Leadership Reflections: Youth Mental Health Insights by Bekah TenBrink
- Mar 19
- 3 min read
Today’s Generation
We hear the sentiment “kids these days” all the time, usually paired with a sigh, a complaint, or a shake of the head. It’s a phrase that tends to carry a negative connotation, suggesting that younger generations are somehow lacking compared to those who came before them. But from where I sit, after nearly 15 years of working with “kids these days”, I’m here to set the record straight.
The truth is, today’s generation of young people is remarkable in ways that often go unnoticed. When we take the time to actually observe them, listen to them, and engage with them, a very different picture emerges.
Kids these days are aware, eager for connection, and deeply curious about the world around them.
Aware
Technology has made the entire world accessible in ways previous generations could hardly imagine. News, social issues, cultural movements, and global events are no longer distant or abstract, they’re constantly flowing through the devices in our pockets. Because of this, young people today are hyper-aware of what’s happening not just in their communities, but across the globe.
They know when something significant happens. They hear conversations about justice, climate, mental health, and equality. They see perspectives from people living lives completely different from their own. Sometimes this awareness can feel overwhelming, even for adults—but it also means this generation is growing up with a broader understanding of the world than many of us had at their age.
What I often notice is that they aren’t just aware, they care. They ask questions. They form opinions. They want to understand how things work and why things matter.
Awareness, when nurtured well, becomes empathy.
Eager for Connection
Despite the assumption that technology isolates young people, my experience has shown the opposite. At our core, humans are wired for connection, and that hasn’t changed simply because screens exist.
Take away all the modern conveniences, and you’ll still find the same human desire to laugh together, share stories, and feel like you belong somewhere.
When LIFT teens come into our spaces, one of the first things they ask isn’t about their phones, it’s something much simpler and more human.
“Do you want to play a game?”
“Can we do an art project?”
“What’s the activity today?”
They want to interact. They want to participate. They want to be part of something.
What they’re really asking is, Can we do something together?
That eagerness for connection is powerful. When adults create spaces where young people feel welcomed, safe, and valued, they show up fully. They lean in. They build friendships. They open up.
It’s a reminder that connection doesn’t happen automatically, rather it happens intentionally.
Curious
If there’s one thing that defines adolescence, it’s curiosity. Young people are constantly gathering information about the world and about themselves. School experiences, peer interactions, new responsibilities, and growing independence all combine into a massive download of learning happening in real time.
Yes, information is more accessible than ever. A quick search can answer almost any question. But access to information hasn’t eliminated curiosity, it’s amplified it.
Curiosity drives questions like:
Why does this work the way it does?Why do people believe different things?Who am I becoming?
Young people today are exploring their identities, their interests, and their values. They are experimenting with ideas and discovering what matters to them. That curiosity is not something to dismiss, it’s something to encourage.
When adults respond to curiosity with patience instead of frustration, we help young people grow into thoughtful, informed adults.
A Different Perspective
It’s easy to criticize the generation coming up behind us. Moment of honesty, I have done it! Every generation has done it in some form. But if we pause long enough to really see the young people around us, we might realize something important:
Kids these days are thoughtful.
Kids these days are compassionate.
Kids these days are searching for meaning and connection just like we were.
Maybe the question isn’t what’s wrong with “kids these days.”
Maybe the better question is: How can we support them as they grow into the people they’re becoming?
Because from what I’ve seen over the past 15 years, the future is in capable, curious, and caring hands.
Always learning,
Bekah
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