Is your child facing peer pressure and self-image issues?

Teenage years are often filled with confusion and trepidation. Youngsters find themselves under immense pressure when it comes to their self-image. From stress in school to body image issues, from round-the-clock social media scrutiny to the pressure to outshine the competition, most teens today are constantly fighting these mental battles. In some cases, teens may also find themselves overly dependent on their peers because they begin to develop self-doubt.Let us try and understand this better, peer pressure is when your teen chooses to do something they otherwise wouldn’t. However, it is not necessarily bad at all times. Sometimes, peer pressure can also help your teen excel when the peer group is focused on leading a more productive life. When their outlook is not marred by shallow distractions often found on social media, and if the peers focus on the right things. It is about understanding your young one and their circle of influence that can shape their future.
Invisalign system, which is the world’s most advanced technology for teeth strengthening, is spreading smiles across the globe by helping people “transforming smiles and changing lives”. An orthodontic innovation like none, Invisalign aligners have played a key role in increasing the confidence in children who require braces without hampering their lifestyle. Invisalign’s #TransformYourTeens initiative, the brand is conducting a webinar series to help parents understand their teens better. A #TransformYourTeens webinar was conducted recently on 12th March 2021 on the theme “Peer pressure and self-image issues faced by teens”. The lively webinar was moderated by Chhavi Mittal, a multi-faceted actor, producer, and writer who also happens to be a mother and a home-maker. This hour-long webinar had professionals like Priya Kumar, an internationally acclaimed motivational speaker with over 25 years of corporate training experience, and Dr Tapasya Juneja Kapoor, an orthodontist, a key opinion leader, and speaker for Invisalign in India.
The conversation began with Chhavi talking about how with the right guidance, teens can not only navigate issues related to self-esteem with much confidence but can also learn to understand their personalities better. Essentially cultivating a more balanced attitude towards life in general. Both the experts shared valuable insights on the theme to help parents empathise with their kids to understand them better, to strengthen their relationship. The anecdotes shared by Priya and insightful information on cosmetic changes, procedures, and orthodontic check-ups by Dr Tapasya made it an interesting session. Being a mother herself, Chhavi also shared her experiences and took the listeners back to her teen years.
A parent raised a rather interesting question during the session- As parents, should they be picking and choosing friends for their kids? And whether that would be an imposition? Priya’s candid response was that it wasn’t. She shared, “It’s not an imposition. We are putting the right people in their space for them to make a difference later in life. We make a lot of choices for them till a certain age, and I want to request that up to a certain age, give them full exposure to goodness, intelligence, personality, and great values, so when they move out of that zone, they can see the difference to make an informed choice.”
Taking the conversation on the self-image issue in teens forward, another interesting question was raised to Dr Tapsaya. A parent asked, “We are talking about self-esteem. Wouldn’t braces cause issues for my kid at school or sports or would it not hamper their confidence? To answer this one, the Dr. explained, “There are children who say they want braces because my friends have braces. On the other hand, there are equal numbers of kids who are very conscious about their smiles. Certain children are not very comfortable with putting on braces. But today you have options. Invisalign, of course, is a totally invisible option. As a doctor, I provide all the options to educate them. We have the initial conversation with the parent and the kid where we understand the child’s perspective. Digital solutions like Invisalign is the preferred choice among teenagers. You can visualise the end result at the start of the treatment. Invisalign also does not interfere with the lifestyle of teenagers at all. It is a very comfortable solution and the most advanced technology for teeth alignment.”
Chhavi and Dr Tapsaya, mothers themselves, shared their experiences, knowledge, and understanding about how teens today can face low self-esteem and become reclusive and unnecessarily self-critical, often causing them to aspire for unreal beauty ideals. Parenting is a challenge like no other, and when the advent of the teenage years, the whole dynamics of your relationship with your offspring changes. Parents often struggle with finding ways to help their teens get on a healthier and more successful path. So, every parent must be open to understanding their teens and the issues that plague their day-to-day lives. Only through the path of empathy and dialogue can parents support their teens. The question is, are you on it?
For free smile assessment click here & to hear the full riveting discussion, you could click here.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the Doctor and speakers are their independent professional judgment and we do not take any responsibility for the accuracy of their views.
Disclaimer: This article has been produced on behalf of Invisalign India by Times Internet’s Spotlight team.