The Teenager Today has been more than just a publication over the last 61 years. It has been, like the flamingo in the story, a beacon of inspiration and knowledge for countless teenagers and young adults all over the world fostering personal growth and helping in personality development. But, the magazine has faced lately insurmountable challenges, particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite our best efforts to increase the subscriptions, the financial losses incurred have been unredeemable.

Therefore, it is with profound sorrow that we have to take this hard and painful decision of the closure of The Teenager Today with the current September issue. This decision was taken after various discussions, negotiations and long deliberations. We are aware of the impact that The Teenager Today has had on its readers at large over these long years across generations. We deeply regret for any disappointment or inconvenience this may cause you, our dedicated team, and our loyal patrons.

We would like to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who have been contributing to The Teenager Today over the years. The unwavering dedication and loyalty from our talented writers and editors to our passionate readers and supporters have been the driving force behind the magazine’s success these past 61 years.

While the print edition of The Teenager Today may come to an end, we remain committed to our mission of empowering and inspiring young minds especially through its sister publication Inspirational Quote. We are exploring alternative ways to continue delivering value based content and resources to teenagers and young adults, albeit through different platforms or formats.

Once again, please accept our heartfelt apologies for any pain or disappointment caused by this hard decision. We are immensely grateful for your understanding and support during these challenging times. Thank you for being part of The Teenager Today family over the years.

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Ikigai for Teens is an insightful and engaging guide that introduces teenagers to the Japanese concept of ikigai, which translates to “reason for being”.

The authors, Héctor García and Francesc Miralles, emphasize the importance of finding one’s passion, purpose, and joy in everyday life. It encourages teens to explore their interests, talents, and values to discover what makes their lives truly meaningful. The authors combine practical advice, personal anecdotes, and wisdom from Japanese culture, creating a comprehensive guide that is both informative and inspirational.

One of the standout features of Ikigai for Teens is its actionable exercises and reflections at the end of each chapter. These activities help readers apply the concepts to their own lives, fostering self-awareness and growth. The book also touches on various aspects of teen life, including relationships, education, and future career choices, making it a holistic approach to personal development.

Overall, Ikigai for Teens is a valuable resource for young readers looking to find direction and fulfilment.

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“Aunty Malini, you and Uncle Alex, please sit and chat with Dadi-ma and Papa, while I go in and prepare breakfast for you,” said Malini’s nephew, Obaid.

“Breakfast?” blurted out Malini. “Nothing, Obaid beta! You go out and play while I fix breakfast myself for all of us!”

“But Aunty, we’ve all had our breakfast already! So, it’s only for you two that I will prepare something.”

“No, beta,” said Malini, thinking to herself, ‘what breakfast can this little teenager make other than bread-and-butter, I wonder?’

But no! Obaid would not take no for an answer and, on the contrary, prevailed upon them to spend time chatting with his grandparents, saying, “You have both come such a looooong distance to see Dadi-ma and Papa! So, I think Dadi-ma and Papa will be very happy if you do just that!”

The Secret of Bliss

Incidentally, Malini and Alex were visiting the former’s parental home after a gap of nearly three long pandemic-ridden years after having relocated to Mumbra, a town some 30+ km away from Mumbai, shortly after their marriage. Incidentally, Malini couldn’t help but notice that her parents, the Charpoys, both in their mid-seventies appeared to be at the peak of old-age bliss. But of course, it wasn’t long before she was to discover the secret.

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Do you have dreams? Surely you do.
Do you have questions? Yes, yes many!
Then this article is a one-stop solution for your confusion.

Futurefocusindia.com is an educational insurance policy! 25 years of finding the right career opportunity — “People to Better Organizations”. Now, we present a career quiz followed by counselling, blogs, info, food for thought and goodies that will make you happy even though you are stressed out.

We had launched an online Mumbai Inter School English Elocution Competition which had over 200 entries. Then we had 10 finalists who competed for the coveted awards, trophies and the like. This was for a comeback and to reach you.

