‘The Pressures of Being Young in the 2020’s.’

There is a great saying which I think is so true……’ Never has the speed of change in the history of the world been this fast…and never again will it be this slow…’

I remember my child hood. we didn’t have a phone in the house untill I was 15. There were no tablets or computor games or social media. In many respects, while my Mam’s childhood was alot tougher than mine growing up as she did through the war years, some of the intrinsic parts are not that dissimilar.

At 10 my friend and I would disappear into the fields around our houses, armed with jam sandwiches, a packet of crisps and not come back until dark. This was the norm for both my childhood and my Mam’s. No one was worried. Maybe the world is different today…that is up to you to judge.

In truth, I was judging my children’s childhood by mine. From that perspective they had a better childhood than mine, and in so many ways they did…

But…

The world in which they live today is so vastly different to the world I grew up in. Firstly, they live in two completely different worlds. The real and digital world. Both bring pressures.

Hands up! Poacher turned game keeper here. When we lost Llyr I remember clearly having a conversation with our postman, and he couldn’t understand why our young people take their lives.

So back in 2021, I put out a post asking people to have a conversation with their young people around what makes being young difficult.

The response was huge. The following list is a snap shot of their voices in their own words.

Each comment is a good starting point for a conversation. What is nice about this list is that you can show it to them and ask them what their opinion is of the items on the list using it as a promopt. You might find a good conversation ensures.

In the battle against poor mental health you need to know your enemy. This is a great starting point

1000 words paint a picture

'The climate, terrorism, body image,brexit’
'Pressure from parents to do better than they did'
'Pressure to be successful is crippling'
'Growing up, having a good job, being good enough'
'What to do after A levels and finding a job'
’Body image’
'Bad things happening to them and loved ones feeling like a burden'.........
'Sexuality, doing well at school and future'
'Social media and comparing to others, what people think of them and getting things wrong'
'Everything is so over whelming and so much pressure from everywhere'
'School anxiety and mental health'
'Exams and the pressure to pick a path for the future when you really honestly don't know what you want to do-fear of getting the wrong path'
'What people think and grades'
'Fear of failing exams'
'Its about going to Uni and all the different emotions... Excitement fears and alot going on'
'Pressure of money and bills'
'Social media and how unrealistic it is'
'Unrealistic beauty expectations, pressure to do well and peer pressure'
'Lockdown, feeling over whelmed with school work exams and assessment pressure.'
'My body'
'Good grades good future making parents proud saving and living in the minute'
'Being successful, buying property. Earning enough. Making people happy.'
'Money in the future, staying healthy, finding it difficult to understand others emotions’

Enough Said