Telling teens things like "there are people in this world with bigger issues" makes them feel worse.reported
High school can be an emotional roller coaster for teens, even under normal conditions. As such, mental health clinicians working with teens — like my colleagues and I — have wondered for a few years now how the post-pandemic high school years would unfold for the teens of Gen Z: a generation, I've argued, thatAlyssa Soldinger, a 14-year-old freshman at a suburban NY high school, recently won an essay contest describing the mental health challenges of today's Gen Z teens.
I think adults forget that they themselves are not forced to stay in toxic situations like teens are. If adults are uncomfortable with a co-worker, they can leave that job or avoid that person. If someone despises them, they can get in their car and drive away. Kids don't have this option. Kids do not have these freedoms. Adults are financially independent. But kids and teens always have to go through a parent or guardian for everything they want.