The Vision Project

How do we reduce the pressure on young
people to appear perfect on social media?
When it came to debating the effect of social
media on mental health, it was clear that it is a
problem for many, and highly addictive, with one
person saying that they checked their phone every
15 minutes. It is also taking up a lot of mental
space for people from very early on in their lives -
for some as young as seven years old. The effects
of filtered and edited celebrity posts on Instagram,
and the pressure of constant comparison is
resulting in new levels of stress and anxiety for
young people.
While young people are often blamed for issues
such as knife crime or reliance on social media, the
impact of cuts to services across the board needs
to be acknowledged and understood.
A clear point was made by one young person
about the lack of alternatives available: ‘There is
nothing else to do that doesn’t cost money - more
free activities for young people are needed’.
Some people have been permanently
excluded from school because they have
used drugs. Could schools do anything
differently?
Haydn spoke about being immediately excluded
from school after an incident involving drugs,
despite having a previously unblemished record.
Instead of exclusion, he said, he badly needed
more support. Others spoke up, saying that
adults often know about the issue, but turned a
blind eye, or don’t know how to tackle it before
it becomes a serious problem. The fear of facing
serious consequences was silencing many young
people from voicing concerns.
One young person got straight to the heart of
the problem: ‘We just aren’t able to have safe
conversations with adults, where we can talk
honestly’.
Those delivering front line services supported
this: Project 28 (DHI’s young people’s drug and
alcohol service in Bath & North East Somerset)
pointed out that if services are to be involved,
they need to be preventative - and that this
requires both long term planning, and investment.
“While young people are often
spoken about, especially in the
media, for most it was a new
experience to be given space to
do the talking themselves.”
CONCLUSIONS
While young people are often spoken about,
especially in the media, for most it was a new
experience to be given space to do the talking
themselves. Those attending came from a wide
range of backgrounds - but the one thing everyone
agreed on was that they had few places to voice
their opinions - to tell their stories to people with
influence, who would listen, without judgement.
Despite the huge challenges outlined, young
people made difficult and nuanced points about
the importance of context - making it clear that
you just cannot provide simple answers to complex
problems.
What was clear from this event was that, far from
the image sometimes portrayed in the media,
young people are active and resourceful members
of their community, finding creative ways to
support each other to overcome what can seem
like huge obstacles. Throughout the evening,
positive ideas and solutions bounced around the
audience: from placing ‘sin bins’ in neutral spaces,
to encourage people to hand knives in; to group
sessions in schools from drugs services like Project
28 and Motiv8 or youth groups to facilitate those
vital conversations; and other ways to challenge
the received wisdom about ‘how things are done’.
Across all areas discussed it was felt that the only
way young people have power to make change is
by speaking up, collaborating and having trusted
relationships.
All of the issues discussed were complex, and
nobody had quick or easy solutions. But by the end
of the evening, one thing was clear: when given
a platform to speak, young people demonstrate
insight, resilience and hope. And it is only when
we truly listen to them that we have the chance to
change the future.
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THE VISION PROJECT