Now what? Read The Teenager Today which will have appetizers for you. Send queries of your career dilemma. Write your thoughts in poems, songs, and blogs. Your career queries will be sorted after doing the free online quiz with a counselling session on appointment basis. The launch, which took place on 19 January 2024, had a great attraction. The hearing impaired presented the national anthem in sign language! That is inclusion as per the NEP. We are starting 100 hours of skill training to help you with your graduation or to help those who cannot reach the graduation platform, and to enable the hearing impaired to earn a livelihood. So that’s from us — be with us through our website Futurefocusindia.com and The Teenager Today and live a happy life. You are the future of our country and of the world. 

Future Focus India is backed by their parent company, RMG Plus (P) Ltd, a 25-year-old Executive Search Firm, an HR consulting company.

The elocution competition was partnered by The Teenager Today — a 60+ year-old magazine published by BETTER YOURSELF BOOKS, Mumbai. The finalists enthralled the judges who had an extremely difficult task to select the best of the best. The topics, My Happy Family and My Dream School, were in complete alignment with G20 initiatives. For My Happy Family, the finalists enthused ideas of not just the immediate family, but a larger concept of everyone being one big family, and how to appreciate and make things better for people living within the same four walls of a house. The idea of difference between a home and a house, woven by a tapestry of love, came out loud and clear. For My Dream School, many innovative ideas emerged, some of which both the NEP and the G20 initiatives could think about for implementation, and if they wait a little longer, probably the students who presented the ideas will themselves implement them!

The online process was no less tough since the numbers of participating students were high. The judges who helped in the online elimination process were Mrs Nirmala Goklani, Mrs Duru Kalro and Mr John Neelankavi. Through their untiring efforts, we had the best 10 for the finals.

What did the eminent judges at elocution finals have to say? Dr Omkar Bhatkar, Media Sociologist, said, “Many common thoughts and ideas that were similar, but provided from different perspectives were expressed, indeed notably taken note of.” Mumtaz Syed, an Astronomer, Space Learner and Teacher, was amazed at the levels of expressions and variety of perspectives for the same very topic. Swati Kapadia, CEO of Forum of Free Enterprise, expressed anguish at the difficulty in selecting the best from among the best. All the judges faced a tough challenge to select the best three.

The competition was interspersed with addresses by Future Focus India’s Chief Career Counsellor, Shailaja Mulay, and Wellness Counsellor, Dr Manjari Mathew Melmane, and an introduction to music with an engaging demonstration by Furtados School of Music, clapping in tune and rhythms. Two hearing-impaired students, who also participated in the competition, delivered their elocution pieces so that the audience understood their difficulties and learned to empathize with them.

The highlight of the morning was the performance of the National Anthem by the hearing impaired students of VSS Pragati Vidyalaya, Dadar (W), Mumbai, which gave everyone goose bumps. Their performance was exemplary and received a thunderous applause. We also learnt in sign language how to clap, cheer and rejoice with a few movements of our hands.

The programme ended with a vote of thanks by Merwyn Sequeira, Director, RMG Plus (P) Ltd., who thanked all the eminent personalities present, the judges, the teachers, coordinators, principals, parents, children and all the sponsors (RMG Plus (P) Ltd, The Teenager Today, Furtados School of Music, Harakh, Kafi Cosmetics and Treatfully Yours), without whom success would be limited.

The winners, Aaron Lamonde (Class 9, Ashok Academy), Amreen Shaikh (Class 9, St Charles High School), and Raina Pendurkar (Class 8, Apostolic Carmel High School), walked away with the first, second and third prizes respectively. Besides a certificate and trophies, the winners also received a one-year subscription to The Teenager Today. The other seven finalists received a three-month subscription to the magazine.

All the 10 finalists walked away with their heads held high and better prepared to participate in many more competitions in future. To us at Future Focus India and The Teenager Today, we saw bright students who will light the lamp of the future and become great leaders!

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The transition from childhood to maturity occurs during the adolescent years, a time of tremendous growth and change. Although this stage offers much potential for personal growth and self-discovery, for many teenagers it can also be a period of intense psychological stress. Let’s examine the causes and consequences of psychological stress in teenagers and talk about coping mechanisms they can adopt during this trying time.

Causes of Psychological Stress in Teenagers

Academic Pressure: As students move through high school, there may be an excessive amount of pressure and expectations placed on them. An increase in stress levels can result from pursuing scholarships, college admissions, and excellent grades. It can be emotionally draining to worry that one won’t achieve the academic goals that one has set or that one’s parents and professors have set.

