My View on Childhood Anxiety...
I was stunned and saddened by a headline on theguardian.com on the 31st October. It stated,
"Childline anxiety calls spike as children express fears over global events"
What was being said here?
The article identified how children seeking help for anxiety issues had increased dramatically in the last year, with many youngsters fearing global events such as Brexit and the Syrian War.
Also, "The NSPCC’s Childline service handled 11,706 counselling sessions for anxiety over the past year, a 35% increase on 2014-15."
This strongly shows an increase in anxiety amongst children, particularly on topics heavily exposed in the media.
Why are children feeling traumatised by global events?
Some of the scenes we see in the media nowadays are enough to make even the strongest of people shed a tear. Pictures released of newly orphaned toddlers in Syria, crying and wounded, hits the hardest of hearts, let alone the innocent hearts of young children. Young people are constantly being bombarded with heart-breaking images and stories, and it can be argued that they are too young too see the extent of pain and suffering in the world.
Growing up with technology everywhere, children are one tap, or one swipe away from terror. Is it easy to see how youngsters can so easily be exposed to stories emphasising the doom of Brexit, the never ending war in Syria, the refugee crisis, the increase number of Cancer cases, and also the fear of extremism and terrorism?
What do I think?
At 20 years of age, even I find it hard to digest the everyday stories which create fear. Every online newspaper I skim, every social media site I scroll seems to flash a horrifying or fearful story,
Everyday I am reminded of how; war is happening and doesn't show signs of stopping, with innocent men, women and children suffering in mass numbers everyday; the future of the British economy is hugely unstable with the weakening pound, and an emphasis on how young people in this generation are suffering hugely, with mountainous housing costs, rising university fees and increases in anxiety and depression.
So, if like-minded individuals like myself, and with those older than me too, feeling fearful and worried, it comes at no surprise that children are hugely affected too. Children often understand a lot more than adults realise, and it isn't fair that children today are being born into a generation of fear.
Who is to blame?
A lot of people point fingers at the media and technology for this debate. Many, many households today own an array of technological devices, from smartphones, to tablets, to laptops, to televisions, all with easy access to media texts such as news channels, online newspapers and social media sites.
Because the media heavily portray global events, it could be argued that they contribute to childhood anxiety, because they print and post articles on these events. Creating fear is a popular news value used by the media, but should we really see a huge differentiation between happy and fearful stories? However, is blaming the media fair?
What about parents? Should they be gatekeepers and facilitate what their children access? Should they think twice when their child is tapping away on the tablet at home, a click away from a frightful image or story?
Maybe we shouldn't pass the blame...
Maybe, instead of pointing fingers, everyone should come together to help reassure today's children.
In fact, the chief executive of NSPCC couldn't have put it any better; "Peter Wanless, the chief executive of the NSPCC, said: “The world can be a worrying place but we need to ensure our children are reassured rather than left overwhelmed and frightened."
I couldn't agree more. Children shouldn't have the weight of the world on their shoulders. It is everyone's responsibility to assure them that the world isn't all bad. I'm not saying, we should lie and hide global events from our children, but they don't deserve to feel anxious and live in fear either.
What do you think? Is childhood anxiety really a problem? Why are children so fearful? And what can be done to reduce levels of fear and anxiety?
By Laura Elphick
