Are our YOUNG PEOPLE AT RISK?

Lockdown and social media exposure have created mental health problems for many youngsters

- LOUISE COURT

When the inquest into 14-year-old Molly Russell’s death cited that unsafe online content had contributed ‘in a more than minimal way’, many parents’ stomachs lurched, looking at their children endlessly scrolling away. Senior coroner Andrew Walker said material promoting self-harm that he’d viewed on social media ‘shouldn’t have been available for a child to see’. He said, ‘She died from an act of self-harm while suffering from depression and the negative effects of online content.’

While the pressures of social media are an acknowledged battle for young people, two years of lockdowns have also taken a heavy toll. According to mental health charity Young Minds, 83% of young people with mental health needs felt the pandemic had made their situations worse. The result is that it’s be the parent of a young person. Talking to mums of teenagers and young adults, it is sadly common to hear stories of self-harm, eating disorders, serious stress and anxiety. As we wait to see if the Online Safety Bill will protect us from harmful content, we ask how has this vibrant and talented generation ended up feeling so pressured, depressed and lost?

A perfect storm 

Transitioning from a child to adulthood has never been easy. But today, our kids that were never on the radar when we were negotiating our own journeys.