The perils of raising a teen in LA and competing with social media

Raising a teen in LA today feels like walking on a tightrope daily — while juggling a machete, a knife, a loaded revolver, and a chainsaw.But it turns out that the old-fashioned advice is still the best of all.It’s tough.

We, as teens, didn’t have didn’t have social media to talk to friends.Nor did we have DoorDash to deliver food, or ChatGPT to do our homework for us (or to translate what we were saying so that an adult could understand it).It’s all too easy for them now.Teens today don’t seem to want to work for anything.

Some just ask their social media followers to Venmo them for a coffee, or a new pair of shoes.Why earn a driver’s permit, when you can take a Waymo? And don’t ask them to converse in real time, or in real life (IRL); it just creates panic. If I need a response from my teen, I have to send a text, even in the same room, because of her headphones. Today’s kids evidently need music or podcasts to function.

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By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story They don’t have newspaper routes, lawn-mowing or babysitting jobs. If they have an entreprenurial streak, they set up nail businesses or throw parties in abandoned homes and charge their peers to show up.The Kardashians taught them that they can build an empire with a sex tape.

Sadly, they think OnlyFans is their future, because everything is about instant gratification and entitlement. They cringe at the thought of pregnancy or parenting, because they can clearly see how much work it is.Where does this leave the parents? (Without grandchildren, most likely.)Social media seems to have more influence than parents.

For single moms, it’s even worse, because we have to play bad cop, with no father figure reprimanding teenagers for disrespecting Mom.Trust me: The longer ...