We are in the midst of a horrible health catastrophe. A recent UK Health and Medicines Authority evaluation of British health found that substantially more people suffer poor mental health. Young individuals aged 16 to 24 are dissatisfied. This is a really serious development.
Some say that if young people stop using social media, the problem will be fixed. However, it is individualizing, condescending, and tacky to the youth. They are already irritated without being accused. They rely on us to take their concerns seriously.
Many of the young people I meet have existential dread, among other things, of not “succeeding.” We only need to alleviate the children! We can assist them by providing them with a sense of belonging. BUT WE MUST TAKE A LOOK AT THE STRUCTURE.
A political agreement was achieved last week that will make it difficult to pursue long-term higher education since places will be limited. This will just add to the pressure on young people. It’s a pity, especially given that we already have a generation of stressed-out youth. We must just dare to talk about our work and student lives.
The impact on mental health is a social problem, not just a youth problem. Our most recent work environment study confirms the picture, revealing that nearly every other DM member had experienced classic stress symptoms within a month.
I’ve been hearing from our members who work in ministries and agencies about a difficult work environment with heavy workloads and a blurring divide between personal and professional life. We have a problem when you receive text messages from your boss that say things like, “I approve the case tonight, so if you are on…”
“On a Saturday, you may look at it…” Unfortunately, the samples are text conversations from a superior to one of our state representatives. Managers and employees are under pressure, and DM wants to show the messages members get so that the harsh conditions may be observed.
To address our primary health concerns, we simply need to talk about how we structure our work and student lives. We must create a long-term study and job life for both society and people.
