Just Say It

We’ve all been there. We wanna say something, but we shouldn’t, couldn’t. Family is important, but is it worth a charged conversation that could go either way? Well, researchers say yes.

I’m a teenager, and that automatically means one thing: feelings UNLEASHED. My fellow teenagers would (hopefully) agree. Like how television and media like to portray it, your teenage years most likely involve arguments with your parents. This could go from little things about what you wear to school, to feeling like your parents are suppressing self-expression and enforcing conservative values that should not apply to you. You get the point.

But are those constant arguments worth it? I mean, isn’t it bad to raise your voice and shut the door on people who are only trying to take care of you? Well, in part, yes, in a way, those fights might have better benefits than you may think.

The Harvard Graduate School of Education reports in an article about how “Interplay between parents and children ignites the brain and boosts its response to language, spurring lasting literacy skills.” It explains how research has proven that parents speaking with their child, not just to them, can generate otherworldly benefits.

This brings us to the part of the argument that’s tricky. Constantly yelling at each other doesn’t yield benefits, but using that common tension to explain your thoughts and help the other person understand what you’re going through will. According to experts on platforms like Psychology Today, arguments improve mental health by preventing pent-up frustration and help you build deeper connections through clear communication, problem-solving, and mutual understanding.

So next time you’re thinking about starting a difficult conversation, just do it, and know that if done healthily, it can only go in the right direction, for yourself, for others, and your brain.