016 - Teens And Gaslighting - Is It a Thing?

The Gaslight Effect

On this episode, Dr. Robin Stern interviews Hannah Husain, a seventeen year old student studying abroad this semester, researching gaslighting interactions in relationships - particularly in teenagers.

Hannah's first encounter with gaslighting occured when her friend had wanted to go to a concert, and was unintentionally gaslighted by her mom into not going.

Robin and Hannah discuss how, with social media causing insecurities to skyrocket, even if you're not intentionally meaning to gaslight, that can be the effect of comments made to friends.

Robin points out how in some cases wanting someone to feel better by having them believe your reality rather than their own, perpetuates a feeling that others know better than them, thus undermining that person's confidence.

Hannah and Robin talk about how social media can influence decisions like what you should eat, and how you should exercise. It is important to have relationships and sources of information offline to keep you grounded.

Developing strong friendships and family relationships will help affirm that you can trust your own thoughts and feelings, and validate your reality.

To read the full transcript of this episode and to hear other episodes, head over to robinstern.com, and be sure to leave a rating and review wherever you listen to this podcast!