When it comes to cinema that gets mental health right, these 10 movies accurately capture the complexities of real‑life struggles. From addiction to anxiety, each film offers a raw, honest look that both educates and moves audiences.

10. Movies accurately portray mental health issues

10. Beautiful Boy (2018)

Based on a true story, Beautiful Boy follows Nic, a young man battling drug addiction, and his father David, who does everything he can to help. Timothee Chalamet and Steve Carell deliver heartbreaking, authentic performances that capture how addiction can dominate a person’s existence.

Unlike many addiction dramas, Beautiful Boy delves into the frustration and resistance that often accompany the search for help. It portrays the stark reality of hitting rock bottom, emphasizing how a loved one’s addiction ripples through the family, leaving parents feeling powerless as their child refuses recovery.

The film excels at showing the many facets of substance abuse: Nic’s physical decline, volatile mood swings, impaired cognition, and strained relationships—all clear indicators of a severe addiction.

9. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

The Perks of Being a Wallflower tells the story of high‑school freshman Charlie (Logan Lerman) who befriends seniors Sam (Emma Watson) and Patrick (Ezra Miller).

Early in the narrative Charlie reveals that his Aunt Helen died in a car crash when he was seven, but flashbacks gradually expose the harrowing truth that Aunt Helen sexually abused him as a child. The trauma pushes him into isolation and a two‑month stay at a mental hospital, where he slowly confronts his memories.

The film captures PTSD, sexual abuse, and trauma with striking accuracy, especially the phenomenon of suppressed memories—a hallmark of PTSD—showing how the brain can hide distressing events from conscious recall.

8. Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Bipolar disorder is often misrepresented on screen, with stereotypes of violence and unpredictability. Silver Linings Playbook challenges those clichés through Pat (Bradley Cooper) and Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), both living with bipolar disorder.

Pat, fresh out of a psychiatric hospital after a violent outburst, meets Tiffany, a recently widowed woman also navigating bipolar episodes. Their contrasting experiences—Pat’s manic and depressive swings versus Tiffany’s own struggles—offer a nuanced look at the condition.

The movie does a stellar job illustrating both manic highs and depressive lows, giving viewers a realistic portrayal of bipolar disorder’s varied manifestations.

7. Inside Out (2015)

Inside Out may be an animated kids’ film, but it nails the psychology of emotions. It follows Riley, a young girl coping with a big move and a new school, while her inner emotions—Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger—operate from a control center inside her mind.

The story emphasizes how we manage feelings, highlighting that emotional balance is essential. It teaches that avoiding ‘negative’ emotions like sadness or anger is futile; they’re integral parts of the human experience, especially for adolescents dealing with mental health challenges.

6. It’s Kind of a Funny Story (2010)

Based on Ned Vizzini’s novel, It’s Kind of a Funny Story follows high‑school junior Craig, who checks himself into a psychiatric hospital after a suicide attempt, expecting a quick wellness check before being sent home.

Craig discovers he must stay at least a week—or until clinicians deem him stable—meeting an eclectic cast, notably Zach Galifianakis and Emma Roberts. The film tackles suicide, self‑harm, and the recovery process with care, blending humor to show that those in crisis aren’t merely miserable.

Tragically, author Vizzini died by suicide in 2013, mirroring the novel’s themes; his 2004 hospital stay inspired the story, adding a poignant real‑life layer to the film.

5. Black Swan (2010)

Black Swan plunges into the dark world of self‑injury, disordered eating, and psychotic breakdowns, following ballerina Nina (Natalie Portman) as she lands the lead in Swan Lake, demanding she embody both the innocent White Swan and the seductive Black Swan.

Nina’s descent blurs reality and hallucination; she discovers bleeding scratches—likely self‑inflicted—while her mind spirals into delusion, leaving viewers unsure what’s real.

Throughout, Nina exhibits anxiety, obsessive‑compulsive traits, restrictive eating, and psychotic thinking, suggesting an underlying personality disorder marked by rigid, unpredictable thought patterns.

