Imagine being a 13 year old now. No escape from torment. Get home and people are taunting you online. If you don't get social media you're an outcast, if you do you're given the highlight of someone's life like its the everyday, and have the ability to filter how you look and scrutinise every aspect of it. Your attention span is minimal as you're fed 5 second videos all day.
There's more than enough reasons why kids are more anxious today than they've ever been.
We recently camped at a well know chalet/caravan holiday park. In the entertainment venue one night we noticed a young teenage girl constantly looking at her phone, briefly typing then putting the phone down, only to pick it up again 5 secs later. All her attention was focussed on this phone. She was quite literally shaking with nerves, How we as adults have meekly allowed our children's lives (and souls) to be taken over by mobile phone and social media company's whose only concern is profit is completely beyond my comprehension.
We are still in the early days of social media (relatively speaking). Whilst it is clear that the experience is depressing and awful for some it should also be balanced that it is liberating and enriching for others.
For better or worse in some ways it can be a safe meeting space to (virtually initially) talk and get to know your peer group and however alien it seems to someone of my generation by the time boy meets girl (and the pleasingly many variations on the theme that seem to be readily accepted by the current generation) they already know an awful lot about each other.
i find it an interesting observation that amongst my children’s peer group since mid-teens they and their friends seem to form partnerships that last a lot longer that I seem to remember from my misspent youth.
Ultimately I believe that the generation that has grown up with social media will be the ones that learn how to live with it, use it constructively and police it appropriately.
“Your old road is rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand…”
And apologies for quoting Dylan but nearly 60 years on it still seems apt
I work with young people and the amount of referrals to CAMHS is through the roof, along with suicidal thoughts and attempts.
Social media is a massive contributor, but also there is a real loss of hope for the future. The climate crisis, increasing inequality and social mobility, no chance of buying a house, governments who cheat and lie, worsening standard of living, a lowering of life expectancy, war in Europe, loss of ability to live, study and work abroad etc etc.
I’ve had cause to help a suicidal young person to seek assistance with their mental health recently and it took 4 weeks to access anything at all and still no in person treatment.
Its a tough gig for them out there, especially as they missed out on a year or more of socialisation and education.
'however alien it seems to someone of my generation by the time boy meets girl (and the pleasingly many variations on the theme that seem to be readily accepted by the current generation) they already know an awful lot about each other.'
I've always thought 'sliding into someone's DMs,' robs you of the best/worst part of your teenage years. Nothing replicates the unique mixture of dread and hope you feel when you're about to tell someone you like them!
Biggest problem in relation to the epidemic of MH issues is the acceptance and normalisation of the use of cannabis. It's getting to the stage now where you can smell it in the air in any populated public space most of the time.
Sadly many who use it believe it helps to calm them when it's much more likely to actually be fuelling their depression and psychosis.
Add it to the pressures of SM and you have recipe for disaster.
Cause and effect when it comes to social media and loss of hope for the future. Social media rarely casts any positives spins on any part of life. There are certainly new challenges for the next generations regarding our world but unfortunately pedalling fear to these poor kids is a hobby for some. There is very little appetite to seek truth rather to be spoon fed opinion as fact. It's a dangerous position for our youth to find themselves and no wonder life is far more complex than it used to be.
I have some sympathy with this view but which of the examples I gave do you think are fear mongering rather than observable and measurable phenomena?
The climate crisis, increasing inequality and social mobility, no chance of buying a house, governments who cheat and lie, worsening standard of living, a lowering of life expectancy, war in Europe, loss of ability to live, study and work abroad etc etc.
It’s all very well for Boomers and Gen X to tell kids to cheer up but the poor sods are having to clear up the mess we’ve left them.
The advertising industry has a lot to answer for too, but I’ll leave Bill Hicks to cover that one off.
I was watching a programme about Queens of Song the other evening and it included a video of Beyoncé Knowles. The box providing information about the singer, date of recoding etc mentioned that, at the time (whenever that was), she was said to be earning more than any other black singer.
