Many young people are on the Give-Up Track these days. What has gutted them?
Before you blame the pandemic and social media, consider the role of unrealistic expectations.
High expectations become unrealistic when a young person is told that they’re “awesome” after a weak performance. Low expectations are unrealistic when mental health disorders are blamed for weak performance.
Young people can’t build inner strength when they’re rescued from every frustration. When you live in a protective bubble, you don’t learn to manage the stress that’s inevitable outside it.
Stress is a release of cortisol, the chemical that alerts the body to survival threats. If your life is basically safe, a small threat like losing your password triggers cortisol because that’s the biggest obstacle to meeting your survival needs in that moment….