By: Lacey Swamy (She/They), Youth Leader
The second I open my phone, I am flooded with thousands of people who are ‘better’ than me. Nicer outfits, cleaner skin, silkier hair, higher grades, more talent, fitter bodies, cooler lives, etc. It’s impossible not to feel inferior, and to be honest, to feel like I’m enough. There is this inescapable pressure to look a certain way, to be perfect all the time, and to achieve things that seem nearly impossible. Just because a random kid my age halfway across the world has founded a multi-million-dollar company or made a revolutionary scientific discovery, does that mean I’m falling behind and need to achieve more? Even though there is so much fake content on social media, whether that be editing, facetune, AI, or just plain lies, it is so hard to distinguish what is real, and can still lead to harmful comparison. It is truthfully very unmotivating and takes a large toll on my confidence. I’m aware there are MUCH larger problems out there, yet this toxic social media environment has a huge impact on youth mental health.
In 2023, Our Kids Network partnered with Halton Region Public Health, Halton Catholic District School Board, and Halton District School Board to conduct a comprehensive mental health survey for students in grades 7 and 10. The survey findings have identified many distressing trends regarding youth in Halton. The findings report ‘Insights into Youth Mental Health and Well-Being in Halton’ mentioned that only one-quarter of grade 10 students and under two-fifths of grade 7 students rate their mental health as very good or excellent. When we are struggling and don’t feel that support and belonging in our community, we turn to the little black box in our pockets that should supposedly make us feel better. For a large group of youth, our world is practically our phones. The mental health report found that 73% of grade 7 students and 83% of grade 10 students are exceeding the recommended screen-time guidelines. Our screens often do more harm than good and can lead to other issues like neglecting to take proper care of ourselves or maintaining an adequate sleep schedule. Personally, I find it impossible to sleep on time, either there are a million things I need to be doing or a million thoughts keeping me from winding down. Unfortunately, only 35% of grade 7s are getting the recommended 9 or more hours of sleep, and just 29% of grade 10s are getting their recommended of 8 or more hours.
There is a destructive cycle set for these youth. Your mental health is struggling so you spend your time online in hopes of feeling better, you get stuck on your phone and sleep at an unreasonable time. You don’t sleep well, so you don’t feel well. You see harmful things online, so you don’t feel well, so you don’t sleep well, and on, and on, and on. It is up to us, as a community, to promote better resources for our youth, create a stronger sense of connection, and address mental health issues. If we display better authenticity, we can prevent unhealthy comparisons for these youth. If we prioritize belonging, we can aid youth’s mental health and provide them with genuine relationships. We cannot let these students face mental health struggles alone and must do our part in supporting them now.
For more information:
Visit our survey findings landing page
Additional resources:
One Call, All Access for Child & Youth Mental Health
Indspire | A richer life for Indigenous youth starts here
