18 Year Old Male: Vaping/Social Media/Religion

18 Year Old Male: Vaping/Social Media/Religion

Teen describes how easy going his parents are. Did this style of parenting contribute to the major change in his beliefs?

In this episode of A Teen’s Perspective, host Dr. RJ Jackson interviews 18-year-old college freshman RJ Jakala. Together they discuss his upbringing and high school experiences.

To begin, Jakala discusses his very relaxed upbringing with his very trusting parents, an experience which he believes is less traditional than most of his peers’. His parents believed in
creating a path to foster their children’s independent exploration. He shares a story when the trust was broken with his parents, even though no consequences followed.

He shares the strictness of his mom and how she enforced many rules at an early age. In comparison, his dad was the laxer parent. He states that he still goes to his mother for help, and
to his dad for permission. He even shares a childhood story in which his dad let him and his younger sister watch a rated R movie without his mom knowing, although she later finds out.
Jakala also gives an inside look at his diverse and competitive high school, and how this affected his teenage years. During this time, there was a lot of peer involvement with drugs and
nicotine products, such as vapes and Juuls. Social media also influenced his experiences in high school. Dr. RJ and RJ Jakala discuss how “followers” and “likes” can affect your popularity
and social circles.

Jakala shares his faith journey through his teenage years. Even today, his parents never pressure him to share their faith but encourage him through his journey. Jakala explains his
difficulties with the Christian faith as he navigates choosing a religion. Now, Jakala continues to make large life choices as he chooses a career path. He hopes to work for a large tech company, possibly in marketing and sales. He is also shadowing his dad in the real estate world.

To conclude, Dr. RJ recaps what parents can do when they have different beliefs with their teenagers and how they can respond. He discusses how to best support your teen and how to
ask questions to gain a greater understanding.

If you are interested in learning how to coach your teen, visit coachyourteen.com

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