How to help build a teenager’s self-esteem: 6 confidence building activities

Endless scrolling and comparing ourselves to ‘beautiful’ – and often filtered – celebrities and influencers online can have quite a negative impact on self-esteem, particularly for teenagers.

At a vulnerable stage in life when we tend to judge our bodies and looks in an overwhelmingly harsh and even negative way, it can be quite difficult to spend time online and not feel the sting of low self-esteem. So how can we, as parents, teach our teenagers to keep what they see on social media in perspective and not let their screen time damage their confidence and wellbeing? You have more power than you may realize as a parent, so here are some of our favorite teenage confidence building activities.

Endless scrolling and comparing ourselves to ‘beautiful’ – and often filtered – celebrities and influencers online can have quite a negative impact on self-esteem, particularly for teenagers.

1
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Limit screen time together
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It’s been proven that excessive screen time lowers teenager self-esteem, raises stress levels, impedes academic performance and negatively impacts sleep. So agree on the number of daily screen hours you and your teen can have and stick to that number. Coming up with a realistic limit together will also give your child a routine they feel in control of, which is incredibly important.
2
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Model good behavior
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It’s hard to enforce screen time limits if you are in the habit of regularly scrolling yourself. Put down your screens and do something to bond – let your teen lead on how you spend time together. Give them your full attention and you may be surprised how happily they’ll ditch their phone for some one-on-one time. This focused attention works well to help combat low self-esteem in teenagers.
3
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Take the lead (but don’t be a boss)
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These teenage confidence building activities are meaningful but low pressure. For young teens, reading a book or going to the movies will usually engage them. For mid-teens – when exercise often declines but body anxieties are high – try something physical like a bike ride or yoga. For older teens, who are often focused on academics, do something creative, such as baking or building something.
4
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Play the filter game
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This activity is especially important for younger teens who may not understand how easy it is to manipulate images. Take photos and videos and then do silly things with filters. It’s a great reminder that the photos and videos we see on social media are rarely ‘real’, and are often heavily distorted. This regular and fun reminder will do wonders for combatting low self-esteem in your teenager.
5
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Let nature heal you and your teen
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Getting out into nature, breathing fresh air, feeling the grass under your toes and the wind in your hair is a visceral reminder that the world is bigger and more beautiful than the artifice of social media. Helping your child reconnect to their own body outdoors in this way is a great way to help combat low self esteem in teenagers – bonus points if you’ve all left your phones at home!
6
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Discuss fears and trigger points
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Talking to your teen about their fears can be hard, but one way is to share some of your own. Be honest if your child asks you how you feel about social media – do you feel insecure when you see women who seem to ‘have it all’? Tell your child how you deal with and move past this. If they can become familiar with their triggers, they can start to build emotional tools to manage self-esteem dips.