Boston: Libby’s Lesson about Mental Health and Gender Dysphoria | Around the World | PragerU Kids

Attention parents and teachers, this content contains depictions of teenagers struggling with body dysmorphia and transgender ideology. It is not intended for younger viewers. Welcome to Boston, the capital of Massachusetts and one of America's oldest cities. After leaving England to practice their faith without persecution, Puritan settlers founded Boston in 1630. With a natural harbor, the city quickly became New England's hub for trade, innovation, and education. America's first public school and its oldest college, Harvard, began in Boston. Over the centuries, Boston has been a center of social change. From igniting the American Revolution to calling for the abolition of slavery, Bostonians have advocated for bold ideas. But with many teenagers spending hours on social media, becoming depressed, and frequently identifying as transgender, some of these newer changes are coming with very unhealthy consequences. This is Libby. She lives with her family near the Harvard campus, where her father is a math professor. Ever since she was small, Libby dreamed of being a student in her dad's classes. This year, she's even taking AP Calculus. But along with her good grades, Libby hopes that competitive swimming will win her a college scholarship. When she isn't swimming or studying, Libby posts reels on a shared social media account with her best friend, Danny. Since they were young, Libby and Danny have always stuck together. Danny also competes on their school swim team. While Libby swims the backstroke, Danny swims breaststroke and freestyle. Danny's tall, muscular build gives her an advantage over Libby and the other swimmers. Even though they are both competing for a scholarship, Libby and Danny support each other in everything. Now they're enjoying their senior year. The girls have the same English teacher, Miss Wagner, who surprised everyone by suddenly hanging the transgender pride flag in their classroom. She spent the whole class talking about people who belong in a different body and how everyone should be an ally. When Miss Wagner invited everyone to stay after class and talk some more, Libby rolled her eyes. But Danny stuck around, along with Emerson, a swimmer from the boys team. Since then, Danny seems different. She's been moody, withdrawn, and not her normal active self. When they finally got time to talk, Danny confessed that she might be trapped in the wrong body. Libby was shocked. Danny had always been a competitive tomboy, but she'd never doubted her body or identity like this. Even worse, Danny said that she wasn't going to tell her parents. Libby wasn't easy about all this news, but knew that if she expressed any concern, she would be called hateful. She could only watch silently as her best friend's changes got worse. One day, after Danny missed swim practice, Libby saw her sitting in the school counselor's office with Miss Wagner instead. A couple other kids in their English class had suddenly declared they were trans. And soon, Danny cut and dyed her hair, then posted a reel announcing she would now be using he-him pronouns. Watching Danny come out and then get excited when the likes and comments flooded in, sent a chill along Libby's spine. Affirmation on social media triggers the release of dopamine, a powerful brain chemical connected to feelings of reward and pleasure. It can become addicting and damaging to mental health, leading people down very dangerous paths. When Danny shared that she was secretly scheduling a doctor's appointment to start hormone therapy, Libby couldn't play along anymore. She warned Danny that transitioning could be dangerous and cause irreversible changes, and she begged her to talk to her parents. As Libby feared, Danny became angry, accused her of being intolerant, and claimed that she would never understand. She warned her that if she said even a word to her parents, she'd never forgive her. It hurt when Danny finally stormed off, but Libby was sure that she knew and cared about her lifelong best friend much more than these sudden new allies. With tears in her eyes, Libby opened their shared social media account and changed the password, locking Danny out. The thought of never talking to her best friend again was so painful, but she knew that speaking up was the right thing to do. As soon as she could, Libby switched out of Miss Wagner's class. She still sees Danny at practice, but they don't speak. Libby wonders if Danny ever went to that doctor's appointment, or if the forced break from social media gave her a chance to stop and think before permanently changing her body. One day, their coach passed around a list of who would be racing in the final swim meet. Libby never felt so nervous, but when she saw that she had qualified for the backstroke, she was overjoyed. This was it, her chance to swim in front of college scouts and land one of three scholarships. But then, Libby noticed a new swimmer named Emma would also be competing in her event. Who's Emma? she wondered. When the list came to Danny, she grinned and laughed. She'd qualified to swim in her two strongest events. When Libby congratulated her, Danny smiled back and asked if they could talk. Just like old times, the girls walk to their favorite boba tea shop and sit down with their orders. It's been a month since they've spoken, but this time Danny begins by apologizing and thanking Libby for being honest with her before, even when the truth had made her angry. Without the pressure from social media, Danny had been able to work on her mental health and examine her choices with a clear mind. To Libby's relief, Danny admits she never went to her appointment and that she's ready to tell her parents everything that happened. She knows that her parents will help guide her through these difficult and confusing times. Libby finally has her best friend back. The school year is almost over and the big meet is coming up. Danny's swim times are faster than ever, giving her a strong chance to finish in one of the top three spots and land a scholarship. Libby thinks the third place is within her reach if she can shave a bit more time off her personal best. But a week before the swim meet, Libby is stunned to see Emerson at practice wearing a girl's swimsuit. When Libby hears the other swimmers calling him Emma, she realizes what's happening. Emerson had come out as trans around the same time as Danny, but now the school is letting him compete in the girl's swim meet. Emma, the mysterious swimmer in Libby's event, is actually a six-foot-tall biological male identifying as a woman. Libby is devastated, but the school's getting a lot of praise for supporting Emma's decision to race with the girls. Maybe Emerson's transition was the result of being under the same mental health pressures as Danny by their teacher and social media, or maybe there was more to it. On the boys team, Emerson was below average, but with more body strength, bigger lungs, and greater bone and muscle structure, his male body gives him a huge advantage over the female swimmers. Now Emma is dominating in practice and his fast times are knocking Danny down to third place and Libby down to fourth. What can they possibly do? It's the day of the swim meet and dozens of college scouts are sitting in the bleachers. Libby is almost ready to swim the backstroke. Even though she's racing against someone with an unfair advantage, she'll swim with all her strength. No matter what happens, Libby knows she's not alone. Girls all around the world are facing challenges from biological males who are competing in their sports. Maybe with her best friend Danny beside her, Libby will find the courage to speak up for them.