If You Want to Feel Closer To Your Teens Watch Their Shows @Netflix_CA #StreamTeam
NETFLIX STUDY REVEALS IF YOU WANT TO FEEL CLOSER TO YOUR TEEN, WATCH THEIR SHOWS
Netflix Survey Reveals That 82% of Canadian Parents Have Watched a Show Their Teen Watches
Just to Feel Closer to Them and Surprise, They Welcome It
Something different happened this past weekend. We traveled to Toronto as a family to attend the wedding of childhood friend of mine. The kids were excited to dress up. In true Fariha fashion, I colour coordinated our outfits (because why not?). I noticed something though, somewhere in all the prep for the wedding, I noticed a shift in Ms. B. She’s eleven and a half years old which is a very peculiar age (for those of you with children that age, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about). She is not a little kid anymore but not quite a teen either. She wanted to wear heels, nicer jewelry and some makeup to the wedding. We negotiated and settled on wedge shoes (not stilettos), lip gloss instead of lipstick and a fancy outfit because…well, when you’re an eleven year old girl, having a fancy outfit matters. I noticed she was more self aware about her appearance, how she sat, how she walked and other subtleties that didn’t exist a short while ago.
I find myself staring at her sometimes, watching how she carries herself and wondering if I’m doing a good enough job. We all wonder the same thing. This parenting thing can be tricky sometimes. Thankfully we have a great relationship but the thing with parenting is that when you feel like you’ve sort of got a hang of it, life happens and you become acutely aware of how much you still have to learn.
A short while ago, we sat together and watched One Day at a Time. The boys were out and we wanted to have a Girls Night In. We hadn’t really done that before, as in watch a non animated new show together. It was great because it allowed us to connect on something that was outside of our regular relationship. It gave us a chance to share our thoughts and laugh about something outside of our immediate reality. We got to talk about what we liked about it, what we didn’t like and how certain issues made us feel. It also helped her to open up about things that other kids her age might be going through, things she’s heard at school or is curious about.
Statistically speaking, 70% of parents and 66% of teens wish they had more to talk about with one another. Turns out, entertainment is a great place to start.
Bridging the conversation gap.
While 56% of parents in Canada think it’s tough to talk to teens, nearly all parents worldwide (93%) feel that watching their TV shows will give them more to talk about and 78% of teens agree. Not only that, but watching shows teens are watching every now and then inspires more than just small talk.
Canadian parents (82%) admit they are already watching shows like Supernatural, Pretty Little Liars and Stranger Things to feel closer to their teenager. And teens around the world (74%) are on board, saying they’d be interested in talking to parents about the shows they watch, with both sides (89% of parents and 70% of teens) seeing it as a strong way to bond.
There are some new shows out now that everybody is talking about. One of them, as you may have heard is 13 Reasons Why which deals with some mature subject matters. If you’re thinking of watching with your teen and are looking for additional information, here are some resources to help navigate the conversation: 13 Reasons Why Talking Points (created by SAVE.org and the JED Foundation) and the after-show titled 13 Reasons Why: Beyond The Reasons. If you are immediately concerned about a teen in your life, you can find a list of local market resources on this 13 Reasons Why Global Resource Website
Want to see what happens when parents watch their teen’s shows?
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DISCLOSURE: As a member of the Netflix #StreamTeam I receive special perks. All opinions are 100% my own.
I watched 13 Reasons for myself but it was fun to discuss it with my son and daughter who binged it. I is fun and scary to watch a daughter growing up I like the compromises you made and she was able to Be happy too.
That is so true! I’ve found that my teens open up more to me when I show an interest in the things they like. I think it makes them feel like I can understand them.
I just heard about the show last week so I really want to check it out. My kiddo is a little young yet for it but when he gets a bit older I think I will definitely be watching it with him.
I think it’s important to watch shows with your children whether they are 1 or 16. Instead of just using the television as a babysitter parents need to take an interest in what their children are watching. I used to be a nanny and you could tell a lot by what programs a child or teenager would watch on television. They would watch mysteries or medical shows when they were depressed, comedies when they were happy, and family shows when they felt like their own parents weren’t giving them enough attention. Parents should definitely know what their children are watching and watch alongside them!
These are excellent points you make.
I think watching a show together or finding things in common by watching similar shows is a pretty good idea. My daughter is grown up but we still recommend shows to each other on Netflix all the time!
I always watch what my children watch. It opens up a line of communication and lets us talk about a variety of topics
My kids are still young but I do love sharing shows I loved as a kid with them. I did love 13 Reasons Why myself!
We definitely connect with watching TV shows at our house. I have to admit I love the light hearted shows that make all of us laugh together!
Your family looked amazing for the wedding you attended. I love color coordinating everyone in my family, too, for special occasions like that. Also you bring up a very good point: one of the best ways to keep the communication open between parents and teens is to enjoy the same programs together, like watching Netflix.
Thank you Janis.
I love watching with my teens. Most of the movies I watch, I’ve got it from them. And I really agree that it is one of the best ways to communicate with them.
My kids aren’t at the age where we can enjoy some of these together but we always snuggle and watch pokemon or the like. I watched 13 reasons why for me… it was good but disturbing.
I watched the entire show straight through every episode. I haven’t watched it with my teens yet, but I plan to. Not very long ago, one of my teen’s had to report a friend’s suicide threat to authorities. If a parent chooses to watch it with their teen,. it’s definitely a show that should be discussed.
Whoa. That must have been a harrowing experience.
I enjoy being able to sit down with my daughter and talk about the shows she watches. It can be hard to find something in common with your 18 year old daughter.