By Laura BennettWednesday 8 Mar 2023Hope AfternoonsLifeReading Time: 2 minutes
No matter who you talk to at the moment it seems there’s a lot weighing on people’s mind: the cost of living, post-pandemic mental health concerns, international politics and ongoing natural disasters… not to mention the challenges unique to you.
People are stressed, and there’s every reason why.
It’s easy to think it’s only adults carrying what genuinely feels like the weight of the world, but with teens consuming high amounts of fragmented media and being exposed to the news cycle and corresponding commentary in increasingly immersive ways, adolescents aren’t as carefree as we might assume.
To get an insight into what’s most pressing for teens and how the church can help, World Vision together with The Barna Group compiled The Open Generation report. Based on interviews with 13–17-year-olds the first-of-its-kind international research study aims to understand the identity, values, and views of teens so this emerging generation can be better supported around the world.
“Australian teens are falling behind against the global averages on how they relate to Jesus, the Bible and how they feel they can impact the world around them,” World Vision’s Rev. Noddy Sharma said.
“While this is alarming, it’s not a surprise.
“This is an invitation for us as the church to dig a little deeper and engage with the upcoming generation so that we can assist them in reshaping how they think, what they believe and how they can turn up as their best selves in the world.”
Listen to the full conversation with Rev. Noddy Sharma in the player above.
The Open Generations conference will be held Wednesday, March 15th at St Barnabas Anglican Church.