The Hechinger Report | Opinion: Stop Labeling Kids and Start Revealing Their Strengths
Dr. Cantor: "It’s time for a drastic change to today’s narrative about young people, one that acknowledges the depth of pandemic setbacks but is free of labels and blame."
March 31, 2025
Via The Hechinger Report, March 31, 2025. Credit: Vadim Ghirda/Associated Press
Pamela Cantor, M.D., Founder and CEO of The Human Potential L.A.B., shared her perspective on the urgent need to shift how we think and talk about young people in an op-ed published by The Hechinger Report.
In the piece, Dr. Cantor challenges the negative labels often applied to young people today, such as "disengaged," "unmotivated," and "fragile." She emphasizes the importance of recognizing the resilience and potential of young people rather than focusing on their setbacks. Drawing from her experience as a child and adolescent psychiatrist, she advocates for a science-grounded, strengths-focused approach to support young people’s recovery and growth.
Dr. Cantor likens the recovery process from emotional and academic setbacks to physical healing. Just as a child would need a clear recovery plan after a physical injury, young people benefit from supportive relationships and structured opportunities to rediscover their strengths and achieve their goals.
“Healing requires relationships, hope and time, not labels. With our young people we can build a plan to do the work, chunk it into manageable sizes and celebrate successes as they achieve their goals. They shouldn’t do this alone. In fact, it’s very hard to do this alone."
— Pamela Cantor, M.D.
Read the article.
Watch Pamela Cantor, M.D. answer questions from parents in this video series from The Human Potential L.A.B. and Learning Heroes, part of their Go Beyond Grades campaign.
Spring 2025