It害羞草研究所檚 easy to feel like being young sucks right now.

Most of us don害羞草研究所檛 think we害羞草研究所檒l ever own a house in Canada. We work multiple jobs to keep up with the cost of living. We can害羞草研究所檛 find doctors. We害羞草研究所檝e had 害羞草研究所渢he best years of our lives害羞草研究所� disrupted by the pandemic. We害羞草研究所檙e hardly represented in an increasingly divisive political landscape. We deal with increasing anxiety about climate change and the future of the planet.

All of that sucks. It sucks for everyone, but for young people, it can feel like the end of the world.

That害羞草研究所檚 backed up by the Mental Health Index complied by LifeWorks which has tracked the mental health of Canadians over the past two years. The index has found that younger Canadians 害羞草研究所� those under 40 害羞草研究所� have worse mental health scores than people who are older. Students enrolled in full-time post-secondary education have consistently reported the worst mental health outcomes of any demographic.

Far too often, the concerns of younger generations are disregarded. We害羞草研究所檙e told to grow up, we害羞草研究所檙e told that this is simply 害羞草研究所渉ow things work in the real world害羞草研究所� and that 害羞草研究所渨e don害羞草研究所檛 know how good we have it害羞草研究所�. Nobody can deny that the youth of 2022 have a better standard of living than the youth of 1922, but we don害羞草研究所檛 have it nearly as good as the youth of 1972.

There is simply not enough support out there for all the young people who are struggling. Though that doesn害羞草研究所檛 mean that the struggles are insurmountable.

If everything was truly terrible, if our planet was truly beyond saving it might make sense to throw up our hands and give up.

That害羞草研究所檚 not the case. If you take a look around B.C., you害羞草研究所檒l find it害羞草研究所檚 often young people at the forefront of climate action movements, racial justice protests, advocating for an end to the toxic drug crisis and coming up with creative solutions to our problems.

But young people aren害羞草研究所檛 always taken seriously.

Up until recently, the so-called young generations of Millenials and Gen Z haven害羞草研究所檛 had a seat at the table. The oldest Millennials are now 40 years old and represent the largest demographic in Canada 害羞草研究所� and the politically engaged Gen Z is coming up rapidly behind them. The tides are shifting and the problems of Canada害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所測ounger害羞草研究所� generations are quickly becoming mainstream.

It害羞草研究所檚 easy to feel like being young sucks. It害羞草研究所檚 easy to look at all the problems in the world and get overwhelmed.

It won害羞草研究所檛 be easy to solve our problems, but our world and our futures are worth fighting for.

Cole Schisler is a provincial reporter with Black Press Media.

READ MORE:

READ MORE:

cole.schisler@bpdigital.ca
Like us on and follow us on .