Self-Interested Isn’t the Same as Selfish

The most interesting person to your teen right now isn’t the lead singer in a band or the hot movie star of the moment. It’s your teen. Which makes complete sense because they’re in a time of great change, and they’re trying to answer that vital question: Who am I? Sometimes that self-interest can come across as self-absorbed, but look through a different lens. The endless selfies are documentation of a developmental process to figure out their place in the world. So rejoice: teens aren’t self-absorbed; they’re self-interested, which will help them figure out their values and interests.

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About Melissa Ford

Melissa Ford is the senior strategist at Women Online. As a writer, she covers a diverse range of topics including education, health, technology, and parenting. She is also the mother of amazing twin teens.

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