Isolation. Pressure. Boredom. Teenagers have felt anxiety in their school settings but now in the wake of the pandemic, there are a host of other mental health issues brought on by not being at school, spending too much time online and simply not finding an outlet for their thoughts.
Last week, Sandy Hook Promise launched a new PSA campaign titled “The Kids are Not Alright” to bring awareness to the many mental health challenges that America’s youth are facing. The three short videos feature montages of photos and video that reflect the “anxiety, isolation, pressure, boredom and incessant information overload that teenagers are experiencing now,” read a press release.
The campaign’s goal is to make sure kids are getting the care they need to avoid more youth violence and mass school shootings like the one at Sandy Hook Elementary.
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The three PSAs, titled “How to Overload a Circuit,” “How to Make a Homemade Bomb,” and “How to Make Yourself Disappear” are powerful reminders that we need to open the door for conversations with our kids, and most importantly, listen and observe the warning signs that something is not right.
SHP’s Know the Signs programs train youth and adults how to spot the signs of someone at risk of harming themselves or others and how to intervene before violence occurs. Their goal is to help kids surmount any mental health challenges now so that once in-person full-time school resumes, we don’t see an increase in violence.
You can learn more about SHP’s initiatives on their website. Get the facts, find out how to get involved and speak up to make a difference.
