Gun Violence, Racism and Global Warming Worry Young People of GEN Z
Generation Z includes those born from 1997 to 2010. The young of this generation place critical importance and priority to global and local socio-economic and environmental issues. They believe that gun violence, racism and global warming affect their mental health.
A new study by 2 American organizations (Blue Shield of California and Harris Poll) covering more than 1 300 people from Generation Z shows that almost 9 out of every 10 people (people aged 14 to 25) have mental health problems. Gun violence is the top concern leading to a negative impact on the mental health of the generation (for 84% of the surveyed individuals). Global warming causes mental health problems for 68% of respondents.
Gun Violence, Racism and Global Warming Worry Young People of GEN Z
More than half of the respondents (54%) say they are deeply disturbed by the manifestations of racism and social injustice. Almost a third (32%) of young people of color report that racial discrimination affects their mental health. According to the survey, women, transgender and non-binary young people experience more difficulties than others. It is discovered that 42% of non-binary people rated their overall mental health as poor, and 70% felt that day-to-day family relationships were impaired. Concerns about negative body image affect all people, although only 23% of men report that it negatively affected their quality of life. 55% of women experience concerns about negative body image, while this number jumps to 84% of transgender and 78% of non-binary individuals.
Despite these alarming indicators, 61% of respondents admit to having encountered barriers in obtaining or attempting to obtain professional mental health care.
How do young people deal with these problems?
78% of them prefer not to hide from their problems, but to face them and solve them themselves by talking and sharing their emotions with others. Nearly 65% of the surveyed individuals choose other paths — learning more about racism, standing up to bullying, and shopping at brands that support social justice. And 74% choose to reduce the use of plastic, water and energy to contribute to environmental protection and the fight against global warming.
There are many organizations and academics addressing the mental health challenges of Gen Z, but the most important thing is that the very voice of the young is heard and society responds with meaningful actions to help overcome these issues.
Source: vbox7.com
