Teen Line Allows Students to Help Students

Teen Line is a support program available to teens through a free iPhone application. It is facilitated through a partnership between the Jewish Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Los Angeles and Teen Line. According to the Teen line website, the program aims to connect students with mentors who will assist them in achieving healthier outlooks on life. The program allows students to share their anxieties and other struggles with trusted peers. Students who seek the assistance of Teen Line are often uncomfortable discussing their daily predicaments with adults, familiar or otherwise. So, Teen Line provides a positive forum for students to be supported by their community in a way which is most comfortable for them. Cheryl Eskin, the Director of the Teen Line Program, discussed the mission of the program and its convenience for teenagers in the digital age. “[We] started [the Teen Talk app] in 2018, wanting to find an innovative way to reach teens where they were which [was] usually on their phones,” Eskin said. Technology thereby allows program directors to more efficiently connect with Teen Line participants using a convenient device which teenagers regularly rely upon. Other programs conversely often attempt to impose face-to-face meetings upon their teenage participants who already struggle with busy schedules. Some Samo students have gotten involved as mentors and appear to be gaining more than simply an additional activity to display on their college applications. Samo students who choose to become mentors must participate in extensive training in order to ensure that they are prepared to properly discuss sensitive matters with their peers. Nathan Martin-Bourne (’20) praised the Teen Line program and positively characterized it as an experience of growth and opportunity to serve Samo peers.“[I enjoy] the satisfaction [I get] from helping people through their problems that they have in their lives that they may not feel comfortable sharing with others,” Bourne said. Jordyn Feldman (’22) also described Teen Line as a positive experience as well as a great opportunity to become involved in assisting one’s community. “[I have] always had the urge to help others. Volunteering for Teen Talk fulfills that [desire] every time [I] have a shift. [I have] also enjoyed becoming close with other teens from different schools through the training sessions,” Feldman said.