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(Describer) News clips orbit the globe. Words appear: Teen Kids News. Created by Albert T. Primo .

(Describer) A teen reporter sits at a desk. Lylah .

- Hi, and welcome to "Teen Kids News." I'm Lylah. We've got a lot to cover in this week's show, so let's get started. Here's our top story.

(Describer) The words 'top story' rotate over the Teen Kids News logo.

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Let's face it, growing up in the world today can be hard. From social media to safety in our schools, we face pressures our parents never did. And as Katarina reports, those pressures are affecting a lot of us in many ways. - Very true. And you can sum up the effect those pressures have on us in one word: anxiety. The dictionary defines anxiety as "a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease." We all tend to feel a bit anxious every now and then, for example when facing a big test, having to speak in front of the class, or going out for an important audition or tryout. But when we live in constant anxiety, that's a concern. In fact, it can be a serious health issue. And it seems to be affecting more and more of us. Medical experts say that up to 25% of teens have some type of anxiety disorder. Clearly, anxiety is an issue. It's one that everyone, particularly teens and parents, need to be aware of. And that's why the recently released documentary, "Anxious Nation," is so important. I'm going to show you a clip. Some of you may find what you're about to see all too familiar and rather upsetting. - (Teen 1) It just makes my body just like stop everything that its doing and just break down. - (Teen 2) I was like hyperventilating. I was like, "I can't breathe, I don't know what's going on." And she was like, "I think you're having a panic attack." - Anxiety is like worrying about your shadow. - (Teen 3) We're living in very scary times. - I worry a lot because of my racial background. - (Teen 4) School shootings, that's my worst fear. - (Teen 5) I think we live in a world now where you pick up your phone, it's Instagram, it's Twitter, it's TikTok. I didn't just have anxiety, I was living in it. - Clearly, a lot of us are living in it. But as we just saw, social media isn't the only cause of today's high rates of anxiety. One of those profiled in the film is the daughter of the film's executive producer, San Diego teen Sevey Morton. Actually, you weren't just a participant in the documentary; you were the inspiration behind it, weren't you? - I was, that's correct. - Describe how anxiety makes you feel. - Anxiety makes me feel really tense. My hands, they fist up and they clench, and it makes me feel like I just want to cry. Like, I can't stop crying. - When did those feelings first start? - I think I was most aware of my anxiety when I was around seven or eight and I was going to the summer camp. And it was supposed to be this really fun experience and I was supposed to be having a really good time with all the other girls in my bunk, but I just couldn't enjoy it. I couldn't have a good time, I cried every day. I was begging to go home. And it was my anxiety getting in the way of it. I wasn't aware at the time that it was anxiety, but that is when I started to feel like there was something going on. - How does it affect your everyday life? - It makes me miss out on really fun things. My anxiety gets in the way of me hanging out with people. It gets in the way of these fun experiences that I'm supposed to experience at my age because I'm so anxious about something happening. I'm so anxious about what somebody gonna say about something that I do. - What did you learn from being in the documentary? - I learned that I'm not alone in my issues, because for a while that's what I felt like. I felt like I was so alone when struggling with my issues and that all my friends around me were having so much fun and, like, why couldn't I feel like that? And then after filming this and after seeing everyone in a new point of view, I realized that everybody's struggling with something and that a lot of people struggle with the same things I do. This film gives you so much hope that we can stand up and we can make this feel a little bit more normal because everybody struggles with something. - What advice do you have for other teens about anxiety? - That you need to find good coping mechanisms for yourself, because when you're having a moment, it's so difficult. I know it's so difficult to really get out of that rabbit hole. If you have good coping mechanisms, it's a little bit less difficult. And I would say I really find journaling helpful because it's, I know how difficult it can be to actually speak about your feelings, especially if you don't know exactly what your feelings are. And so, writing down on a piece of paper is so-- it feels just so personal. And you don't even have to share it with anyone. It's just for you. - That sounds like a great idea. Thank you for having the courage to step up and speak out, Sevey. - Thank you for having me. - Okay. This report on anxiety isn't meant to cause you even more anxiety, so let's get a bit more advice from an expert. Lynn Lyons is a therapist who contributed to the documentary "Anxious Nation." Lynn, most of us don't have to worry about being a bit anxious every once in a while, right? - Right, because we're supposed to feel anxious every once in a while. It's the way that our brain and our body sort of alert us to things that we need to pay attention to. So if you're stepping into something like a test, or something that feels challenging, or something that's super important to you, you are going to have those feelings of nervousness, and tension, and anxiety. Totally normal. - But for those who do feel that their level of anxiety is of concern, what's your advice? - Well, so that's a great question because we want to differentiate between that normal level of worry and anxiety and when it gets in the way of the things you want or need to do. So when it feels persistent, when it feels like you're worrying all the time, when you're making decisions based on what your anxiety wants, if it becomes that powerful that it's getting in the way of your normal existence, it's really important for you to do two things. One is to learn about how this thing works. Learn about how the brain and the body are connected. And if you need to and if you want to, get some help. Therapy works. Getting good support, learning about this thing, and making sure that you're not using avoidance as your main coping strategy, those are the things you want to pay attention to. - Thank you, Lynn. - You're welcome. - Mental health issues are real and not something you should ignore. Remember, you're not alone. For "Teen Kids News," I'm Katarina. - We still have a lot more to tell you about. "Teen Kids News" will be right back. It's been said that the pen is mightier than the sword. Words can inspire us, unite us, and even help win battles, especially when put to music. Carly tells us more. - We sing it at school, at important ceremonies, and even before sporting events. Our national anthem has a proud history, and it all began right here in Baltimore Harbor two centuries ago.

