How Journaling is Different for Teens Than Adults

While journaling itself has many of the same benefits for people of all different ages, 
there are some slight differences for teens, as opposed to adults. Here are some 
reasons it can be different for your teens, which might give you more insight into why it 
is so useful for them.


Being a Teenager Has Unique Challenges

You probably remember being a teenager. It is a really complicated, confusing time 
where hormones seem to run your life. With these unique challenges, it makes sense 
that journaling can be a little different during this time in your kids’ life.

 With these challenges, it sometimes feel like you don’t know where you fit in, or really 
who to talk to, aside from your friends. But there might be things you don’t want to tell 
your friends because you don’t know if they will understand. That is the beauty of writing 
in a journal, and being able to express any challenges you face to understand a little 
more about being a teenager.


Journaling Provides a Creative, Safe Outlet

Everyone wants to feel like their thoughts and feelings are private, but teenagers often 
don’t feel like they have this freedom. With journaling, they feel like they have one place 
that is all theirs, and this can nurture their creativity and open up so much in them that 
they didn’t realize they possess.

Just writing in a journal is a creative process, whether doing stream of consciousness 
style where you write whatever comes to mind, you use writing prompts to answer your 
questions, or you are dealing with something you just want to write about. 


Self-Expression is Vital for Teenagers

Journaling is also an amazing way for teenagers to express themselves, which is often 
even more important at this age, than with adults. Whether you are a teenager yourself, 
or a parent of a teenager, you should understand how important self-expression and 
being unique at this age truly is. 

With a complicated phase of life such as this, it’s hard to really understand who you are, 
but once you do, you may not know how to express it. Or maybe you have teenagers 
who seem to be struggling with this very thing. The journal helps them in a way that you 
might not remember much from when you were this same age. 

Giving your teens a way to write out their feelings is therapeutic, simple to do, and gives 
them a little time away from the computer.



