teenDailyStrength was launched in June of 2011. Pushed to fruition by Emmy award-winning talk show host, Dr. Mehmet Oz, HealthCorps and ShareCare, this web-based teen community offers young people ages 13 to 19 years old, a space of ongoing support. The site offers members an opportunity to voice their health concerns among the holistic categories of mind, body, and lifestyle. Blogs, discussions, facts, and personalized journals provide a safe and supportive space to explore, to question, and to receive answers. Topics are endless, and include accurate information on specific diseases, time management skills, the dangers and repercussions of cyberbullying, nutrition, and physical fitness.
The site was created at the same time Dr. Oz’s book “YOU: The Owner’s Manual for Teens: A Guide to a Healthy Body and Happy Life” was released. The book, which is a branch of previous tailored versions, includes the expertise of Dr. Oz, Dr. Michael Roizen, Dr. Ellen Rome, and Dr. Oz’s daughter, Zoe. teenDailyStrength is an extension of the book’s knowledge, vision, and goal. Healthy teens have an all-encompassing potential to become healthy adults, and with the vast number of unhealthy adults in the United States, it is time to bridge the gap between healthy teens and healthy adults.
What makes this site ingenious, is not only the moderation and accurate input from some of the leading experts in health, but the contributions, questions, and answers from those who are currently walking and talking in teen shoes. Positive power in numbers is evident through interactive support groups on topics as common as dental fear. While some are given a safe space to express their anxiety over having a cavity filled, others are given accurate information on the steps of a routine checkup. Some even offer tips, like wearing earphones to provide a distraction from the sound of dental tools. More serious topics include grieving after the death of a family member, drug dependency, and suicidal thoughts.
From a Healthy Teens, Healthy Schools perspective, we see major implications for implementing teenDailyStrength strategies within our schools. How can we promote a community of empathetic teens, who feel safe to share their health fears and successes with one another? Perhaps this can be done within our classrooms, via buzz groups, or sporadic opportunities to openly discuss hot topics. It can mean the creation of a student-interactive support tab on your website as a teacher. There are various ways to deliver the message that teens are not alone in their health concerns, struggles, and successes. The more we suppress teen voices, the less health literate they become. Everyone needs an outlet for expression, and no teen is ever alone on the long drive ahead. Let’s create a nurturing space for our teens to talk to one another in their schools, and let’s welcome the downpour of empathy, knowledge, and change that awaits.