Hoffman, Jan. “Teaching Teenagers to Cope with Social Stress.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 29 Sept. 2016
Jan Hoffman is a features reporter for The New York Times, with a long-time focus on adolescents. She says that new research suggests that students can find ways to deal with their stress and insecurities by learning effective coping skills. David S. Yeager, an assistant professor of psychology at the university of Texas at Austin preforms a study on students where they participated in a reading and writing exercise. This was done to instill a basic message to help them manage tension. The group of students who participated in this exercise had a decrease in stress levels, expressed greater self-assurance in managing stress and developed more confidence. The students were first presented with an article on brain science explaining the chance of personality transformation and then read former highschoolers stories where they discuss their experiences in school. Many former highschoolers who went through a lot of conflicts but overcame them. Finally, the students were asked give advice to younger students about overcoming difficulties and conflicts. This is so important to know about because it shows that coping skills do exist, and it can transform students into feeling more confident and less stressed.
- “If you’re an adolescent and you experience social harm, it’s not fixed that you will always be a target. You can change,” he said. “And over time, others can change, too. They may mellow and not be so cruel. That’s an interesting twist for kids to learn, and a good one.”
- “But it does boost kids’ self-confidence by changing their belief in their own ability to change.”
