Is the pressure to be a well-rounded teen challenging Gen Z's mental wellness?
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Emily Bobryk-Ozaki |
TEDxYouth@SanDiego
• March 2019
Gen Z teenagers often feel that they need to do everything as they prepare for their future - always doing, going, getting, and having - from their school work and testing to volunteering, friends, family and personal projects. And they're so enveloped in social media that there's a crushing pressure to be the perfect, well-rounded teen. As a result, Gen Z's mental wellness is being challenged, and often leads to depression, anxiety, even panic attacks.
Teens are so focused on the outside that they forget to focus on themselves too. That reality caused Emily to ask, "When will we get the chance to be?" In her view, Gen Z teenagers need to realize that it's okay to be still, to take breaks, mental health naps, and most importantly, to just be.