectations. I walked into the office, and the image of a large, noisy office was replaced by a minimal set-up.

My first few days are a blur. I felt alien and stupid. The feeling of incompetency is so hurtful to a young person trying to survive in a new environment doing their best. The purpose of this internship was to be exposed to the corporate world, and boy, was I exposed. Every day, I saw new challenges. It was like jumping hurdles in a race with no visible finish line. I could not see the end!

The straw that broke the camel’s back was one day that I remember so vividly. I walked into the office with my first project completed. But the feedback I received was not even close to what I expected. It felt like I was back to day one — lost, confused. I wanted to run home as I had been away for over six months and I could not bear this environment anymore. I left early that day.

I’m not proud of what I did, but all I knew was that I needed to feel safe that day because I had hit rock bottom. From that day onwards, I set a new goal and priority. As an engineering student who had just completed second year, I decided to go back to my purpose and remind myself to be a student. My priority was college deadlines, following instructions from my professor and finishing this evaluated internship to the best of my ability.

Today, as I sit here at my desk for the last time, I feel okay. But most importantly, I feel ready to move on, which is not a bad thing. I feel accomplished that I have fulfilled my purpose in the past two months and survived it physically and mentally. I have completed a long list of firsts and an even longer list of learnings worth introspecting.

During the course, I felt emotions that I could not describe and that nobody seemed to understand. I felt lonely and isolated, but it also re-taught me how to survive alone. Having supportive family and friends gives you a sense of comfort. But what happens when they are away from you, and most importantly not on the same wavelength as you? This reminded me of the strength within — the little voice in your head — the voice that matters most. Your own thoughts, views, opinions, feelings — they’re the most valuable part of your conscience and will remain as long as you live.

This was my experience and yours may be different. It reminded me of how much I love studying biotechnology. My academic mind was in denial of this love, after it got blinded by the universally-set route of attaining degrees to get jobs and earn money. I feel blessed to have gotten this opportunity that reminded me of my purpose, my aptitude, my joy.

One day, I may look back and disagree with my current opinions. But for now, this is me signing off from a desk job and getting back to my books, microscopes and bacterial cultures for as long as life allows.

The post Muddy White Collars appeared first on The Teenager Today.

Growing up isn’t easy! Being a teenager means having a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. It’s understandable to feel frustrated and lonely when you can’t find an empathetic ear. Don’t lose hope because you can help yourself feel better. Here’s what you can do when no one understands how you feel:

1. It’s okay to be not okay

Feeling misunderstood is upsetting. Often, our immediate response is to get over the feelings of unhappiness as fast as we can. And that’s where the problem begins. Feelings don’t go away when they are swept under the rug or buried. It is important to acknowledge that you’re feeling gloomy. Take a minute to be okay with not being okay, because nobody in the world is a hundred per cent happy all the time.

Subscribe to The Teenager Today print / digital editions to read the full article.

The post 5 things to do when no one understands how you feel appeared first on The Teenager Today.