Teen 2.0: Saving Our Children and Families from the Torment of Adolescence [Paperback]

Robert Epstein PhD (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 24, 2010

National Indie Excellence Awards, first prize in the Parenting and Family category

 

Arguing that adolescence is an unnecessary period of life that people are better off without, this groundbreaking study shows that teen confusion and hardships are caused by outmoded systems that were designed to destroy the continuum between childhood and adulthood. Documenting how teens are isolated from adults and are forced to look to their media-dominated peers for knowledge, this discussion contends that by infantilizing young people, society does irrevocable harm to their development and well-being. Instead, parents, teachers, employers, and others must rediscover the adults in young people by giving them authority and responsibility as soon as they exhibit readiness. Teens are highly capable—in some ways more than adults—and this landmark discussion offers paths for reaching and enhancing the competence in America’s youth.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Here are America's youth, regarded keenly, knowingly—with many popular assumptions and notions set aside in favor of an accurate and thoughtful portrayal of our young citizens, and too, many of the rest of us, who may fail them by overlooking their achievements and possibilities."  —Robert Coles, MD, professor, Harvard University, winner, Pulitzer Prize

"Dr. Epstein's ideas about teens are revolutionary. Many of our teens today have serious problems, and if Dr. Epstein is right, those problems are largely of our our making. This book will bring our ideas about teens down to earth."  —Buzz Aldrin, astronaunt

"I heartily believe in the validity of what he is saying. Furthermore, I believe what he is saying to have vast consequences for our society. All of America should take note."  —M. Scott Peck, MD, author, The Road Less Traveled

"Dr. Epstein's book traces the history of the problem, demonstrates with unrelenting perseverance that much of the turmoil of our teens is a creation of our culture, and offers a specific and detailed proposal for getting our young people back on track. If you are concerned about America's young—and about America's future—this is a must-read."  —Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives

"Academic libraries will want this for the updated statistics. Among the many good titles on the invention theory of adolescence, Epstein's is the most comprehensive and authoritative."  —Library Journal BookSmack

"Epstein says kids as young as 12 ought to be able to smoke, drink, vote, drive, have sex and fight in combat . . . [based on] competence rather than age."  —ParentDish.com

"This passionate, yet thoughtful presentation . . . should be on gift lists for parents of middle/junior high school graduates across the U.S." —Marcia L. Weinstein, PhD, professor of psychology, Salem State University

"Epstein offers insightful answers to . . . the artificial extension of childhood. Epstein demonstrates how teenagers are isolated from adults . . . [brings] insights . . . to the global problem of extended childhood."  —Youthworker Journal

About the Author

Robert Epstein, PhD, is the former editor in chief of Psychology Today, a contributing editor to Scientific American Mind, and the host of the radio show Psyched! A visiting scholar at the University of California–San Diego and former university research professor at the California School of Professional Psychology, he is the founder and director emeritus of the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies and the developer of many parenting, adolescence, and other competency tests. He is the author of many articles and books, including The Big Book of series. He lives in San Diego, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 500 pages
• Publisher: Linden Publishing (February 24, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1884995594
• ISBN-13: 978-1884995590
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #68,421 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars messing with my mind and practice, May 17, 2010

By 

Mark Oestreicher (La Mesa, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Teen 2.0: Saving Our Children and Families from the Torment of Adolescence (Paperback)

more than any other single book i have read in the past decade, this book has rocked my thinking about youth and youth ministry. epstein's contention -- extremely well documented -- that we "infantilize" teenagers, keeping them in a protracted form of childhood, resonated with me (not that it sits easily, though, or is simple in any way). he claims (and, again, documents) that adolescence as we know it in the states (and, increasingly, in cultures impacted by american adolescent culture and the systems that exist to perpetuate it), does not exist in many, if not most, cultures around the world. we have invented it, and we are lengthening it, keeping teenagers (and now young adults) from living into the adult world that most of them possess the competencies for. the stereotypical brooding, emotionally-volatile, irresponsible, short-sighted teenager is a creation of our own invention. this book will call for a longer post or two from me, i think, than i have space for here. but i'll say this: if i've ever said another book was a must-read for parents and youth workers, ignore that, until you have read this book. i'm already thinking, almost daily, about the implications for my own home (with two teenagers), my small group of 7th grade guys, and the many arenas i have for speaking to and (occasionally) influencing the thinking and practice of youth workers.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars They Don't Have to be Troubled, July 8, 2010

By 

A. Prentice (Hudson Valley, NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Teen 2.0: Saving Our Children and Families from the Torment of Adolescence (Paperback)

No one will regret reading this book. Even though I'm not that crazy about the title, Epstein's clear writing, extensively research and supported arguments, and reasoned advocacy for young people make it a compelling read. And, although the book iss cholarly, each chapter begins and ends with a summary, so a busy reader can skim those and the many well-utliized charts and graphics to quickly get a sense of Epstein's arguments.

Americans have created a terrible thing: the troubled adolescent. these never existed historically, and are a by-product of our corporate culture, our labor laws, our factory model of education, the media, and a flawed juvenile justice system, among other thngs. He cebrates the many many ways that young people aged 12 to 20 are competent, idealistic, capable, hard-working, romantic, and dependable. And he laments the many ways in which we as a society hold back all these competent human beings. He advocates for competency tests rather than age limits for votng, working (with inlimits), and even marriage.

Epstein writes very well and his affection for the age group he advocates for is palpable. I enjoyed this book very much and it certainly made me think very differently about things I had taken for granted. Always a good thing.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Youth liberation now!, December 19, 2010

By 

Brian Sorgatz (Arcata, Humboldt County, California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Teen 2.0: Saving Our Children and Families from the Torment of Adolescence (Paperback)

As a 38-year-old who quakes with anger every day at the memory of his teen years, I cannot overstate the importance of Dr. Epstein's book. I'm usually not much of an activist or philanthropist, but I've been giving away free copies of this book at the nearest public high school. I have to do it for my own mental health. Anyone who laughs along with the poster that reads "Hire a teenager while they still know everything" ought to be ashamed. With copious facts and sound logic, "Teen 2.0" reveals the condescending bigotry behind that statement. My only significant problem with Epstein's thesis is his tarring of the entertainment industry as one of the forces oppressing America's youth. As a rule, entertainment consumers are never victims. Young people are no more the victims of "Dude, Where's My Car?" and "Jackass" than old people are the victims of "Murder, She Wrote" and "60 Minutes." (To understand the liberating power of consumer culture, I recommend Charles Paul Freund's essay "In Praise of Vulgarity" in "Choice: The Best of Reason.") Still, I give "Teen 2.0" five stars without hesitation.