School has always had its share of challenges for kids. Left to their own devices (literally and figuratively) children throughout history would rather fill their days with child-like pleasures. Some students discover many good reasons to enjoy school, e.g. social life, extra-curricular fun, the joy of accomplishing goals, etc. Even so, the task of teachers and administrators never seems to get easier.

Today’s K-12 students deal with daunting additional factors and increasing pressure to succeed in a socially acceptable way. The emergence of digital culture has shifted the landscape and is partly to blame for rising levels of trauma, anxiety, depression, and more. Obviously, we need alternative approaches.

5 Common Challenges Children Face at School

1. Mental Health Concerns

To follow up on the introduction above, our children’s mental well-being deserves better than what they’re getting. Besides trauma, anxiety, and depression, students today face a higher incidence of eating disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), self-harm, mood swings, social anxiety, and all the associated physical symptoms, too.

2. Fear of Not Fitting In

Yes, of course, this feels like an eternal problem. But things have changed rapidly with the introduction of smartphones and social media. Today’s students are juggling twenty-first century problems like fear of missing out (FOMO) and trying to match up with the carefully curated profiles of classmates and other peers. Never before has it been easier to slip into feelings of inadequacy.

3. Bullying

Once again, bullying is nothing new. What is new, though, is that it now happens in the digital realm. It was bad enough when the cool crowd teased you in person. These days, online bullies seeking to maximize the audience for their cruelty can publicly target anyone.

4. Compromised Social Skills

In our formative years, we are designed to cultivate social intelligence through ongoing face-to-face interactions. The most recent generations were conditioned to reach for a device when they wanted to make contact. Over time, this severely diminishes the development of basic but crucial social skills. The fear induced by merely talking on the phone today is now the stuff of memes.

5. Withdrawing into the Online Life

It sounds like a boomer complaint, but it’s sadly true. School-age kids spend less and less time just hanging out in each other’s presence. This ties to all the above. It slows development, makes bullying more common, and promotes a culture of comparison. Most of all, it’s a one-way ticket to mental health distress.

How to Help Today’s Students in This Brave New World

All the above may sound daunting, but like all past generations, solutions exist if adults challenge themselves to get creative. Today’s youth face new issues and thus deserve fresh ideas. It’s never enough to lean back on what worked “in your day.” It’s a new day and this requires all of us to engage our imaginations for the common good. Some basics to consider:

  • Resist helicopter parenting. Give your kids room to grow and explore on their own terms. There’s so much to learn from making the mistakes you’re desperately trying to prevent.
  • Teachers must enforce no-phone policies and formulate lessons and assignments built around IRL (in real life) communication.
  • Listen to the kids. They may seem happy with their noses buried in a device, but find out what they’re thinking.
  • Parents, teachers, coaches, school administrators, and more must educate themselves about the signs and symptoms of mental health conditions.

The above list is helpful for starters. But what we really need is open minds and a willingness to grow. To talk more about these critical concerns, I invite you to reach out and talk very soon. To learn more about some of our approaches in helping children and individuals with anxiety please read more at Liliana Sacarin – Anxiety Treatment – Seattle, WA