I’m not really into Beyoncé’s style of music and I had little or no idea what she looked like but I would have described her appearance (café au lait or lighter) as ‘mixed race’. However, after reading some of the comments on this thread, spawned by Nathan Bishop’s no-show, I’m now confused (a) as to how pale someone can be and still be described as black and (b) how dodgy it could be to describe someone as ‘mixed race’ without knowing the ethnicity of their parents.
Back to the Queens of Song. I’ve only watched 20 minutes or so and I’ve not been too excited but I was stopped in my tracks (as it were) by a genuine Queen of Song (Queen of Soul, indeed). Aretha Franklin singing “I say a little Prayer” in 1970. Brilliant.
@micra And to further complicate things, there is personal preference.
Obama (who has one parent who is white and one who is black, from Kenya) self-identifies as black rather than mixed race; but Megan, Duchess of Sussex (who has one parent who is white and who is black, from the US) self-identifies as mixed race.
Mrs W was an ITU nurse and worked in school nursing and health visiting at the end of her NHS career of 30 odd years. She is adamant that the increase in cannabis and cocaine use from much earlier ages was having a significant impact on youth mental health issues and that was across all classes. Throw in Social media and its like petrol on your Tesco barbeque. Like gambling, I think the people who like a flutter cannot see the harm that all the nosey miseries looking for trouble might.
I hate the smell and don't smoke it myself, but I don't see it as a problem. I think it's only really seen as one because it's illegal - which it shouldn't be in a progressive country (which we'e not particularly).
However, as a MH professional with direct contact with people admitted to A&E showing signs of psychosis and directed for MH assessments I CAN tell you it absolutely is a problem.
The way that you proclaim it isn't a problem suggests to me that maybe you do have a problem. No offence.
Wakely Wakely Wycombe. Announce Bishop, so that I can feel like a Free Man. I'm a-Gape at how long this is taking. Historically, a promising season Blooms when the squad is complete. A prolonged saga could become Grimmer if there is no news. I feel as though we are set to Wing it without a goalkeeper, and you will find many fans drinking in De Barr, drowning their sorrows. Some of us are Young, but no-one is getting any younger.
A few observations on pot, drugs, alcohol & MH from a child of the sixties
The skunk/grass they smoke today is ridiculously strong compared to the resin we smoked in my teens & twenties (Moroccan or Lebanese mostly)
The strength along with the amount that today's youngsters smoke (due to the relative ease of getting it) does indeed seem to fuel their paranoia and I suspect long term use will not help their MH
It appears from countries that have decriminalised or legalised cannabis &/or other drugs that overall drug use has dropped, the levels of crime associated with users has plummeted and the level of drug related MH problems has diminished
It is a truism but if alcohol had been discovered in the 20th century it too would be a banned substance & is by far and away the substance that places the greatest burden on the NHS & in many is a prime cause of MH problems
Most town centres now smell of a mixture of pot, stale piss & car fumes
@Erroll_Sims Was going to say exactly the same re. alcohol. I'm 28 and have pretty much stopped drinking - a lot of my generation are going sober, although that might be partly due to the cost!
It appears from countries that have decriminalised or legalised cannabis &/or other drugs that overall drug use has dropped, the levels of crime associated with users has plummeted and the level of drug related MH problems has diminished
There's a shitload of data to back this up. The other thing that's going unsaid is that teenagers who wanted to do drugs but couldn't get hold of them in the 70s used to sniff glue instead. I'm fairly confident that that's worse for you.
Unfortunately not!! I know the odd word but it wasn't cool to be Greek for me when I was at school. Now I regret it massively. I love being half Greek. Such a complex language to learn and I respect you for learning it.
The masculine/feminine thing got me when I found out that a beer was feminine!
How are you learning if you don't mind me asking? Self teaching or tutoring?
I just got back from Kefalonia (also spelt Cephalonia and Kephalonia for some unknown reason). Other than Lemnos it's the only island I've been to as my family are from Athens. It is beautiful and would highly recommend.
Comments
Imagine being a 13 year old now. No escape from torment. Get home and people are taunting you online. If you don't get social media you're an outcast, if you do you're given the highlight of someone's life like its the everyday, and have the ability to filter how you look and scrutinise every aspect of it. Your attention span is minimal as you're fed 5 second videos all day.
