Silent signs of children's EMOTIONAL DISTRESS

For parents, recognising the signs of emotional distress early – and learning to respond with understanding rather than alarm – is critical to ensuring children's emotional wellbeing

- ANDREW JOHN

Generation Z and Generation Alpha children are growing up in a world unlike any their parents or grandparents knew. The pressures confronting them begin early and rarely abate constant digital media screen exposure, online bullying, intense academic expectations and stress, social media addiction and relentless peer pressure. Therefore, it's not surprising that a rising number of children are reporting heightened levels of emotional stress.

“The pressures contemporary children face differ drastically from those experienced by previous generations. While academic stress persists, these days children are also expected to excel in sports, extracurricular activities, communication skills, and social behaviour. Add to this the overwhelming influence of social media which has created an unhealthy environment of comparison, validation-seeking, and cyberbullying. Children are constantly absorbing content beyond their emotional maturity. The result is that an increasing number of children are reporting emotional distress such as high anxiety, irritability, low self-esteem and depression,” says