When asked for words they would use when discussing their health and wellbeing, anxiety was the top choice among 8,000 children in the second year of the pandemic.
Lexicographers at Oxford University Press (OUP) have named ‘anxiety’ as children’s word of the year for 2021 in their annual research to analyse children’s language use.
For the last ten years, experts and academic researchers in OUP’s Children’s Language team have analysed the evolution of children’s language and how it is used to reflect their emotions and experiences. In 2021, OUP chose the theme of wellbeing as its research focus, reflecting awareness about the impact of Covid-19 on children’s mental health and education.
The research among 8,000 school pupils, aged seven to 14 years, asked the children to select the top words they would use when discussing their wellbeing and experiences during lockdown. Over one in five children (21 per cent) chose ‘anxiety’, closely followed by ‘challenging’ (19 per cent) and ‘isolate’ (14 per cent). However, ‘wellbeing’ and ‘resilience’ (13 and 12 per cent respectively) also came out as top words, highlighting a positive attitude among the children surveyed, despite all the challenges.
Teachers from the 85 schools that took part were also surveyed for the research, asking them for the words they used most frequently when talking to their pupils about their health and wellbeing in 2021. ‘Resilience’ was teachers’ top choice, chosen by 31 per cent of respondents, followed by ‘challenging’ (19 per cent) and ‘wellbeing’ (18 per cent).
“It’s concerning that ‘anxiety’ is the number one word, but it isn’t surprising when you consider all the restrictions and changes children had to endure,” Joe Jenkins, executive director of social impact at The Children’s Society, told OUP. “Having conversations and using the right language is incredibly important when supporting children if they are feeling anxious, isolated or going through tough challenges, and it’s crucial that children are able to express how they are feeling.”
OUP’s Helen Freeman, director of early childhood and home education, concurred about the importance of language and self-expression to aid children’s mental health: “The research highlights the vital role language plays for children when it comes to self-expression, learning and wellbeing... [It] demonstrates the role we all play in making sure children have the words they need to express themselves and that, as adults, we are aware the language we use around children can significantly influence their learning and wellbeing.”
The research findings formed part of OUP’s preparations to update its dictionaries and school resources with new words, including those associated with the pandemic, such as ‘bubble’, ‘lockdown’ and ‘self-isolation’.
Previous Oxford Children’s Words of the Year included Coronavirus (2020), Brexit (2019), plastic (2018) and Trump (2017).
If you are struggling with your mental health, you can find local sources of support on this website.
