Being young today feels like walking a tightrope with no safety net. We’re told these are “the best years of our lives,” but if that’s true, why do so many of us feel like we’re drowning in pressure, expectations, and fear?
It’s not just hormones or growing pains; it’s everything. We’re constantly bombarded with images of “perfect” lives on social media, making us feel like we’re not enough. The world tells us to find out who we are, but at the same time, we have to fit in. Being different can feel like a risk, and failure is something we can’t afford.
Half of us feel anxious about the future—daily. COVID ripped apart the world we thought we knew, and now rising costs and a shaky job market leave us wondering if there’s even a place for us. A third of us feel like our lives are spinning out of control, and most of us don’t have the confidence to make even small decisions.
We’re scared of a lot of things:
Relationships: Will we find love, or will we always feel alone?
Social Pressure: What if we’re bullied? What if we don’t measure up? What if we’re not “liked”?
The Future: How can we think about careers or change when the world feels so broken?
Safety: Crime, exploitation, and abuse aren’t just headlines—they’re things happening to kids we know, or even us.
Responsibility: Many of us are young carers, balancing school, work, and looking after family. It’s a heavy weight, and we feel invisible.
Some of us are being targeted by criminals, forced into carrying drugs or running away from home. Others are lost in silence, dealing with abuse or mental health issues without support. Hundreds of thousands of us are living these realities right now.
It’s overwhelming. But things can’t stay like this.
We need people to listen and act. Support shouldn’t be something we have to search for—it should find us when we’re struggling. We need understanding, not judgment; care, not criticism.
We are not just statistics or problems to be fixed. We’re young, we’re scared, but we’re also hopeful. With the right help, we can build lives that are safe, full of possibility, and worth living. Don’t let us face this alone.
It’s time to stop the cycle, to give every teenager the chance to feel safe, happy, and seen. Because in the end, we’re just trying to make it through, like everyone else.
Listen. Hear. Support.
Keep doing it. Again and again. Until the fear fades.
Until the weight lifts.
Until we believe in ourselves enough to try.
Do it until we can stand tall, look forward, and explore our lives and this world with hope, not hesitation.
Listen. Hear. Support.
And don’t stop until we’re whole again.
Liz Wilde
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