4. Girl, Interrupted (1999)

Girl, Interrupted explores borderline personality disorder through Susanna Kaysen (Winona Ryder), who is admitted to a psychiatric ward for BPD treatment.

There she meets Lisa (Angelina Jolie), a diagnosed sociopath (antisocial personality disorder) whose manipulative, deceitful behavior includes mocking a fellow patient’s sexual assault without remorse.

The film starkly portrays the severity of personality disorders, showing how they can devastate lives, and uniquely presents a sociopathic character who isn’t overtly violent or murderous.

3. To the Bone (2017)

To the Bone follows 20‑year‑old Ellen (Lily Collins), battling severe anorexia nervosa, cycling through multiple treatment centers only to relapse quickly after each release.

Ellen’s resistance to recovery reflects how eating disorders become coping mechanisms; her defiance underscores the psychological grip of the illness.

The movie also shines a light on other eating disorders—bulimia and binge‑eating—demonstrating that not all disorders revolve around starvation, and it does so without glamorizing the conditions.

2. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Little Miss Sunshine, while comedic, tackles major depressive disorder through Uncle Frank (Steve Carell), who after losing his job and a painful breakup, attempts suicide but is denied treatment due to insurance gaps, ending up under his sister‑in‑law’s care.

Frank’s depression is portrayed with nuance; despite his inner turmoil, he remains compassionate toward his family, illustrating that those with depression can mask pain behind smiles.

1. The Dark Knight (2008)

The Dark Knight showcases Heath Ledger’s Joker, who isolated himself for six weeks to embody a deranged, psychopathic figure, delivering a chilling performance marked by violence, emotional emptiness, and isolation.

The film accurately depicts how past trauma can fuel violent, disturbing behavior, highlighting generational trauma and the difficulty of breaking such cycles.

The later Joker (2019) adds another layer, presenting Joaquin Phoenix’s character with paranoid schizophrenia—persecution delusions and hallucinations—offering a harrowing glimpse into his mental torment.

Children represent the hope of tomorrow, and it falls on grown‑ups to shield them and give them a solid start in life. Sadly, that promise is broken in countless corners of the globe – even in our own backyards! This article walks through the top 10 terrible situations that kids endure today. It’s shocking that these horrors still exist, yet understanding them is the first step toward making a difference.

Top 10 Terrible Issues Facing Children

10 Violence Through Indoctrination

In some Palestinian neighborhoods, youngsters are raised on a curriculum of hatred toward Jews, glorifying jihad, violence, death, and even child martyrdom from the moment they can speak. An Israeli documentary from 1998 captured a Sesame Street‑style program called the “Children’s Club,” complete with puppets, songs, and familiar cartoon characters, yet its core message was to instill fierce anti‑Jewish sentiment and a lifelong desire to wage holy war until Israeli flags are removed and a Palestinian flag flies high.

The same pattern appears in madrasas—Islamic schools focused on pure religious study—where teachers become the perpetrators. A harrowing testimony from a 12‑year‑old madrasa student rescued in Kenya in January 2003 recounts chains binding both arms and legs, daily beatings, forced memorization of the Qur’an under threat of lashes, and even being suspended from the roof in chains. While chaining is relatively rare in Bangladeshi madrasas, reports of child torture are more common in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Sudan, where an estimated 800,000 to 1 million students endure such abuse. These institutions, often run by religious groups, lure impoverished families with free meals and lodging, sometimes adding political or armed training to the mix.

According to UNICEF, 25,000 children die each day from poverty. Roughly 27‑28 % of children in developing nations are underweight or stunted, with South Asia and sub‑Saharan Africa bearing the brunt. Over a billion people lack clean water, and 2.6 billion lack basic sanitation—meaning two‑thirds of the global population are without safe water. Each year, 1.8 million children die from diarrheal disease, while 1.4 million succumb to the lack of clean drinking water and proper sanitation. Immunisation gaps claim 2.2 million lives annually. In short, millions of parents in low‑income countries face the daily terror that their children may not survive the crucial early years, often from preventable ailments.

