Tonight with your 13 to 17 year old
The prompt
“What team, fandom, or interest feels like it's actually core to who you are, not just a phase?”
What to listen for
If they answer with real conviction, that thing has become part of how they understand themselves, and they need it to be respected as meaningful, not dismissed as "just a hobby."
If they laugh it off as "kind of embarrassing but yeah," they may be testing whether it's safe to be that into something around you, meet it with genuine interest, not teasing.
A long list rather than one thing is fine too, some teens find identity in the mix rather than a single passion.
What this tells you
What they name as core to who they are shows you where they've built real, lasting identity versus passing interest.