Are you a trend-spotter? If so, you’ve probably noticed the hottest new thing: listening. Listening is hot. It’s about to blow up bigger than mindfulness, even. It’s been lurking backstage, this “listening” trend, biding its time as we saturate ourselves with news feeds and social updates and Kardashian-Jenner product shills. Maybe you caught a whiff with the…

Remember how in the ‘80s, we played records backward so we could “hear the voice of the devil”? Remember that shrieky cacophony? That’s the sound in my head when people say that to prevent school shootings, we need to arm teachers. They’ve got it in reverse. Adding more threat of violence to the dynamic in today’s schools is…

Algebra = not fun. Nipping out to McDonald’s = fun. AP history = so not fun. Hiding in the woods with friends during third block = extra fun. Chemistry = torture. Sleeping through the snooze button in a soft, warm bed = absolute bliss. Your average high schooler might use these equations to explain why…

When I read headlines about celebrities who have died by suicide, my first emotion isn’t sadness. It’s recognition — a gut-level click of understanding. My first thought? “I get it, friend.”   Is it not kosher to say that in public? Good. All the more reason to tell the truth. Given the rising suicide rates, it’s more important than…

If you have a teen — or, lucky you, many teens — in your life, it might feel like you live on different planets. Truly connecting with the teen(s) in your life may sound like an impossible miracle on par with winning the lottery or curing your own cancer by drinking green juice. But I’m not talking about…