{"id":185,"date":"2019-02-18T11:30:02","date_gmt":"2019-02-18T11:30:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hisownman.com\/blog\/?p=185"},"modified":"2020-04-30T19:28:21","modified_gmt":"2020-04-30T18:28:21","slug":"anxiety-rises-among-teenagers-and-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hisownmancounselling.co.uk\/blog\/2019\/02\/18\/anxiety-rises-among-teenagers-and-children\/","title":{"rendered":"Anxiety rises among teenagers and children"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a counsellor who has worked with dozens and dozens of young people, from 7 years old and upwards and worked with organisations such as Kooth, the Scout Association, the YMCA and the Army Cadet Force (ACF), it never ceases to amaze me how many young people are affected by social media and how complicated life has become for people since the advent of platforms such as Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.\u00a0 Anxiety<\/a> is just one of the many issues caused by social media for teenagers and children, in the 21st century.<\/p>\n

Ironically, while I was looking through my Twitter feed, I came across an article that reported the number of young people in the UK who say they do not believe that life is worth living, has doubled in the last decade, amid a sense of overwhelming pressure from social media which is driving feelings of inadequacy, new research suggests.<\/p>\n

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them. \u2013 Walt Disney<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The article went on to talk about the rapid rise in young people who were unhappy with their lives.\u00a0 In 2009, only 9% of 16-25-year-olds disagreed with the statement that \u201clife is really worth living\u201d, but that has now risen to 18%. More than a quarter also disagree that that their life has a sense of purpose, according to a YouGov survey of 2,162 people for the Prince\u2019s Trust (who do an incredible job), a charity that helps 11 to 30-year-olds into education, training and work. Youth happiness levels have fallen most sharply over the last decade in respect of relationships with friends and emotional health, the survey found, while satisfaction with issues like money and accommodation have remained steady.<\/p>\n

The Prince\u2019s Trust has been gauging youth opinion for 10 years and found that just under half of young people who use social media now feel more anxious about their future when they compare themselves to others on sites and apps such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. A similar amount agree that social media makes them feel \u201cinadequate\u201d. More than half (57%) think social media creates \u201coverwhelming pressure\u201d to succeed.\u00a0 Anxiety has become a real problem for young people.<\/p>\n

The gloomy view on life being taken by a growing minority of young people comes amid reports of an increased rate of teenage suicide<\/a>. It was reported on Sunday that official statistics due later this year will show that suicides now occur at more than five in 100,000 teenagers in England. That contrasts with a figure of just over three in 100,000 in 2010.<\/p>\n

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Source: Prince\u2019s Trust eBay Youth Index\/You Gov (Online poll of 2,162 adults aged 16-25 between 13 November and 2 December 2018<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cSocial media has become omnipresent in the lives of young people and this research suggests it is exacerbating what is already an uncertain and emotionally turbulent time,\u201d said Nick Stace, UK chief executive of The Prince\u2019s Trust. \u201cYoung people are critical to the future success of this country, but they\u2019ll only realise their full potential if they believe in themselves and define success in their own terms. It is therefore a moral and economic imperative that employers, government, charities and wider communities put the needs of young people centre stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

There were positive feelings about social media too. A third of people said being on social media makes them feel like they can have a voice for their generation and influence positive change, and more than a quarter said it made them happy. However, playing sport (44%), earning enough money to live how they want (62%) and spending time with family (77%) were more likely to drive happiness. Four out of 10 young people said they felt more confident online than they do in person, but that rises to almost half among the youngest age group, 16 to 18-year-olds.<\/p>\n

It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. \u2013 Confucius<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The findings follow public pressure on the government to toughen the regulation of social media companies, which use algorithms to target users with tailored content. Government Ministers have asked the chief medical officer, Dame Sally Davies, to draw up advice on social media usage for children amid growing concerns about links between its excessive use and mental health problems among children.<\/p>\n

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Education secretary Damian Hinds, said at the weekend that social media companies have a \u201cmoral duty\u201d to act. He announced that children will have lessons in how to deal with the pressures of social media.<\/p>\n

Tskenya Frazer, 24, a habitual Instagram and Twitter user until recently, said she would \u201cfeel bad\u201d about her own life when looking at posts from friends about holidays, work promotions, new cars or homes. It also made her question her body image.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as I woke up I would be on Instagram, scrolling through,\u201d she said. \u201cI would be on a page with a girl with the most perfect body.\u201d<\/p>\n

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. \u2013 Winston Churchill<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cSocial media reinforces those feelings of not being good enough, that you\u2019re too fat, and that is toxic,\u201d Frazer said. \u201cSocial media doesn\u2019t induce those feelings but it heightens them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Prince\u2019s Trust creates an index based on happiness and confidence which stood at 73 in 2009. It is now at its lowest level yet at 69.<\/p>\n

But young people need social media, right?<\/h2>\n

So with all the statistics and opinion in mind, there is clearly a link between anxiety in young people and social media.\u00a0 But as we must also realise, social media\u00a0is a very important aspect of children and teenagers’ lives.\u00a0 Teenagers and children, use social media for a myriad of reasons such as to simply have fun; Fortnight is an incredibly popular multiplayer online game at the moment and an extension of that too is somewhere for teenagers and children to make and maintain friendships through “chat”, this allows them to share interests as well.<\/p>\n

Social media also gives children and teenagers the opportunity to explore their identities and develop relationships with family.\u00a0 Many children and young people (and of course, adults too) use social media to keep in touch with family who are in a different part of the country, or indeed, the world.\u00a0 Not only can children and teenagers connect with friends and family, they can connect to global communities, often based on interests they share.<\/p>\n

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Connecting with other teenagers or children around the world allows them to “meet” others who may have shared interests.\u00a0 For example a young person who is interested in West Midlands Aston Villa football club but is based in Cornwall, can connect with fans in the local area.\u00a0 Likewise, a teenager who wants to find a support network for sufferers of eating disorders, can find online groups, research ways of getting help and find out where support groups meet locally.<\/p>\n

While we can’t stop the teenager and children from using social media, we can try to alleviate its affects on children and teenagers and help prevent anxiety and other metal health problems.\u00a0 By talking to young people about social media, we can help protect them and improve their internet safety.<\/p>\n

Below are 6 simple guidelines to discuss with your child or teenager about social media.<\/b><\/h2>\n