My Top Ten List of Things That Concern Me about the Next Generation

(in no particular order)

1. Students do not know how to handle failure because of helicopter parents.
2. Students are more stressed out and have more anxiety than before.
3. Students do not think copying homework or plagiarizing is cheating.
4. Students are rarely told “no” thus giving them a sense of entitlement and empowerment.
5. Students are walking away from the church (assuming they walked to it).
6. Alcohol and drugs are mainstream among students.
7. Students are addicted to and get their self-worth from social media.
8. Students don’t read.
9. Students find school meaningless, tedious, and boring.
10. Students feel alone and isolated in spite of being so well connected.

The good news though is that while I witness these things on a daily basis, I know that students who have healthy relationships with adults navigate these years much more successfully than those who do not have an adult or adults speaking into their life. If you are a parent, be fully involved in your kid’s life without being overbearing. If you are a teacher, invest in students who may not have anyone else on their side. If you don’t have students at home or in a classroom, volunteer at church or in the community with students. Instead of being scared about the next generation, be courageous and invest in today’s students who will be tomorrow’s adults.