There's a reason Young Adult books often focus on "Coming of Age" storylines.... it's because real life young adults--the target readers of YA fiction, ages 12 to 18--are right on the cusp of "coming of age" themselves. The teenage years are a pivotal and often difficult time for many young adults, filled with uncertainty, self-discovery, and (let's face it) significant amounts of drama and angst.
During these years, teens are negotiating their independence, finding their confidence, and growing into a deeper understanding of themselves. They are developing and learning to navigate increasingly complex social dynamics as they enter new social circles (first jobs, new schools, new friendships, and perhaps even romantic relationships). This can also be a time when teens are experiencing increased responsibility and new or shifting expectations from their families, authority figures, and peers. All this change can be a huge leap out of some teens' comfort zones. Add to this the biochemical challenges of adolescence (hormones, yikes!) and academic pressures, and it's no wonder many teens struggle with their mental and emotional health.
Fortunately, fiction can be a powerful tool for promoting mental and emotional wellbeing, and clean fiction can be an especially valuable genre for teenagers.
While reading fiction in general is beneficial, clean fiction also ensures that teens are protected from sexually explicit, excessively violent, or age-inappropriate content... because, let's be real...
Teens need more good, beautiful, hopeful, and wholesome content to feed their hearts and minds. They've got enough stress in there, already.
Here are 3 basic ways reading clean fiction can benefit teens:
Improving Mental and Emotional Health
Reading clean fiction can have a significant impact on young adults' mental and emotional health.
Reading can be a form of escapism, providing a much-needed break from the stresses of daily life. Clean fiction, in particular, can offer a safe and comforting space where young adults can explore complex themes and issues without being exposed to explicit content.
Reading can help to reduce stress and anxiety. Because reading is an activity which encourages deep visualization (an almost mediation-like state) and calm focus, it can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, the part of our body which works to reduce stress levels and promote relaxation. (More articles linking reading with the parasympathetic nervous system are available here and here.) This can be especially helpful for teenagers who may be experiencing stress and anxiety related to academic pressures or social dynamics.
Reading can also promote emotional regulation by helping young adults to identify and understand their own emotions, as they watch YA characters experience struggles similar to their own. This can be particularly valuable for teenagers who may be struggling with emotional dysregulation related to mental health issues or personal challenges.
Developing Empathy and Compassion
Another benefit of reading is that it can help young adults to develop empathy and compassion. With clean fiction, specifically, teens are able to explore different cultures, experiences, and character lenses without exposure to potentially counter-productive or harmful content such as extreme violence or explicit scenes. By exploring complex themes and issues through the lens of fictional characters, young adults can gain a greater understanding of themselves and the world around them, and develop empathy and compassion for characters who are different from themselves.
Increased empathy and compassion are important values for teens because they help teens:
Navigate relationships with people of all walks of life, even if their beliefs, personalities, culture, age, background, etc., are very different.
Build positive, productive communities (in their schools, neighborhoods, workplaces and other social circles).
Become kind, responsible adults who show interest in the needs and well-being of others as well as their own.
Processing and Navigating Personal Struggles
Finally, reading fiction can be especially valuable for teenagers who may be struggling with family issues or personal struggles.
Clean fiction can be especially helpful for this because:
Clean fiction (in most cases) is already screened for age-appropriate content and subject matters, so it can provide a safe space for young adults to explore complex themes and issues related to their own experiences, without being exposed to explicit content that may trigger more negative emotions or thoughts.
Many clean fiction authors also put a lot of thought into the thematic content of their stories, and/or will provide content warnings for difficult subject matter, which can be an added benefit.
Many clean fiction books feature characters who overcome challenges in positive ways, which can be a source of inspiration and hope for young adults who may be struggling themselves.
Many clean fiction authors (including the PirateCat authors!) also strive to ensure that clean fiction provides teenagers with positive role models and examples of healthy coping mechanisms.
Fiction does not replace a solid, real-world support system in teens' lives. They still need that!
But reading clean fiction can have a significant impact on young adults' mental and emotional health, as a supplement to other healthy support systems.
Clean fiction can help to reduce teens' stress and anxiety, promote emotional regulation, foster empathy and compassion, provide a safe and positive space for exploring complex themes and issues, and even offer inspiration and hope for the future.
By encouraging young adults to read clean fiction, we can promote positive mental and emotional wellbeing and help to build a more empathetic and compassionate world.
Want to read some great, clean YA fiction? You've come to right place!