Are We Making Our Kids More Anxious? Dr. Chinwé Williams

Are parents accidentally making their kids more anxious by protecting them from discomfort?

Dr. Chinwé Williams joins Preston to explain why anxiety, depression, loneliness, and social avoidance have risen among young people. They discuss the role of smartphones and social media, the disappearance of real-world community, constant exposure to frightening news, trauma, pornography, and the pressure many kids feel to avoid failure.

Dr. Chinwé Williams is a Licensed and Board-Certified therapist with expertise spanning a variety of domains, including youth and family mental health, parenting & and trauma recovery. Chinwé has served in academic, corporate, school, and faith-based work settings. She’s also the co-author of the best-selling book Seen: Healing Despair and Anxiety in Kids and Teens Through the Power of Connection and her latest book is: Calm, Courageous, and Connected: A Parent's Guide to Raising Emotionally Resilient Kids

Chapters:

0:00 Avoidance Is Feeding Kids’ Anxiety

2:20 Is the Youth Mental Health Crisis Real?

5:30 What Is Causing the Mental Health Crisis?

8:08 What Social Media Is Taking Away From Kids

9:32 Why Kids Need “Third Spaces”

12:41 Are Kids Becoming Afraid to Take Risks?

16:54 Why Teens Struggle With Social Anxiety

20:04 How Avoidance Makes Anxiety Worse

21:15 Building Grit and Emotional Resilience

23:58 How Parents Accidentally Reinforce Anxiety

26:22 How Parents’ Childhood Wounds Shape Their Parenting

29:57 Fear, Bad News, and the “Milk Carton Generation”

35:10 Trauma, Sexual Abuse, and Pornography

43:30 How Parents Can Help Anxious Kids

44:04 Co-Regulation and Connection Before Correction

48:30 Teaching Kids Cognitive Flexibility

51:12 The “Grace Check”

52:42 Healthy Smartphone and Social Media Boundaries

55:41 Who Could Your Teen Call at 2 A.M.?

56:29 Calm, Courageous, and Connected

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