Every Teen Needs One Thing They Can Feel Good About

A hard watch but an important one

I don’t watch a lot of television; I’m usually too busy trying to get better at golf or, lately, shoveling snow, but this week I watched “Adolescence,” a 4-episode series on Netflix about a thirteen-year-old boy accused of killing a female schoolmate. The story was fictionalized, but it was based on several incidents that happened in the UK. Watching this series was harrowing, heartbreaking, and important.

What social media changes and what it hides

Without giving much away, you realize early on that if it wasn’t for social media, there is a good chance none of the tragedy you are watching would have happened. You also realize that parents sometimes have little to no idea what is going on with their kids.

You are reminded that teenagers often live with very difficult, intense and confusing feelings and suffer in silence without sharing much with parents or other adults who could possibly help them. I’m sure many teens can’t picture a way that an adult could help them. I remember feeling that way.

There is scene in the show where the two detectives working the case are at the school talking about how tough school was for them, and one says to the other something like, “All kids need one thing they can feel good about.”

Why I Started Odyssey Teen Camp

I started Odyssey Teen Camp because I wanted to help make sure that kids who came to camp would have at least that one thing they could feel good about. We all know being a teenager is tough. We didn’t have social media when I was in school, but we had bullies, rumor mills and plenty of opportunities to feel lousy about ourselves  (but at least the entire school and beyond didn’t necessarily know about our struggles and embarrassing moments).

I was reading the book “Untangled” by Dr. Lisa Damour, who works as a school psychologist, and I remember her saying that if parents spent just one day at school in the shoes of their child, it would be a very tough day. I think social media has played a part in making it that way.

The thing they still remember

I’ve been working for OTC for a long time. Occasionally, over the years, someone will approach me and ask if I am the guy from Odyssey Teen Camp. I’m sorry to say that often I don’t remember or recognize them, but without knowing it, they have kept me going. Some have told me that OTC saved their life, and others have told me how important camp was for them at that time in their life.

Occasionally, one of them will get a bit of a sad look on their face and say, “I really miss camp.” I know what they are saying: that the kind of community, friendship and laughter they experienced at camp is hard to come by.

We need more people, places and things that help teenagers feel good about themselves. I’m glad that OTC is one of them!