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(Describer) Ranger Molly Ertel.

(speaker) This is the War of 1812. We weren't doing so well, the Americans were losing at that time. And the British had just burned Washington. That was kind of scaring the people in Baltimore City. And Fort Mchenry was the only thing standing in between the British ships and Baltimore city. - The American general in charge of the fort wanted to show the British that we weren't afraid, so he sent word here to the home of Mary Pickersgill. Mary was a well-known flag maker. So, Mary, what did the general ask you to do? - Well, he asked me to make a flag that was so large the British would've no trouble seeing it from a distance. It was some 30 by 42 feet. Each stripe was two feet wide and every star was two feet from tip to tip. - Wow, that sounds really big. - It was very large, the largest flag to ever fly from a flagpole, as I understand. - To give you an idea of just how big the flag really is, it was this big.

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(Describer) She stands by a flag the size of a building.

When did the battle begin? - On September 13th, 1814, the British began firing on the fort. - We are at the fort's water battery. This is the main line of defense for Fort McHenry. Cannons like these are what kept the British ships at bay.

(Molly) An American lawyer happened to be with British ships. He was negotiating the release of a prisoner, an American prisoner of war. And so, he was there for the whole bombardment and he saw the entire battle. And his name was Francis Scott Key.

(Describer) Nava and Soukay.

♪ Oh, say can you see ♪

♪ By the dawn's early light ♪

- (Carly) Why did Key write that first line? - Oh, say can you see, he wasn't sure who won the fight. It was dark the morning after the battle. He's looking through a spyglass and then he sees the giant American flag going over the fort and realizes that the Americans held out, the Americans won. And that inspired him to write the poem, the "Defence of Fort McHenry."

♪ What so proudly we hailed ♪

♪ At the twilight's last gleaming ♪

♪ Whose broad stripes and bright stars ♪

♪ Thru the perilous fight ♪

- When Francis Scott Key wrote his poem, there were only 15 stars and 15 stripes on the American flag.

♪ O'er the ramparts we watched ♪

♪ Were so gallantly streaming ♪

- So what exactly are the ramparts? - The ramparts are the brick walls surrounding the fort. And ramparts is another name for a wall. So when Key says, "O'er the ramparts," o'er is another word for over, so he's saying we watched over the ramparts for the flag.

♪ And the rocket's red glare ♪

♪ The bombs bursting in air ♪

- During the battle, a bomb crashed straight through the roof of our powder magazine.

(Describer) Powder magazine: A place where gunpowder, weapons and ammunition are stored.

If it had actually exploded, it would've blown the fort sky high.