Out of the 50 million refugees and displaced individuals worldwide, about half are children. War fuels the creation of child refugees and stands as a leading cause of child death, injury, and orphanhood. In the past decade, conflict has claimed over 2 million young lives, wounded another 6 million, and left roughly 1 million parentless. Children also flee to escape sexual violence, slavery, and forced labour. Each year, 40 million children are never registered at birth, stripping them of nationality and a legal identity. The twin scourges of AIDS and war have generated a massive pool of orphaned and displaced youngsters, especially across Africa. Rwanda’s civil war, for instance, left 45 000 orphaned households, 90 % of which are headed by girls. “Separated children” – under‑18s living outside their country of origin without guardians – number about 20 000 annually seeking asylum in Europe and North America, yet only a tiny fraction gain refugee status.

7 Lack of Access to Education

More than 100 million children worldwide never set foot in a classroom. Of those who enroll in primary school, over 150 million eventually drop out. In 92 countries, user fees still bar entry, disproportionately affecting girls. Financial barriers keep 77 million children out of school, while socially disadvantaged groups—urban poor, AIDS orphans, and those with disabilities—face even steeper hurdles. This educational void translates into a 15 % illiteracy rate among adolescents aged 15‑24 in the developing world.

Geography compounds the problem: high‑altitude regions of India endure severe weather for seven months a year, making school attendance erratic. Gender disparities also persist; in 25 nations, boys enrol in secondary school at rates at least 10 % higher than girls, with gaps exceeding 20 % in India, Nepal, Togo, Turkey, and Yemen. South Asia shows the starkest divide—52 % of boys versus 33 % of girls. Sub‑Saharan Africa lags behind as well, with enrolment rates of just 27 % for boys and 22 % for girls. Cultural and religious norms often discourage girls from attending school, reinforcing the gender gap.

Neglect, a silent form of omission, leaves no visible scars yet inflicts deep, lasting damage. James M. Gaudin Jr. found that neglected children lag far behind their peers in language comprehension, expression, and IQ scores. Severe emotional neglect can trigger “non‑organic failure to thrive,” where a child’s physical and mental development stalls or reverses. Even aggressive interventions often fail to reverse the damage, especially when parental cooperation wanes. Typical neglect behaviours include failing to provide clean clothing, adequate warmth, school attendance, homework help, emotional comfort, or basic medical care. Prevalence varies worldwide—from 3.2 % in New Hampshire, USA, to 36.4 % in Pusan, Korea.

The International Labour Organization estimates that 211 million children aged 5‑14 are working globally, with 120 million laboring full‑time to support impoverished families. Many of these youngsters endure forced labour—bonded servitude, kidnapping, or coercion into sweatshops and brothels. Domestic servitude also claims millions of children, often sold or given to other families at a tender age. Forced child labourers endure meager or no wages, grueling hours, hazardous conditions, and severe restrictions on movement, expression, and safety. Physical and verbal abuse are commonplace, and the psychological trauma often renders escape seem impossible.

Child prostitution is a grim reality in many regions. In Thailand, NGOs estimate that up to one‑third of sex workers are under 18. Vietnam’s ILO study reports that children constitute 5‑20 % of the prostitution pool, depending on locale. The Philippines faces an estimated 60 000 child prostitutes, with brothels in Angeles City openly exploiting minors. In India, up to 200 000 Nepali girls—many under 14—are trafficked into red‑light districts, prized for their fair skin and youth. Annually, about 10 000 Nepali girls, aged nine to sixteen, are sold to Indian brothels. In El Salvador, roughly a third of sexually exploited youths aged 14‑17 are boys, with the median entry age into prostitution at 13.

