When I was younger, I thought of high school as a time for learning, hanging out with friends and discovering my personal boundaries. It certainly had its challenges, but they never seemed insurmountable. That is why I was shocked when five suicides occurred in my son’s high school. I could not understand why any young teenager would think that life was not worth living! This made me want to understand and learn the challenges that students face in high school today. After getting certified as an integral coach, I reached out to many teenagers to get a deeper understanding and a broader perspective of their day to day experiences. I also spoke to educators, talked with therapists and attended several related conferences. What I discovered was rather sobering and eye-opening.
I found that due to the multiple demands on their time and energy, teenagers have a lot more than academics and friendships to worry about. The technology, that is meant to improve and simplify their lives, is actually making its own demands on their limited time and causing additional stress and anxiety. They are at an age when they want to be independent and as such, they are not always comfortable approaching adults with their problems. In addition, their bonds to close friends are very tight and they often go out of their way to help them. In cases where their friends are facing any emotional challenges, this can take a heavy toll on them. I realized that a majority of them are lacking the skills needed to handle the plethora of new challenges they have to face.
This birthed the idea of Vivensity – a platform to learn and share skills they need to handle their academic, social and emotional lives.
– Preeti Shrikhande, Founder