Michelle Obama Gives Tips For Talking To Teens Through #BetterMakeRoom Campaign

Michelle Obama, The First Lady of the United States of America, has unveiled another campaign with regard to education and the youth on Oct. 19. Her "Better Make Room" campaign aims to urge teenagers, particularly those in middle school and high school, to continue on to higher education and obtain a degree.

It's easier said than done because teenagers today have different forms of communication and they also communicate differently from earlier generations, however, Mrs. Obama shared some knowledge on how to talk to teens, according to her experience with her own daughters.

More impact using fewer words

Mrs. Obama revealed that, from her experience with Malia and Sasha, brevity is the key. Emails are obsolete for the new generation, just as handwritten mail sent via post is not the first option when communicating with someone in another country. A lot of new media for communication, such as texting and snapchat, have taken over and these are what the Generation Z-ers immerse themselves in. Sending full-sentence texts also lower the chances of good communication because teenagers have shorter attention span and tend to think that long statements are equivalent to trouble, just the same way as moms call out their kid's full name when angry.

Emojis also help in clarifying intent, especially if the message has the tendency to sound negative. "There's the smiley face, the angry face, and all the other faces that can show any emotion that you may be feeling" Mrs. Obama said.

Truly get to know them

The First Lady observed that teenagers are no longer glued to Televisions screens and are instead more attached to their gadgets. She said that the new generation are more hands-on and prefer to have active participation instead of just watching on the sidelines. "If we truly want to engage this generation in a conversation about higher education, we need to give them a space where they can drive that conversation themselves" Mrs. Obama expressed.

The New Campaign

This is why they launched a new website that encourages teens ages 14-19 to post their goals, interact with and help each other for the "Better Make Room" campaign, which falls under her "Reach Higher" initiative. Many have expressed their support for the campaign including American Eagle Outfitters, CW Television Network, Pearson, CollegeHumor, Vine and Mashable, among other big names across industries.

Even Keegan-Michael Key, Ciara and Tony Goldwyn expressed their support with the video below.

Just as she urges everyone to do on her "Better Make Room" campaign, Michelle Obama definitely made room.

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