3 Internet Child Pornography

The digital world has become a virtual hunting ground for predators targeting children. While creating or distributing child sexual abuse material is illegal, law‑enforcement agencies investigate only about two percent of leads due to chronic under‑funding. Interpol data reveal that a mere half‑of‑one‑percent of cases ever reach prosecution. Oprah Winfrey highlighted the speed of distribution in a 2008 broadcast: a single exploitative image circulated nationwide within 24 hours. The insatiable demand for fresh, increasingly brutal content drives the production of ever‑younger victims, making the online realm a perilous space for children.

2 Trafficking and Slavery

Human trafficking stands as the fastest‑growing conduit into modern slavery, touching every continent. Children are snatched from nations like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sudan, and Yemen to serve as camel jockeys in the UAE and other Gulf states—including Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman—or even within Sudan itself. This perilous role often leads to severe injury or death, and traffickers frequently deprive these youngsters of food, subject them to beatings, and isolate them in unfamiliar cultures and languages, rendering them wholly dependent on exploitative employers.

UNICEF reports over 200 000 child slaves in West and Central Africa. Boys are commonly forced onto cotton and cocoa farms, while girls become domestic servants or are coerced into prostitution. Some children are outright kidnapped; others are sold by desperate families for as little as $14. The grim reality of child slavery persists across continents, feeding a global market of exploitation.

1 Military Use of Children

Across the planet, armed forces and rebel groups actively recruit children, turning them into combatants, laborers, or even sexual slaves. Estimates suggest roughly 250 000 minors are currently fighting in ongoing conflicts, with many more on standby within military ranks. While most child soldiers fall between 15 and 18, recruitment can start as early as age ten, and there are documented cases of even younger children being forced into battle.

These youngsters are easily manipulated and sometimes compelled to commit atrocities—ranging from rape to the murder of civilians—using weapons such as AK‑47s or G4s. Some are ordered to harm their own families or fellow child combatants. Others serve in support roles: porters, cooks, guards, messengers, spies, or forced sex slaves. The exploitation of children in warfare remains one of the most harrowing violations of human rights.

We are all aware of the toilet paper shortage, loss of smell symptoms, mask requirements, and social distancing rules that came with COVID-19. These are some common side effects of the pandemic. However, did you know the virus brought additional unexpected consequences beyond its deadly symptoms? We’ve put together ten issues that our society didn’t see coming.

10 Excess Suicidal Thoughts and Deaths

The transition from life as we knew it to quarantine in the first half of 2020 led to serious mental health issues. While studies report no overall increase in suicide rates, this is not true for specific countries or demographics. People have also claimed increased thoughts of suicide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report surveying 5,412 American adults from June 24 to 30th in 2020. The results? Participants reported elevated suicidal ideations. Researchers found males were more suicidal than females, employed more suicidal than unemployed, and essential workers with higher suicidal ideations than nonessential workers.

Actual suicide deaths have increased in non-white Americans compared to whites. A study released in January 2021 found that while mortality rates in Connecticut decreased overall, the percentage of deaths from racial minority groups had increased. A different study analyzing data from 21 countries found that Vienna, Japan, and Puerto Rico showed statistical evidence of increased suicides in 2020. A February 2021 study of suicide rates in Japan between October 2009 to November 2020 found increased suicide during the pandemic. There were significant excess deaths from suicide between Japanese females and males between July and November 2020. So, despite certain sources, COVID-19 has caused suicidal consequences in society.

9 Abundance of Porch Pirates

The panic purchase from COVID-19 and increased consumers shopping online has unexpectedly led to increased porch pirates. The term porch pirate has been used since the early 2010s and refers to thieves stealing packages from people’s porches. At the end of 2020, Amazon announced a 72 percent more cash flow than in 2019. That is a lot of packages people ordered during the pandemic.

In America, a research study comparing package thefts in 2019 and 2020 reported a 7 percent increase from 36 percent to 43 percent of packages stolen. For more detailed porch pirate statistics, 35.5 million Americans reported they had a package stolen in 2020, resulting in a value of approximately 5.4 billion dollars. Of these people, 36 percent said they had packages stolen more than once.