♪ Gave proof through the night ♪

♪ That our flag was still there ♪

(Molly) The British bombarded the fort for 25 hours. And they were out by Key Bridge, so they were two miles out on the water. Our guns could only shoot for a mile and a half, so they were out of our range. So after 25 hours of bombing, they were not defeating the fort and they weren't getting to Baltimore, so the British decided to leave. - (Carly) What happened to Key's poem? - Well, Key went back to Baltimore, wrote the rest of the poem, and then he gave it to a local printer. And it was printed on handbills. It was an overnight sensation. To put it in modern terms, it went viral. It went up and down the Atlantic coast. And two weeks later, a music store, Carr's music store changed the name from the "Defence of Fort Mchenry" to the "Star-Spangled Banner." - (Carly) When did it become our national anthem? - It became the official national anthem in 1931. For a lot of years, it was sung like a national anthem. They called it a National Air. But it really wasn't until the 1920s that a grassroots movement came afoot to make it official. And Herbert Hoover signed it into a resolution in public law in 1931.

♪ Oh, say does that ♪

♪ Star-spangled banner yet wave ♪

♪ O'er the land of the free ♪

♪ And the home ♪

♪ Of the brave ♪

- Yes, it does. Two hundred years later, our flag still proudly waves, spangled with a lot more stars. For TKN, I'm Carly. - We've gotta take a short break and then we'll be back with more "Teen Kids News."

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(Describer) The Teen Kids News logo spins on screen, the words overlaying a red triangle and teal circle.

- Let's test your knowledge of geography. What's the world's largest desert? If you said the Sahara, good guess, but no. The Sahara Desert in Northern Africa is certainly huge. It covers 3.5 million square miles. That's about the size of the United States, including Alaska. No, the world's largest desert isn't a place covered in sand. It's covered with snow. With 5.5 million square miles, the Antarctic Desert is more than one and a half times larger than the Sahara. If you thought that a desert had to be a place that's hot and dry, you're half right. It doesn't need to be hot, but it does need to be dry. To be designated a desert, a location must receive fewer than ten inches of precipitation a year. The Antarctic gets fewer than four inches, making it a polar desert. In fact, the driest place on the planet is Antarctica's Mcmurdo Dry Valleys. It's also the world's windiest location. Blasts can reach 200 miles per hour. That's stronger than the winds of a category five hurricane, a lot stronger. For "Teen Kids News," I'm Alexandra. - Safe driving takes a clear head, a steady hand, and good reactions. Unfortunately, you don't have any of those if you're driving impaired. To drive that message home, here's a video from the National Road Safety Foundation.

(Describer) At a school.

[alarm blaring]

- Hey, guys, did you get a text about the party? - Yeah, I'm definitely down. - Me too, but how are we gonna get there? - I'll drive. I got my license last week, remember?

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(Describer) The four teens enter the girl's car. The car drives down a road.

[engine rumbling]

- (Friend 1) Think they have drinks? - (Friend 2) I'm sure they will. - (Driver) I won't be drinking. I'm driving, remember?

(Describer) At the party. The teens dance with red cups, except for the driver.

[radio] ♪ I need all the ways ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

[singer singing indistinctly]

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ Gotta keep on movin' ♪

-Drink with us. -No, I'm happy dancing. Just one shot. - Can't, I'm the one driving. - Come on, it's a party. - And I'm partying. And I'm responsible for you guys, remember?

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(Describer) Words appear: A car crash is no way to be remembered. Don't let peer pressure pressure you! A message from The National Road Safety Foundation.

- The NRSF produces lots of terrific safety videos each year. To get more info, like, follow, and subscribe to the National Road Safety Foundation. "Teen Kids News" will be right back.

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(Describer) The Teen Kids News logo spins in, the word "teen" in yellow and "kids news" in white.

(Describer) A hand drops coins into a piggy bank. Words appear: Money Smarts 101 , the word 'money' made up of dollar bills.

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- There are many ways to invest money. Two of the most common are stocks and bonds. But what's the difference between a stock and a bond? Back with us is our teen money expert, Whitman Ochiai. Please enlighten us. - Stocks give you partial ownership in a company, while bonds are actually a loan from you to a company or the government. - What's better to invest in, stocks or bonds?

