MORE than half of UK teenagers feel that the construct as much as Christmas is overwhelming and find the festive season “an excessive amount of”, in line with a latest poll released last Tuesday by the Children’s Society.
Two thousand teenagers, aged between 13 to 16, accomplished a national survey concerning the expectations of Christmas. Deadlines, social media and family expectations emerged as the largest drivers of “festive strain”.
Nearly a 3rd of those surveyed said that looming schoolwork and exams led to “festive strain”, whereas 28 per cent cited social media, particularly from the stream of “perfect gifts, parties and family moments filling their feeds”. One in five teenagers said looking pleased “after they didn’t feel it” was the “hardest part”.
Twenty-one per cent cited “money worries/gift-giving pressure” as a reason for stress, with nine per cent citing “worries about food”.
The biggest division in opinion was on social media. Around 1 / 4 of teenagers surveyed that said social media made them “feel worse” about Christmas, yet roughly the identical number said it made them “feel higher”. Some of the largest social media triggers were “seeing other people’s gifts” (29 per cent), “holiday trips I can’t afford/ go on” (26 per cent), and “pressure to post my very own Christmas online” (25 per cent).
The CEO of the Children’s Society, Mark Russell, said: “For many teenagers, Christmas isn’t sparkle and joy — it’s noise and pressure. They’re under constant expectation to maintain up, all of the while worrying about exams, friendships, or money.
“Right now, too many young persons are feeling totally overwhelmed by the noise they face each day. Having someone to check with before things grow to be overwhelming can change every thing.”
Asked what would help, 36 per cent of the teenagers surveyed said that they wanted “material gifts (e.g. clothes, gadgets, tech)” and 31 per cent said “fun experiences (e.g. trips, activities)”.
Yet 29 per cent said that they wanted “more time to rest and calm down”, and 17 per cent wanted “less pressure to perform” and “to feel calmer”. Twelve per cent said that they wanted “to be more understood by the adults around them”.
“This Christmas, we’re asking people to assist a toddler quiet the noise so that they can have space and support after they need it,” Mr Russell said.
