A global survey commissioned by UNICEF for World Children’s Day 2021 has found that young people believe that the world is improving with each generation.
The intergenerational study, conducted by Gallup, surveyed 15-24 year olds and 40-plus people across 21 countries and from different socio-economic groups and compared their attitudes in a number of categories.
It found that three out of five young people said they thought the world was progressing towards a better future (57 per cent), compared to 39 per cent of 40+ year olds.
Younger people were generally more trusting of national governments, scientists and news media as sources of accurate information, but were sceptical of what they read on social media with only 17 per cent of young people saying they trusted social media platforms “a lot” for information.
However, the survey (which was conducted during the pandemic) also found that young people were well aware of the problems the world faced and the challenges specific to their generation. For example, on average 59 per cent of young people said they believed that children faced more pressure to “succeed” than their parents did, while 36 per cent of 15-24 year olds reported often feeling worried, nervous or anxious, compared to 30 per cent of 40+ people. One in five young people said that they often felt depressed during the Covid-19 pandemic – once again illustrating how the pandemic has impacted on young people’s mental health.
The report concluded: “Born into a more digital, interconnected and diverse reality, young people see a world that is largely a better place for children than the one their parents grew up in – a safer and more abundant world that offers children better education, opportunities and hope for the future. At the same time, they aren’t complacent. They report greater struggles with mental health conditions… and low levels of trust in the information sources they use the most.”
Henrietta Fore, executive director of Unicef, said: “The world’s young people remain hopeful and determined to make the world a better place. [They] have concerns for the future but see themselves as part of the solution.”
If you are looking for support with your mental health, you can find local sources of help on this website.
