“You don’t need to be an adult to do personal development!” For the former Franco-Egyptian-Italian model living in the United States, Elisa Sednaoui, it is obvious: the time for education, for growing up well, is essential. For around ten years, through the Funtasia Foundation, she has devoted herself specifically to educational issues. She produced a book, co-written with Paolo Borzacchiello, intended for children over 11 years old and their parents.
Madame Figaro
. –
You chose, for this book, to put yourself in the shoes of the teenager that you were. Who was she?
Elisa Sednaoui. –
A lot of things have remained the same… I was – and I am, I believe – a curious person, who wants to understand how people think, to have intimate connections with others. But I was very insecure, fragile. I lacked stability and gave too much power to others to define me.
Was it difficult to find that voice again?
Not really. The most difficult thing was to be sure that the expressions and language used were those of today's teenagers, that they recognized themselves, and not to come across as a has-been.
(Laughs.)
As for the rest, these stories – which are taken from my life – are still there, very close by. Like this time when, back from Egypt, my classmates didn't speak to me for several months. No adults saw what was happening. This is where the quality of the teacher makes a huge difference, where I want the question to be better prepared within the school...
Sometimes parents don't understand what's going on?
I was an only child until the age of 10, and being alone, not being able to share a situation with someone or play down parental behavior changes everything.
Do you think teenagers' lives are more difficult today?
Social networks have undoubtedly changed the dynamics. At the same time, the harassment, the exclusion, the difficulties in breaking away from our parents have always been there, we just didn't have the words to say it. Bulling
is
a new word. And since we weren't talking about violence, gender inequalities, we weren't talking about school bullying...
Before, we didn't talk about violence and gender inequalities, so we didn't talk about school bullying
Elisa Sednaoui
One of the tools you deliver is linguistic intelligence. In other words, our brain listens to us. What does that mean ?
The brain produces hormones connected to the words we use. He has no sense of humor, no second degree and does not perceive negation. If I tell you “no problem,” he hears “problem” and immediately produces cortisol, the stress hormone. On the other hand, if I say “I have a challenge to solve”, it will produce dopamine. It's a workout, but like sport, it produces its effects!
funtasia.org