Young & Isolated — With Shirley Manson

Feeling like an outsider is one of the hallmarks of adolescence, but in today’s episode we hear from two 16-year-olds who have cause to feel especially isolated. One girl is home-schooled and rarely leaves the house. A second girl feels disconnected from her best friend, who has suddenly become popular at school. Both letter writers wonder if they’ll ever feel comfortable in their own skin. Shirley Manson, the lead singer of the alternative rock band Garbage, joins the Sugars to discuss her own journey as an outsider. She assures the letter writers that though they may feel like outcasts, they are not alone — most teenagers at some point feel inferior to their peers.  For more information on today’s episode, including a list of literary recommendations from the Sugars, visit nytimes.com/dearsugars.

Today’s episode features the song “Beloved Freak” from Garbage’s 2012 album “Not Your Kind of People.”