Trendwatch

Group, May/Jun 2003

Remember what was listed below your senior photo in the school yearbook? Among your many other esteemed accomplishments, bet it didn't read "co-president of the power nap club."

But that's just what it'll say below the names of Jenna Goldstein and Kelly Hannigan, seniors at Connecticut's Greenwich High School. The two founded the club-it "meets" every Monday afternoon in an English classroom for 40 minutes of uninterrupted sleep-to give stressed-out teenagers some guilt-free time to. . . collapse in a sleepy heap.

In an interview with Teen People, Goldstein says, "Everything here is about getting into college. You have to do SATs, SAT IIs, and maintain a high GPA." In addition to her studies. Goldstein plays varsity basketball, volunteers with autistic children, and works after school for a party decorator. Pretty much the red-eye norm for a typical teenager.

According to a study cited by Reuters Health, "One-third of U.S. teenagers say they feel stressed-out on a daily basis." Researchers point to overwhelming expectations by parents and society as the catalysts. The University of Michigan study also found nearly two-thirds of teenagers say they're stressed "at least once a week."

According to the Virtual Children's Hospital Web site, other typical causes of teenagers' stress include:

* School demands, tests, feeling frustrated by teachers or assignments.

* Low self-esteem.

* Going through any physical, emotional, or life changes.

* Problems with friends or peer pressure.

* Feeling unsafe at home or at school.

* Family situations such as divorce or sick family members.

* Death of a loved one or friend.

* Moving or changing schools.

* A busy schedule.

* Having very high expectations.

* Financial problems.

Experts say there are many ways teenagers can cope with their stress, including:

* Confiding stressed-out feelings to a trusted adult.

* Exercising to release tension.

* Eating regularly.

* Avoiding caffeine-it can increase anxiety.

* Avoiding smoking, drinking alcohol, and taking drugs.

* Taking a bath or a shower.

* Remembering the worst-case scenario. (For example, for test anxiety they could ask themselves, "What's the worst thing that can happen if I bomb the test?")

* Breaking large tasks into little pieces.

* Refusing to demand perfection from themselves or others.

In other sleepyhead news: Coed sleepovers are gaining in popularity, as parents cave to their kids' requests for mixed-gender slumber parties even though psychologists warn of dire results.

bullying goes nuclear

Bullying just might be the second-oldest profession. And it's by far the most dreaded rite of passage for teenagers. Bullying at school is so rampant that more than 100,000 kids skip school every day to avoid it, and six out of 10 witness it at least once a day.

Bullying used to be a quiet crime-kids suffered through it alone or, at most, tried to get help from their parents. But now the problem is so widespread, that national publications, TV news, and talk shows are covering it regularly. (See our feature article in this issue "Put an End to Bullying-page 60.) And it's been tagged as one of two high-risk factors associated with the perpetrators of school shootings (the other is a struggle with depression).

What's fueling this surge in brutal behavior? Well, a landmark study released by University of Michigan researchers in the March issue of the journal Developmental Psychology found that boys and girls who watch a lot of violence on TV are more aggressive and violent when they grow into adults. Lead researcher L. Rowell Huesmann says the study shows that televised violence teaches young children that aggression is appropriate in some situations, especially when heroes use it. It also erodes a natural aversion to violence in both boys and girls, says Huesmann.