8 Over-Drinking Into Alcoholism

Stuck at home, isolated, and worried about the pandemic effects can easily lead to picking up the bottle and drinking your worries away. Some people also believed that alcohol prevents COVID-19. This assumption is not true. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAA) had to release an announcement on May 12, 2020, to remind people, “Drinking alcohol does not prevent or treat coronavirus infection.” Although a hand-sanitizer contains alcohol and a glass of wine can ease some stress, drinking too much alcohol can make your immune system weaker against COVID-19.

Research on 1,540 adults ages 30 to 59 years studied the change in alcohol consumption in 2019 and 2020. The data from 2019 was from April 29 to June 9, and the 2020 data from May 28 to June 16. The results found that overall alcohol consumption increased during COVID-19 by 10 percent. However, women consumed more alcohol by 41 percent more. Women also experienced a 39 percent increase in adverse consequences associated with alcohol. These rising drinking patterns can be a potential sign of alcohol abuse and addiction.

7 Managers With Trust Issues

Since 1999 when the internet allowed companies to contract remote workers, managers have reported they had difficulty trusting remote employees. Questions like, are they working the hours they record were common. So with COVID-19 forcing a majority of workers globally to work-from-home, managers are suddenly finding themselves untrained to manage remotely as well.

The Harvard Business Review (HBR) surveyed 215 supervisors and managers in 2020 to see how they handled remote employees. The results indicated most were struggling and disliked the experience. For example:
* 40 percent expressed low self-confidence in their ability to manage workers remotely
* 38 percent said remote workers usually perform worse than those who work in an office
* 41 percent were skeptical whether remote workers can stay motivated in the long term

6 Spread of Touch Deprivation

Yes, touch deprivation, also known as touch starvation, is an actual health condition. Physical contact is important for humans in multiple ways, and isolation combined with social distancing has prevented people from receiving the touch they need. Human touch can decrease anxiety, expand trust, and improve your health by improving your immunity. A study on premenopausal women found that hugs from their partners lowered their blood pressure.

The director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami, Tiffany Field, has linked the absence of touch to anxiety, depression, and lowered immunity. In a different study, she found that 68 percent of participants .felt like they were touch-deprived during the first COVID-19 shutdowns. This number increased by 50 percent within a month.

5 Higher Domestic Violence Rates

We would assume more time at home with your family is an exciting opportunity for quality time. Unfortunately, domestic violence has been coined a pandemic within the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the rise of cases, another issue to consider is the inability to seek help during quarantine. People experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) could not safely call hotlines or visit support centers for services.

An April 2020 report released in The American Journal of Emergency Medicine (AJEM) details some alarming domestic violence trends globally. In the United States, police department statistics provided insight into how COVID-19 contributed to increased DV. For example, police recorded the following data after March 2020, stay-at-home orders:
Portland Police Bureau: 22 percent increase in arrests related to DV
San Antonio Police Department: 18 percent increase in calls regarding family violence
Jefferson County Alabama Sheriff’s Office: 27 percent increase in DV calls
New York City Police Department: 10 percent increase in DV reports

The AJEM report also details that the United Nations (UN) entity UN Women has global statistics of increased DV cases. Examples include the following increasing since the country’s lockdowns in March:
* Argentina: 25 percent of cases
* France: 30 percent of cases
* Singapore: 33 percent of helpline calls

4 More Substance Use and Overdoses

Substance use is up, and so are overdose deaths. In December 2020, a CDC press release explains there were over 81,000 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. from May 2019 to May 2020. The highest recorded overdose deaths over 12 months ever. These reported deaths include:
* 98 percent increase of synthetic opioid-involved deaths in western states
* 26.5 percent increase in deaths involving cocaine
* 34.8 percent increase in deaths involving psychostimulants, such as methamphetamine

A February 2021, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) reported increased substance use in April and May 2020. There were 1,004 adult participants and resulted in estimates of 18.2 percent of increased substance use. Additionally, 36.9 percent of Hispanics described increased or newly initiated substance use during the pandemic.

