A Generation’s “New Normal”
This new generation of students are living in their “normal”- mass shootings, climate crisis, the pandemic, hate crimes, constant information filtering through their phones and computers, and political unrest. This was
not the “normal” that their parents experienced. In other words, their “normal” is our abnormal.
A study of teenagers over the past 13 years has shown that anxiety has risen to the point that it is a common factor in their daily life. In the age of cell phones, it is the norm to get a text or email that shows all the negative happenings in the world, and there is no way to block that information from coming through unless the phone is turned off.
Just going to classes, completing homework, participating in after school activities, and maintaining family and social life is enough for any middle school or high school student to deal with on a daily basis. For college students who are more independent, managing their life takes all their energy. Adding all the issues listed in the first paragraph for all age groups, makes life quite difficult to navigate.
Providing Support for Your Children Through Educational Therapy
It is important for parents to understand how much stress is on this generation of students. It is difficult enough for the adults to manage life- it is doubly hard for young people who do not have the toolbox or bandwidth to do so. They need your support in a different way than you as parents needed when they were growing up.