A global UNICEF study suggests many Canadian kids are unhappy.
Its recent Report Card suggests one in five youth in Canada face frequent bullying, one in five are lonely and one in four struggle to make friends.
“The report presents a mixed picture. Over the past 25 years, there have been notable improvements in child well-being in the group of countries examined in this report: steady decline in child mortality, overall reduction in adolescent suicide and an increase in school completion rates,” the report reads.
“But the last five years have shown warning signs in deteriorating life satisfaction and falling academic skills in most countries. Obesity rates are also rising. This combination of trends presents a major challenge to OECD/EU countries in providing children with the conditions for a good childhood and a positive future. The report shows that the hard-won progress in child well-being in this group of countries is becoming increasingly vulnerable to global events and shocks.”
The survey points to bullying in particular for a drop in life satisfaction reported by 15-year-olds — down three percentage points to 76 per cent since 2018.
The report compares the well-being of Canadian children to those in other wealthy countries between 2018 and 2022.
“Today’s children are growing up in a world that is complex and fast-changing,” UNICEF noted in its report. “The combination of challenges presented by climate change, ongoing conflicts, digital transformation and demographic transitions has been termed a polycrisis. The world is also still recovering from the shock of COVID-19, the first global pandemic in a century.”
Climate change impacts
The report found that extreme weather events linked to climate change, including storms, floods, droughts and wildfires, are becoming increasingly common and impacting children.
“The harshest effects of these events are experienced in the world’s poorest countries. However, across the 43 countries covered in this report, it is estimated that more than 250,000 children were displaced from their homes during 2022 due to natural disasters that were primarily climate events.”
Rising temperatures and heatwaves are also a factor, according to UNICEF.
“It is estimated that almost half of schools in cities in the EU are in ‘heat island’ areas, 13 of which have elevated temperatures putting children’s well-being at risk, while around one in ten schools are located in flood-prone areas.”
Technology advancements and social media
The report concluded that digital technology continues to reshape children’s lives “by bringing both new opportunities and new risks.”
“In 2022, connectivity rates were over 99 per cent in 37 out of 40 countries for which data were available [the exceptions being Colombia, Mexico and Turkey]. New technologies bring many benefits, including for education as well as for children’s freedom of association and access to information. On the other hand, there is much debate about the potential negative impacts of smartphone use by children and, in particular, social media.”
Mental health trends
UNICEF said it is estimated that around one in six children aged 10–19 years globally lives with a diagnosable mental health condition.
“Around half of adult mental health conditions begin during childhood,22 and this can have far-reaching consequences for quality of life in adulthood, including mental health, relationships, education and employment,” the report states.
“Moreover, many more adolescents around the world may report symptoms of psychosocial distress. While the symptoms alone may not meet the epidemiological levels to be considered a mental health condition, they
continue to disrupt adolescents’ ability to learn, form meaningful relationships, and experience good health and well-being.”
UNICEF cited evidence that “points to a long-term deterioration in adolescent mental health rather than a sudden crisis.”
“Long-term studies in Norway and the United States indicate that adolescent mental health was already in decline in the early 1990s. In Norway between 1992 and 2019, there was an average 17 per cent increase in mental health symptoms among girls and a five per cent [increase] among boys,” the report states.
“Within this long-term picture, children today undoubtedly face many challenges, old and new, that can affect their mental health.”
With files from The Canadian Press