3 Increase In Physician Burnout

With increased patients with severe COVID-19 symptoms in hospitals, we may have expected the limited beds and reliance on healthcare workers. But, how are the physicians treating all these patients doing themselves? Statistics say not so well. COVID-19 increased the workload on physicians and directly led to increased burnout. A Medscape survey released in September 2020 of 7,500 doctors globally highlights just how bad physician burnout has become during the pandemic. Of the total doctors, 5,000 practiced in the United States, and 64 percent of these physicians said the pandemic intensified their sense of burnout. The main reasons for the stress were treating patients likely to die and being exposed to the virus without proper personal protective equipment (PPE). A fifth of physicians in Spain and the U.S. said they ended up catching COVID-19.

Unhappy and over-worked physicians are dangerous society issues. Not only do we rely on physicians to be alert to do their jobs, but if they decide to quit, a lack of healthcare workers can prove fatal for those needing their care. They cannot all take a vacation at the same time, but our physicians need a break.

2 Over-Eating Into Obesity

Not only does severe obesity qualify you as at-risk for COVID-19, but the pandemic is causing people to over-eat as well. Stress or emotional eating is a common phenomenon. Consumption of food can numb out unpleasant feelings. Many people found themselves gaining up to 15 pounds during self-isolation that the term “Quarantine 15” started circulating on social media. Stocking up on food in case of limited supplies and being close to the kitchen pantry at home all day possibly contributed to this.

Did you know that over-eating is also one of the uncommon side effects some people experienced after recovering from the virus? Indian News sources quoted a physician from the Apollo Hospitals in Seshadripuram saying people who lost taste or smell during their COVID-19 illness started binge-eating after recovery. During their 14-day isolation after the illness, people are gaining weight. Dr. Dinesh V Kamath said, “We are seeing many recovered patients in the age group 40-60 years putting on weight. They say they have been overeating.”

1 Kids Can’t Improve Their Immunity

Staying at home and not being exposed to the dirt and pollution outside should make your kids healthier right? Not necessarily. For young kids where their immune system is still developing, over-clean environments can negatively influence them. When kids play outside, and you expose them to allergens, they will be less likely to develop asthma or allergies when they grow up. Quarantine is denying small children this immune-boosting opportunity. However, your older kids’ immunity will not get worse by staying indoors.

About The Author: Sara enjoys research, art, and seeking a sustainably fun life, balancing physical and mental health. Read more on how she explores, learns, and balances all her interests at www.saramenges.com.

What is the most important issues facing youth today? The capitalist society has given us so much besides better quality of life. It has given us facilities and luxury but it has taken away the time needed to enjoy that leisure. People are now more aware of their rights and possibly more conscious of their emotions but still couples are finding it increasingly hard to stay together. Kids it seems have their own load of problems to take care of since a very small age.

Amazingly, many of these problems are simply brushed off in the name of technological development, smartness, necessity, frustration and even maturity. People are leaving their innate zones- the zones that they had been created for. Mothers are leaving homes with babies merely a few days old being put into daycare’s, fathers are conceived to be natural bank provided by god and nothing else. The whole relationship thing has come down to give and take which is is accurate as 2 + 2 = 4 (not 2.5 and not 1.99 but 4).

Compassion and humanity are gradually leaving our daily lives. We need to be aware of problems that our youth is facing and not just write about them rather we need to raise awareness to solve these issues. Here we discuss some of the top issues facing youth today.

The following are the 10 biggest issues facing youth today.

10. Broken families, Single parent homes

More children than ever are living with single parents today. It is either because of unwanted pregnancies or broken relationships or because of high divorce rates. Young parents hardly find each other compatible in terms of marriage. So this issue does not only affect the children but also the young parents. The LGBT concept and the adoption of kids by gay couples has paved way to unnatural family setups.