(Whitman) Stocks are usually able to grow more in value than bonds over time, but they are riskier. Bonds generally grow less in value over time, but since they're a loan, it's a lot more likely that you're gonna be paid back. - Thanks, Whitman. - Thank you. - To be clear, when you buy a stock, you're investing in a company. If the company does well, your stock should benefit and increase in value. If the company does poorly, your stock will probably decrease in value. That's the risk Whitman was talking about. A bond is like lending someone money. Not only do you expect to get your money back by a certain date, you also expect to be paid a fee for lending the money. That fee is called interest. So while stock is usually dependent on how well a company performs, a bond is less tied to performance. Even if the company's performing poorly, you'll probably still get your investment back, along with the promised interest. That's why investing in a bond is usually considered safer than investing in a stock. But like everything else in finance, there's no guarantee. Companies and even governments can default on their bonds. That means that the bond fails to pay what it's supposed to. But it's rare with good quality bonds. But there is a strategy to help get the advantages of increased value of stocks along with increased safety of bonds. That's part of what's called asset allocation. Whitman will explain that in a future Money Smarts 101 segment. For "Teen Kids News," I'm Sebastian.

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(Describer) A viewer email appears on screen: Your guys show is the BEST in the world! Sydney.

- You won't want to miss what's coming up next on "Teen Kids News," trust me. We'll be right back after this. - In this next report, Katie gets to the root of an age-old question. - This coming holiday season, you could go to a store to buy your own pre-cut Christmas tree or come to a place like this.

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(Describer) A field is full of pine trees. Katie walks through them.

Called a tree farm, it has acres and acres of Christmas trees. There are usually maps available showing where the different types of trees are growing. Half the fun is searching for that perfect tree. All you need is a saw. The tree farm will provide one for you. But be careful, it's sharp. Since we often hear about the importance of protecting nature, cutting down a Christmas tree may make you feel a bit uncomfortable. But many experts agree there are benefits. First of all, it supports our farmers. Many tree farms are family-owned businesses. And unlike plastic trees, real trees are entirely biodegradable. They're often turned into mulch or compost, which is used to replenish soil. There's two main types of Christmas trees, spruce and fir. I prefer fir because the pine needles are softer. This one's a Douglas fir.

(Describer) Katie inspects a tree.

If you find one you like, you can check the inside of the tree to see if all the leaves are healthy. This one looks pretty good.

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Trees that you harvest yourself will last longer than most trees you buy already pre-cut. Those trees may have been cut days if not weeks earlier, while your tree is fresh. I found my tree, so now I have to cut it down. You want to cut it at the base of the trunk.

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(Describer) Katie saws the tree trunk.

Another benefit is that with all the walking and then the sawing, you're getting exercise.

(Describer) The tree falls.

Different farms have different policies. At this farm, a tractor will come and get your tree. They give you a tag to attach so you can find your tree after it's processed.

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(Describer) A tractor hauls the tree away.

To make the trees easier to transport. The branches are tightly wrapped with twine. The wrapped trees certainly all look pretty much the same. That's why you need your stub so you can match the numbers. Now you have to pay for it. Another advantage of cutting your own tree, it's less expensive than buying one at a store or a sidewalk stall.

(Describer) Katie cuts twine.

Tying the tree to the top of your car is part science, part art. I got a quick lesson in knot tying. - And then this allows you to pull it tight.

(Describer) Katie gives a thumbs up as the man ties the tree.

So now this time you make the loop here. - It's time to take my tree home. There are few sights as heartwarming as a fully decorated Christmas tree. Experts say the scent of an evergreen isn't just pleasant, it's healthy, a kind of aroma therapy. And it removes carbon dioxide from your home. For "Teen Kids News," I'm Katie.

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- Well, that wraps up our show for this week. But we'll be back with more "Teen Kids News" next week. See you then.

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(Describer) Credits appear over news clips. Accessibility Provided by the US Department of Education.

Accessibility provided by the U.S. Department of Education.

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(Describer) Alan Weiss Productions.