Young people are the future, yet their voices are often overlooked. In policy-making, community leadership and product and service design, too often are young people and their lived experiences undervalued.
But, elevating youth voices can drive fresh perspectives and new ideas. Giving young people a seat at the decision-making table–especially on issues that concern them, such as social media regulation and the cost of living crisis–is crucial.
This was a key focus at Future Generation Global’s recent Exchange Event.
ReachOut’s Youth Advocates, April and Sina, were asked to attend and collaborate on a panel discussion with a member of Prevention United’s Youth Advisory Group. The discussion highlighted the key issues of concern for young people today.
Here are some of the key takeaways from, and reflections on their discussion:
April, ReachOut Youth Advocate
“We’re currently living in the age of the polycrisis. From the high cost of living and global conflict to the climate crisis and the lingering effects of the pandemic. All of these issues interconnect and result in compounding mental health and wellbeing impacts on young people.
Today, 40% of young people are experiencing mental health challenges. This is hardly surprising, given the profound challenges and significant stressors our generation has faced.
While these statistics and the lived experience behind them are concerning, I believe there is hope.
Despite the challenges we face when it comes to improving mental health, we have a significant opportunity. We stand at a pivotal moment, with the chance to develop innovative solutions to this enduring problem and drive meaningful change for future young people.
The conversations I was a part of at the recent Future Generation Global event, and the conversations that I heard painted a picture of hope. They highlighted not only the severity of the problem but also the potential for transformative solutions–they reframed problems and turned them into opportunities.
But these opportunities will only reach their full potential if we actively involve young people. We need to understand what is going on in their world and what it means to be a young person today if we want to design effective policy solutions and tools to address mental health and wellbeing.
That’s what we’re trying to do with the Youth Advocacy group at ReachOut. We’re trying to elevate young people’s perspectives on the issues impacting their lives today. Whether that’s through government submissions, meetings with politicians or getting our story and perspective out there in the media, it all contributes to amplifying youth voices.
When we’re talking about young people and issues that impact them, it’s important to hear directly from them and about their own experiences.
It was inspiring to hear this sentiment echoed throughout the two-day event. Not just from young people, but from intergenerational allies who can see the need to involve young people in conversations about them."
Sina, ReachOut Youth Advocate
“As a ReachOut Youth Advocate, I feel I have an important role to play in advocating for the voices and perspectives of young people across Australia. I loved being part of this conversation with Prevention United, highlighting what really matters to us young people.
The conversation emphasised just how concerned young people are about their living costs. Both Prevention United and ReachOut’s recent research shows that young people are worried about the current cost of living crisis.
This issue has been a key focus for the ReachOut Youth Advocates. Earlier this year, we worked on a government submission on the cost of living. We went to Canberra to share our concerns and experiences with MPs and Senators, which included conversations about the cost of accessing mental health support, stress about HECS, youth allowance and a whole range of other factors.
Too many young people struggle with the current high cost of living. Exorbitant rental costs are difficult to keep up with, not to mention the price of essentials, such as groceries and everyday bills. As a full-time uni student, to say the cost of living is on my mind is an understatement. Like many other young people out there I’m having to make difficult decisions about what I can and can’t afford.
Our generation is experiencing increased pressure to do well at school, find a good job and work hard, just to make ends meet. So many of us are feeling burnt out and stressed about the future, but we simply can’t afford to access mental health support that is expensive. Free services like ReachOut are crucial to so many of us experiencing stress from the cost of living crisis.
The conversation also revealed that Prevention United’s Youth Advisory Group and the ReachOut Youth Advocates were equally as concerned about the talks surrounding social media bans. We’ve heard from everyone but young people about what they want and need when it comes to regulating social media. In this conversation, we shone a light on our own perspectives and the perspectives of other young people. In doing so, we highlighted the gap between what policy-makers say we need and what we actually want.
Overall, the conversation emphasised just how important it is to involve young people in the decisions that impact their futures–whether that’s tackling the cost of living crisis, ensuring affordable and easy to access mental health support or regulating social media."