Whilst it seems wonderful to the Kindergarten child to have two dads who are both money banks and providers- it leaves out a huge gap that can be filled by a mom alone. The absence of one parent also creates lack of care and supervision for the kids. They become susceptible to other problems like emotional abuse, early relationships, drugs, unwanted pregnancy and so on.

9. Drugs and alcohol

21% high school students have admitted that they have been high and 41% from the same group said that they had alcohol. There was a time in cinematic history when smoking was considered “cool” and everyone including women was shown to carry a cigarette of any kind between their fingers. Today the concept has changed. Drugs are not shown to be cool and the rare appearance of such on film for example in The Tourist starring Johnny Depp, is given with a disclaimer and explicit narration that it is “electronic”!

8. Earlier onset of maturity

There was a time when kids enjoyed being kids. Occasionally a kid dressed up in his or her mom’s clothes and carried dad’s briefcase around but that was deemed innocent and fun. Even the elders enjoyed it. Now kids as young as 10 and 11 are getting intimate with their partners. The media including innocent looking cartoons have taken their toll on a child’s growth. Kids want to grow up fast and have kids. They feel too childish to be children. Even kids songs have implied sexual notes along with entire series marketed to kids dealing with intimacy.

7. Violence in Schools

When a mom decided to homeschool her kid the response of other parents as, “I don’t blame you, schools are so unsafe today.” Growing up is tough enough and add the tension of being stabbed or killed in math class to the kids’ problems and see what happens. Schools especially in poorer and backward areas today are literal war zones. It goes beyond the regular bullying as kids become victims of shootings, stabbing and suicide. The purpose of a school is to prepare a kid for the future endeavors after school but like many other things in life, schools are losing their essence.

6. Materialism

We are instilling materialism in our kids because the concept of shopping “when you need” and discarding when you do not need it is gradually disappearing. Kids usually wear what they see with their friends. We need to let them know that they can’t get everything even if their parents can afford it. Owning stuff is not a measure of success and happiness. You do not earn because you want to get more stuff in the home. We are raising materialistic kids who always have their eyes on the next thing that they want.

5. Obesity

Our kids are getting fatter and fatter. 20% of American kids are rather obese which brings it pretty much outside the safe range. We can obviously owe this to fast food and technology like tablets and play stations. Interestingly now kids even play cricket on Wii or Play Stations. It is rather ironic to walk on remote controlled cars and burn calories!

4. Educational disparity

Access to education and following the American Dream depend on the neighbourhood that kids live in. Being American is not enough. If you are in suburbs or from the Latin or African American minority then it is likely that the kids will be attending a school that lacks many necessities. Asians and Whites on the other hand have better access to education and opportunity.

3. Economy

A few decades ago, a high school graduate could find work in a factory and continue to work there for the rest of his life with a fairly decent lifestyle. Today even multiple college degrees can’t guarantee a good job to students after they graduate. The world is now a global economy. What happens in Japan or China can have major effects on the stock prices in America. Developed countries used to sustain through their own manufacturing but with the passage of time the manufacturing is being outsourced to other countries where labour rate is low.

2. Poverty

The gap between the income levels of the society is increasing by the year. If only people would buy what they need and not what they want- fewer kids would be teased at school. Nearly 50% of the American children are living in poverty. And, if American children are in poverty then imagine where the rest of the world is standing. Poverty is the impetus to inappropriate social behaviors and problems. It also obstructs development and learning.

What is the most important issue facing youth today? Poverty is no doubt one of the most important issue facing youth today.

1. Collective identity diminishing

The Americans are gradually losing their collective identity. If it is not my kid then it doesn’t bother anyone. American kids are getting obese doesn’t disturb people. American kids are suffering from increased abuse does not bother people anymore. People are more concerned with what is happening in their family, oblivion to the fire that is gradually encroaching their home too.

Youth is the future of any country. America is the superpower of a uni-polar world which is why we look to it in matters as such. In order to make the world a better place for our future generations, we need to look into these issues NOW. It is not a matter of years rather it would take decades before we can see any difference should we choose to have things changed.