Kids These Days
I love working with adolescents; I consider it one of my niches. I used to think I was young and cool, but the teens I work with make me feel otherwise. They’re pretty kind to me and help me better understand their world. After all, it’s a very different world than the one I grew up in.
Many adults overgeneralize kids these days and refer to them as “lazy” or “unmotivated.” I’m even guilty of it myself and at times have caught myself generalizing today’s youth. What I’m about to say may not be the most popular but hear me out: kids today have it harder than we ever did. Nothing about growing up in today’s world is easy.
Stats agree. According to the CDC, two of the three leading causes of death among adolescents ages 15-19 are suicide and homicide. That’s scary. Likewise, the death rate due to drug overdose among adolescents aged 15–19 more than doubled from 1999 (1.6 per 100,000) to 2007 (4.2).
I’m not sure if mental health concerns are more common now-a-days or possibly society is just more open to discussing it. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 1 in 5 live with a mental health condition—half develop the condition by age 14 and three quarters by age 24. Fortunately, statistics also show that many more people are seeking help from a mental health professional than every before.
Help is available. Here are a few resources I’d like to pass along. You never know when you or someone close to you may need them.
NAMI Helpline: 800-950-6264
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Wake County Mobile Crisis: (800) 510-9132
UNC WakeBrook: (984) 974-4800
** If danger to self or others, contact 911 (request a CIT officer) or go to your nearest emergency room
Oh, and one more resource. This one comes from one of my adolescents.