JanSport Teams up with Teenager Therapy Podcast to Continue its Mental Health Awareness Mission to Help Stressed Out Gen Zers

DENVER, Jan. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — JanSport doubles down on its #LightenTheLoad mental health awareness campaign by teaming up with Teenager Therapy, a podcast made for teenagers by teenagers, on a series of episodes through January 2021 that address mental health issues Generation Z is currently facing. Only half of the Gen Z population feel they do enough to manage their stress² and three out of 10 young people say they feel anxious or nervous almost every day¹.

“Mental health and wellness continue to rise to the top of Gen Z’s worry list—especially now,” said Monica Rigali, Head of Marketing at JanSport. “JanSport is on a mission to get teens talking about it and to let them know they’re not alone. Teenager Therapy does exactly that.”

Listeners can stream episodes on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to listen in on open conversation around mental health issues that directly impact Gen Z. The series launches early January and continues throughout the month with topics including:

• January 10, 2021 – Growing Up: Growing up and trying to live life to the fullest comes with fears and regrets that can have a strong impact on wellness. In this episode, Teenager Therapy dives into the fears of losing their youth, watching their parents grow old, and the regrets they have not doing things sooner.
• January 17, 2021 – Self-Love and Finding Your Voice: Building confidence does not come natural to many teens. In this episode, the cohosts will share their own journeys to discovering their voice.
• January 24, 2021 – Drawing Boundaries: From learning how to say “no” to not spreading yourself thin, this episode will impart how the cohosts manage boundaries with family and friends.
• January 31, 2021 – Financial Struggles: Money is a sensitive issue that many find uncomfortable to talk about. However, it’s necessary to be open about the very real impact financial stress can have on your mental health.

“Teenagers are interested in hearing what other teens are going through in an honest way. I want to be vulnerable and publicly share the conversations others are not,” said Teenager Therapy cohost Gael Aitor, 17. “We all have wildly different personalities; the amazing thing about our podcast is that our weaknesses are what makes the podcast so good. Our insecurities are what enable our listeners to relate to us and our struggles.”

This dedicated podcast series will highlight issues a diverse mix of young people are working through, in hopes of helping to normalize and destigmatize them. For more information and updates on the campaign, please visit jansport.com/lightentheload.

¹ PEW Research, A growing number of American teenagers – particularly girls – are facing depression, 2019
² American Psychology Association, Stress in America ^TM Generation Z, October 2018

About JanSport^®
JanSport, a division of VF Outdoor, LLC., was founded in 1967 in Seattle, WA, by three pioneers in the outdoor industry. Though the brand began by manufacturing and marketing world-class outdoor backpacks, today the product offering includes outdoor gear and daypacks sold on www.jansport.com, department stores, and specialty and boutique retail locations throughout the world. All JanSport packs are backed by a lifetime warranty to guarantee they stand by customers through their life’s adventures.

About Teenager Therapy
Teenager Therapy is a group of five stressed, sleep deprived, yet energetic teens who cohost a podcast to talk about the struggles that come with being a teenager. The Anaheim, California based group includes Gael Aitor,17, Thomas Pham,17, Kayla Suarez, 17, Isaac Hurtado, 17, and Mark Hugo, 17. Their podcast debuted in 2018 and has grown to have over 528,000 subscribers, over 3.3 million streams and over 3 million downloads.

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SOURCE JanSport