By every measurement anxiety among teens has grown significantly. And should we be surprised? Over the past years teens have been trapped in their homes surrounded by screens, screens which by most accounts increase anxiety. Teens compare their lives to the beautiful lives of others on social media teens conclude that are not good enough, smart enough, or pretty enough.
Unfortunately, as anxiety has risen among teens so have suicides and suicide attempts (<a href="https://health.ucdavis.edu/health-news/newsroom/even-before-covid-19-pandemic-youth-suicide-already-at-record-high/2021/04">https://health.ucdavis.edu/health-news/newsroom/even-before-covid-19-pandemic-youth-suicide-already-at-record-high/2021/04</a>) . Suicide attempts had been going up before the pandemic. This has been evidenced at my son’s middle school as well as through nationwide statistics.
What can we do about it?
<ul>
 <li>Share Hope</li>
 <li>Live Life In Person</li>
 <li>Help Teens Develop Long Term Dreams</li>
</ul>

Talk about Difficult Things

Everyday teachers, parents, grandparents and mentors are engaging teens, but let's be honest this journey ain't easy. Its filled with bumps and bruises and "what the heck do I do now?" moments. Let's do this together. Lets engage today's teens. 

Pastor Matt Schulte has been working with teens since he was a teenageer more than 2 decades ago. Now he’s raising his own. Let's go on this journey with him and learn how to engage today’s young people. 

Matt Schulte is the Executive Director at Youth for Christ in Lincoln, Nebraska.