Newstalk ZB
In many ways, teenagers in 2026 might seem to have it easy. Instead of trawling through a neighbour’s dusty Encyclopaedia Britannica or library shelves for homework answers, they have endless information at their fingertips. Want to learn guitar? There’s a YouTube tutorial for that. Feel like Korean fried chicken or smash burgers? It can be at your door in less than 30 minutes. And rather than waiting a week for their favourite show, they can stream whatever they like, whenever they like – endless entertainment on demand. It sounds like a great way to grow up. Even chores are easier than a generation ago, thanks to dishwashers and tumble dryers. But looks can be deceiving. Our rangatahi are struggling, more of them every day, for many reasons: some obvious, others rooted in a malaise they struggle to articulate or even understand. The state of the coal face “As an organisation working on the front line, we have seen a huge increase in young people reaching out for support – and dealing with some pretty complex and high-risk things since Covid-19,” says Liz Hosking-Clement, clinical improvement lead for Youthline. “We saw another big jump in January last year, and it’s continued to rise ever since. In the past four months, we have hit an all-time high – we are connecting an average of four young people a day with emergency services. Many years ago, it would be one a week.” And frighteningly, it’s not just more young people reaching out; they’re also getting younger. “We are seeing younger young people reaching out for support, too. As of last year, 10% of Helpline clients were under 12.” What has our teens in such a bad way? Youthline says their calls are varied, but themes of anxiety, depression, distress, loneliness, self-harm, suicidality, identity struggles, family conflict, school and university pressure, social disconnection and the impact of the digital world are common. “Those experiences are also shaped by things like cost-of-living pressures, housing insecurity, lack of job opportunities, racism, and unequal access to support,” Hosking-Clement says. A system under pressure If you’ve tried to access support for a young person recently, you’ll know services are stretched. “I have definitely seen an increase in mental health issues amongst teenagers,” says Leesa Minton-Skirrow from Massey High School in Auckland, who has been a counsellor for 30 years. “There is an increased demand in referrals from teens from school and external sources. I see it working both part-time at school, and for other organisations.” The SGC (School Guidance Counsellors) Advisory Group – part of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors – has a broad overview of the situation nationwide. Spokesperson Carla King says: “We are seeing high levels of performance anxiety – both school and social, and a comparison culture driven by social media, plus things like body issues, and bullying.” She says counsellors across the country are also seeing many teens having difficulty sitting with uncomfortable feelings, with an increased tendency to numb discomfort immediately. “Sometimes it looks like the school system is not ‘fit’ for today’s children and teens, and we are definitely seeing a growing trend of school avoidance as a coping mechanism,” she says. The ‘why’ behind the rise It’s a complex situation, with changing external factors making it even more so. “The impacts of Covid and natural disasters continue on our young people – and on families who sometimes have multiple stresses,” says Sarah Lineham, also from SGC AG. “There are families where both parents are working and still find it hard to make ends meet.” She says young people are naturally “ego-centric” and often believe they are at fault for things that are not, especially if things are not good at home. But there’s possibly another factor behind these rising numbers. Ten years ago, there was more stigma around admitting you weren’t coping or mentioning mental health, while this gen...
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