Body Image and Self-Esteem: Teenagers frequently struggle with concerns about body image and self-esteem, which are impacted by social ideals of desirability and beauty. Negative self-perception can lead to tension, worry, and, in certain situations, the development of eating disorders.

Family Dynamics: Stress in teenagers can also be influenced by shifts in family dynamics. Teenagers may argue with their parents who are undergoing a divorce or separation, which can make them feel uneasy and unprotected. High parental expectations may also increase pressure on them to perform well in school or extracurricular activities.

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“You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax, all you need is a book.”
— Dr Seuss

Reading allows us to learn about life, stretch our imagination, and broaden our perspective. Reading is a way to learn from people through their experiences and stories. Books allow us to use our imagination, share ideas, obtain information and inspire people through stories. Therefore, World Book and Copyright Day, is celebrated on 23 April to promote the enjoyment of books and reading.

Here are five timeless classic books that every teenager should read.

ATOMIC HABITS by James Clear

If you are looking for ways to instil good habits and get rid of bad habits, this is the perfect book for you. Atomic Habits is a comprehensive guide to creating and maintaining habits that lead to success in any area of life. The author emphasizes the importance of creating habits that are “atomic” — small, incremental changes that when combined, create significant impact. The book provides a step-by-step process for habit formation, including how to create an environment that supports good habits, how to set achievable goals, and how to overcome common obstacles to habit formation.

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Shyness is the worst thing that can happen to any teenager. It’s the most terrible experience to be asked to sing a song in front of others and you are sweating in fear. Then there’s living up to the expectations of your parents. As a kid, I was carefree and relaxed all the time, but like I said, everything has changed now.
At school, when I look at the more popular and cooler girls than me joking and laughing with boys, I feel jealous. I know I can never be like them, so I try not to bother. Beauty is nothing without brains.

I had recently taken up the ‘hobby’ of standing in front of the mirror for hours and wondering about my own beauty. My parents found a way of putting a full stop to it. “You are standing in front of the mirror for hours, isn’t the mirror big enough to show you that you’re getting fatter day by day?”

The most horrible day of the year is the day when the exam results are declared. The same, “We don’t care even if you get a zero, we love you and the most important thing is to learn”, comes from the mouth of every parent. But if I do get a B grade in Science or any other subject, it will be the end of me and my happiness for the next few days!

If you are a teenager or nearing your thirteenth birthday… good luck, my friend!

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Our thoughts and ideas are far beyond our age,
They are simply sometimes bound in a cage,
Cage of society, cage of concern…
There is absolutely no ill will, remember,
In parental care and protection.

I had bound ideas once too, you see,
In a cage of my own lacking self-esteem.
But eventually overcame and I came through.
Preached my thoughts like a preacher would.

With confidence in my voice and a sparkle in my eye,
I didn’t care if someone walked past with a sigh.
Persistence, I realised, was the key to my door,
That could move the world and break the floor!

I had bound ideas once too, you see,
But I realised fighting to be heard was necessary.
You are reading a piece of my mind in the future’s past,
Because thankfully someone thought of giving me a chance!

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Cast: Neha Saji, Kavitha Rajesh, Rajesh Ramakrishnan, Navin Augustin, Adithya Chandra Bose, Sreehari Rajesh
Director: Sreehari Rajesh
Rating: * * *

Sreehari Rajesh, 16-year-old teenager, is an independent, amateur filmmaker. Sreehari has made six films already; three each in 2020 and 2021. Niha, his latest project, can be summed up in a sentence: School-going teen suffers cyber exploitation. This ambitious, youthful endeavour (Malayalam language with English subtitles), to give due credit to the filmmaker, is embellished with fine camerawork, decent editing and a tuneful music score, but diminished by a virtually non-existent screenplay.

In the film, the titular protagonist is cajoled and bullied on the phone into sending her photos to an anonymous caller (clearly, a sexual predator) who morphs them and shortly after, demands images of her best friend.

The central character exhibits a moody, withdrawn persona. Much in the manner of some teenagers in real life, the celluloid single child, Niha, is uncommunicative with her parents and only becomes animated in the company of her school buddy, and presumably, social media chats.

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