Reading self-help books is promoted in today’s society for most generations and ages. Teens who read self-help books, on the other hand, are chastised for trying to mature too quickly or for being too immature to read about adult subjects. Many teenagers are shamed or looked down upon by friends, family, and peers simply for reading a genre that is not as prevalent in teen media. Contrary to popular belief, these types of books can have a greater impact on teenagers’ overall outlook on life and improve their mental health than other genres.

Self-help books can specifically help support teenagers by changing their outlook on life at an early age while they are still forming their opinions and finding out who they truly are. Reading self-help books has been shown to help people grow, gain confidence, expand knowledge, and reduce stress. All of these elements could be extremely beneficial for a teenager to learn and apply to future experiences. Stress, for example, is a factor that affects everyone, whether on a large or small scale. However, because everyone deals with stress in some way, reducing the burden of it could be very beneficial, especially for adolescents who are just beginning to figure out who they are. Additionally, the fact that more than 95 percent of self-help books and programs have never been subjected to scientific scrutiny proves that they will be accurate. This is significant because fake news is spreading faster than ever before, particularly through social media, which almost all teenagers use. Self-help books can help teenagers combat the fake news that they are constantly being exposed to. Another way that self-help books can benefit teenagers is by improving their mental health.

In comparison to other genres, self-help books can help teenagers develop healthy coping mechanisms for their emotions and boost their overall confidence. Teens, as previously stated, benefit more from self-help books than other ages who read them because they are in this period of growth and development. This is a scary time for many people, and they don’t feel comfortable talking about it with many people. This is when a self-help book can come in handy. The authors of these books attempt to target teens in order to assist them in developing healthy coping strategies and resilience as they figure out what they want from the world. Personally, I read a book called Stop Checking Your Likes by Susan Moore which I do believe helped me and my overall mental health significantly. 

Overall, self-help books have a positive impact on teenagers’ mental health and coping strategies. Reading a self-help book may provide children with a new perspective on life, making them more optimistic about the future. Although this may not work for everyone, polls and studies have shown that it does help teens who are in high school. High school is a time when everyone is trying to figure out who they are and who they can trust. We’ve all been through high school and know how stressful it can be; imagine having a book like this to help you through this trying time. I truly believe that self-help books can help teens become happier and healthier.