I will never forget that day in March 2023 when I left my house feeling afraid. I am a pediatric nurse practitioner professor in academics, but that morning, I laced up my sneakers and put on my scrubs for what is usually a fun clinic day at a local high school. As I watched my cheerful shoes cross the pavement, I thought of children in Nashville who had started their morning getting ready, much like I did, but instead experienced a tragic shooting at their Christian school. I thought of Uvalde, Santa Fe, and others. I felt a mix of dread, anxiety, grief, and fear. Then it hit me. This is what some kids feel every single day at a place they should feel safe.
Youth today also face other risks at school – even in homeschool or church youth group settings. One in ten students report recently using a tobacco or nicotine product. As many as 92% of teens have tried alcoholic beverages. Nearly 60% of young people report initiating sexual relationships before graduating from high school.
It seems new threats emerge every day, with fears of fentanyl, human trafficking, and newly developing technological traumas like “nudifying” apps, which take everyday photos or videos of females and remove their clothing. Cyberbullying, sexting, and online pornography are increasingly normative parts of growing up in today’s secular culture.
But … there is hope! More and more, we see Generation Z (those born between the late 1990s and early 2010s) adopting healthier attitudes about risk taking. We also see that alcohol use in young people is declining, as is electronic cigarette use and teen pregnancy. We see a generation ramping down social media power with rising rejection of influencer culture, a greater desire for privacy, and seeking screen-free adventures that foster relationships.
Amid that, children and young adults hear older generations (mine included) that constantly bemoan the foolishness and laziness of “kids today.” They hear us saying the world is doomed and can never be as good as when we were growing up.
Let’s all be challenged to speak words of life and encouragement, giving them the message that perhaps they were born for “such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). Let’s point to a God who never changes and a Savior who told us that in this world we would have trouble but to take heart and be of good cheer (John 16:33).
Whether young people are going to public school, private school, Christian school, or homeschool, all children interact with other children growing up in their generation. Sometimes good kids make poor choices when their thumb moves faster than the prefrontal cortex of their brain while operating a smartphone.
Let’s support them and cheer them on. The next time a student shares a discouragement or difficulty with you, try listening first and then engaging them in conversation by asking these questions:
- How are you feeling about this?
- How is this impacting you?
- What can I do to help you feel supported?
- What do you think you could do to make a positive difference?
More than anything, join me in praying fervently for Gen Z and the emerging cohort of Gen Alpha, that the Lord would bless them and keep them; make His face shine upon them and be gracious to them (Numbers 6:24-26). May the Lord turn His face toward this generation and turn their hearts heavenward and grant them peace as they navigate this life God has gifted them. Intentionally engaging your children in meaningful conversation will go a long way in helping shape a biblical worldview.
(Digital Editor's Note: This article was published first in the August 2024 print edition of The Stand. Click HERE for a free six-month subscription to The Stand magazine.)
