By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
How to make your teen feel good about herself
How to make your teen feel good about herself
Beauty is the opposite of perfection. It's about confidence, charisma and character. - photo by Shutterstock.com

We live in a society where being superficial is praised and accepted. In addition, social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, doesn’t help the situation. As a matter of fact, it plays a significant role. Oftentimes, public figures use these platforms to promote self-acceptance. Meanwhile, many of them are perfecting their bodies or behaving inappropriately. Whether or not they are doing it to stay relevant or because they are not happy with whom they are is not the issue. The issue is they are sending a mixed message — it is fine to say one thing but do another. This type of message affects vulnerable teens.

Witnessing how my niece and nephew fight off the peer pressure to look and act a certain way at school is courageous. Unfortunately, not all teenagers have the ability to fight back. Children pick up what they see on television and on computers. Without the proper guidance, they believe they have to look and be a certain way just to make it in the world or to have someone like them. By this point, teens believe they are not good enough.

I remember as a teenager I wasn’t always happy with the way I looked. There were days I wished I looked like the flawless models on the cover of prestigious magazines. Until one day my mother sat me down and explained how important is was for me to embrace who I was. It wasn’t easy for me to understand, at first. I struggled with the idea, but I slowly grew out of wanting to look like someone else and grew to love the way I looked.

Teaching your children to accept themselves the way they are sounds simple, but it isn’t. In most cases, it’s a tug-a-war between the child and his feelings. However, here are a few ways to help your child build his self-esteem.

Explain beauty comes from withinHave a one-to-one discussion with your teenager. This is the time to explain that beauty and happiness comes from within the person. Social media encourages the notion that beauty is all about the outside. But the reality is another. Intelligence, care, love and respect are just a few qualities in people that make them beautiful.

Maintain a healthy bodySometimes a child’s weight can increase or decrease due to diseases such as thyroid disease, causing ridicule at school or among friends. This will mentally and emotionally affect the teen by lowering his self-esteem. Ask the family doctor to suggest ways your teen can cope with the disease and with the mockery. In addition, ask him how your teen can keep up a healthy body.

Help him choose his own styleWhat teenager does not love shopping? Take your teen on an affordable shopping spree and let him explore his own style. It’s fine to give suggestions, but give your teen the space to figure out which style he likes and feels comfortable. Creating his own style will build his personality and self-esteem.

Praise himEncourage your teen to engage in different activities or projects. Congratulate him for his hard work. Teenagers need to know their parents are proud of what they have accomplished. They may have not succeeded in a particular area, but at least they made the attempt.

Emphasize self-respect.Teach your teen the importance of self-respect. If your teen does not respect his body or mind, no one will. Teenagers will meet all types of people — some will accept them just the way they are while others will find negative things to say. Nevertheless, he must learn to love and accept who he is.

Building your teens’ self-esteem does not happen overnight. It will take time. They may fall, but with your patience you will help them stand back up. Always remember to encourage and praise your children. Don’t leave it up to the social media or public figures.

Mayra Bitsko is a freelance writer, book reviewer, the author of A Second Chance and The Past Beckons and holds a master's degree in business administration-accounting. Contact her at www.mrsmbitsko.com

Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
93cbd7a5475cccd1cee701424125d3abaa9b4beaa58d3663208f656cbbbd7661
A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.