Trend: Teen Wellness
Week of May 21st, 2025
Everyone’s talking about … Teen wellness–Spa Business
Born from a discussion at the GWS, this article asks if wellness destinations and spas should be doing more for teens and what type of programming works best. If adults-only policies have ruled in most spas, is it time to review the age limit? What are the legal and ethical considerations of targeting a younger market? The article contains interviews with industry experts. Natasha K. Richardson, founder of REWIRE Retreats, explains how spas need to think beyond massages and focus on mental health and anxiety (from trauma release therapies to somatic workshops). Amy McDonald, founder of Under a Tree Wellness Consulting, speaks about the need to emphasize coping mechanisms like mindfulness experiences, rather than appearance and beauty.
How social media can be terrible for teens and the people fighting back with bans and more–South China Morning Post
Social media use has led to a youth mental health crisis and transformed teens’ lives. But now schools and governments are stepping in. The article covers the GWS trend, and the rise in therapeutic retreats aimed at helping teenagers. It also contains an interview with our trend author, Kate O’Brien, on the rising teen crisis and on her new book Un:Stuck: Helping Teens and Young Adults Flourish in an Age of Anxiety.
Beyond the screen: RXV Wellness Thailand introduces wellbeing programs for teens facing modern pressures – Indigo 8
RXV Wellness Thailand is a new example of a resort creating a whole program for teens. Each program is personalized (whether they need to heal from digital overload or improve their sleep) and the offerings span movement as therapy, such as tai chi and neuromuscular and brain activation; sound therapy to regulate their nervous system; and hormone support for teen girls through Thai and Ayurvedic approaches.
The tyranny of ‘teenage wellness’–Financial Times
Inspired by GWS’s trend, this article expresses skepticism regarding the rise of teen wellbeing offerings, asking if the profusion of adolescent spa packages and mindfulness apps is simply contributing to the pressures that young people face.
The rise of the ‘crunchy teen’ wellness influencer–The New York Times
This article examines another new development around teens and the wellness market: the rising number of teens becoming wellness influencers, some with hundreds of thousands of followers. High schoolers are appealing to other health-conscious kids online, and in the US, sometimes by expressing views in line with the “Make America Healthy Again” movement.
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