There's more than enough reasons why kids are more anxious today than they've ever been.
Agreed.
That feeling of escaping school, the teachers and mostly a lot of loathsome kids every end of term was the absolute peak of my year at that age.
Imagine having to face them every day in holidays and evenings too.
We recently camped at a well know chalet/caravan holiday park. In the entertainment venue one night we noticed a young teenage girl constantly looking at her phone, briefly typing then putting the phone down, only to pick it up again 5 secs later. All her attention was focussed on this phone. She was quite literally shaking with nerves, How we as adults have meekly allowed our children's lives (and souls) to be taken over by mobile phone and social media company's whose only concern is profit is completely beyond my comprehension.
Exactly so @malone. I'm thankful i got through my teen (and college) years before social media came along to ruin it.
We are still in the early days of social media (relatively speaking). Whilst it is clear that the experience is depressing and awful for some it should also be balanced that it is liberating and enriching for others.
For better or worse in some ways it can be a safe meeting space to (virtually initially) talk and get to know your peer group and however alien it seems to someone of my generation by the time boy meets girl (and the pleasingly many variations on the theme that seem to be readily accepted by the current generation) they already know an awful lot about each other.
i find it an interesting observation that amongst my children’s peer group since mid-teens they and their friends seem to form partnerships that last a lot longer that I seem to remember from my misspent youth.
Ultimately I believe that the generation that has grown up with social media will be the ones that learn how to live with it, use it constructively and police it appropriately.
“Your old road is rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand…”
And apologies for quoting Dylan but nearly 60 years on it still seems apt
I work with young people and the amount of referrals to CAMHS is through the roof, along with suicidal thoughts and attempts.
Social media is a massive contributor, but also there is a real loss of hope for the future. The climate crisis, increasing inequality and social mobility, no chance of buying a house, governments who cheat and lie, worsening standard of living, a lowering of life expectancy, war in Europe, loss of ability to live, study and work abroad etc etc.
I’ve had cause to help a suicidal young person to seek assistance with their mental health recently and it took 4 weeks to access anything at all and still no in person treatment.
Its a tough gig for them out there, especially as they missed out on a year or more of socialisation and education.
'however alien it seems to someone of my generation by the time boy meets girl (and the pleasingly many variations on the theme that seem to be readily accepted by the current generation) they already know an awful lot about each other.'
I've always thought 'sliding into someone's DMs,' robs you of the best/worst part of your teenage years. Nothing replicates the unique mixture of dread and hope you feel when you're about to tell someone you like them!
Biggest problem in relation to the epidemic of MH issues is the acceptance and normalisation of the use of cannabis. It's getting to the stage now where you can smell it in the air in any populated public space most of the time.
Sadly many who use it believe it helps to calm them when it's much more likely to actually be fuelling their depression and psychosis.
Add it to the pressures of SM and you have recipe for disaster.
Cause and effect when it comes to social media and loss of hope for the future. Social media rarely casts any positives spins on any part of life. There are certainly new challenges for the next generations regarding our world but unfortunately pedalling fear to these poor kids is a hobby for some. There is very little appetite to seek truth rather to be spoon fed opinion as fact. It's a dangerous position for our youth to find themselves and no wonder life is far more complex than it used to be.
I can relate to that @Twizz have you got a camera in my house?? 😂
Meanwhile still no announcement about Bishop
No offence. From a 26 year old. You're massively out of touch on this.
I have some sympathy with this view but which of the examples I gave do you think are fear mongering rather than observable and measurable phenomena?
The climate crisis, increasing inequality and social mobility, no chance of buying a house, governments who cheat and lie, worsening standard of living, a lowering of life expectancy, war in Europe, loss of ability to live, study and work abroad etc etc.
It’s all very well for Boomers and Gen X to tell kids to cheer up but the poor sods are having to clear up the mess we’ve left them.
The advertising industry has a lot to answer for too, but I’ll leave Bill Hicks to cover that one off.
So did we sign Bishop in the end?
