What’s wrong with young people today? We’ve all heard about the symptomatic things that may characterize today’s teenagers, such as lower church attendance. But what’s underneath these trends? For many young people, it’s a suffocating sense of loneliness and isolation. A Generation Defined By Loneliness “This is the most lonely generation,” said Josh Packard, sociologist and author of Church Refugees.…
At Springtide™ Research Institute we’ve spent the past year researching the consequences of epidemic loneliness among young people. Loneliness The findings are astonishing, heartbreaking, and hopeful… Our newest report, Belonging: Reconnecting America’s Loneliest Generation, documents these findings and offers a research-based pathway forward.…
The world is currently facing an epidemic with anxiety, depression, and suicide. While the most recent generations are the most affluent ever, something is still missing. What would it look like to turn our attention toward Jesus for the answer? Join Rick and his daughter Lucy for a series exploring the essential questions everyone has and the ways Jesus can answer them.…
Teenagers are living in a rapidly shifting morality landscape, fueled by a “your truth is yours and my truth is mine” mentality. Meanwhile, anxiety and depression are epidemic among these over-scheduled, hyper-busy kids—whose addiction to social media has made vulnerability their greatest fear. …
For some reason reaching out and getting necessary help is seen as a negative. There’s like this unwritten law and it looks like this: DON’T struggle > DO struggle. It causes many students to feel like there’s no hope for their challenges with mental health issues like depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and attempts, so they don’t reach out, even in youth group.…
Ladies… gentlemen… this Twitter account exists. Because that student exists. Not just online… but likely right under our noses. It’s not always anonymous depression. There is probably someone in your contact list who when they call you know it’s going to be a long conversation.…
On a Friday night in 1998, after watching a comedy with friends at a movie theatre, my brother came home, kissed my mom goodnight, went into his room, and hung himself. We don’t know the exact reasons why Brandon took his life, but we know he wrestled with depression on a daily basis.…
 Essential Questions—Will Everything Be Okay?){kind=link}