I was watching a programme about Queens of Song the other evening and it included a video of Beyoncé Knowles. The box providing information about the singer, date of recoding etc mentioned that, at the time (whenever that was), she was said to be earning more than any other black singer.
I’m not really into Beyoncé’s style of music and I had little or no idea what she looked like but I would have described her appearance (café au lait or lighter) as ‘mixed race’. However, after reading some of the comments on this thread, spawned by Nathan Bishop’s no-show, I’m now confused (a) as to how pale someone can be and still be described as black and (b) how dodgy it could be to describe someone as ‘mixed race’ without knowing the ethnicity of their parents.
Back to the Queens of Song. I’ve only watched 20 minutes or so and I’ve not been too excited but I was stopped in my tracks (as it were) by a genuine Queen of Song (Queen of Soul, indeed). Aretha Franklin singing “I say a little Prayer” in 1970. Brilliant.
Not sure we've quite reached the end.
@micra And to further complicate things, there is personal preference.
Obama (who has one parent who is white and one who is black, from Kenya) self-identifies as black rather than mixed race; but Megan, Duchess of Sussex (who has one parent who is white and who is black, from the US) self-identifies as mixed race.
The way a couple of people actually down voted you for this probably shows the extent of the problem!
You're spot on though, there was a really strong smell of it walking down Hillbottom after the game
I think you will find that Rihanna earns more now. Kanye West I believe is currently worth nearly £2 billon dollars!
Mrs W was an ITU nurse and worked in school nursing and health visiting at the end of her NHS career of 30 odd years. She is adamant that the increase in cannabis and cocaine use from much earlier ages was having a significant impact on youth mental health issues and that was across all classes. Throw in Social media and its like petrol on your Tesco barbeque. Like gambling, I think the people who like a flutter cannot see the harm that all the nosey miseries looking for trouble might.
You liked that BBC music documentary? In which case may I suggest...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0002fyg
Brilliant. And I'm pretty sure Nathan Bishop would love it too.
I hate the smell and don't smoke it myself, but I don't see it as a problem. I think it's only really seen as one because it's illegal - which it shouldn't be in a progressive country (which we'e not particularly).
I don't know what age has to do with it?
However, as a MH professional with direct contact with people admitted to A&E showing signs of psychosis and directed for MH assessments I CAN tell you it absolutely is a problem.
The way that you proclaim it isn't a problem suggests to me that maybe you do have a problem. No offence.
Wakely Wakely Wycombe. Announce Bishop, so that I can feel like a Free Man. I'm a-Gape at how long this is taking. Historically, a promising season Blooms when the squad is complete. A prolonged saga could become Grimmer if there is no news. I feel as though we are set to Wing it without a goalkeeper, and you will find many fans drinking in De Barr, drowning their sorrows. Some of us are Young, but no-one is getting any younger.
A few observations on pot, drugs, alcohol & MH from a child of the sixties
@Erroll_Sims Was going to say exactly the same re. alcohol. I'm 28 and have pretty much stopped drinking - a lot of my generation are going sober, although that might be partly due to the cost!
If only that was the case with some of more "lively" fans in the terrace for whom the pre match seems more important than the game.
Although we're constantly told the "match day experience" us what it's about.
@Malone I mean... Getting pissed doesn't automatically turn you into a twat.
@Erroll_Sims said:
It appears from countries that have decriminalised or legalised cannabis &/or other drugs that overall drug use has dropped, the levels of crime associated with users has plummeted and the level of drug related MH problems has diminished
There's a shitload of data to back this up. The other thing that's going unsaid is that teenagers who wanted to do drugs but couldn't get hold of them in the 70s used to sniff glue instead. I'm fairly confident that that's worse for you.
Unfortunately not!! I know the odd word but it wasn't cool to be Greek for me when I was at school. Now I regret it massively. I love being half Greek. Such a complex language to learn and I respect you for learning it.
The masculine/feminine thing got me when I found out that a beer was feminine!
How are you learning if you don't mind me asking? Self teaching or tutoring?
I just got back from Kefalonia (also spelt Cephalonia and Kephalonia for some unknown reason). Other than Lemnos it's the only island I've been to as my family are from Athens. It is beautiful and would highly recommend.