As anxiety, social media pressure and uncertainty continue to shape the lives of young people, questions are growing about how well they are really coping – and how society can best support them.
The Shona Project, a national organisation dedicated to supporting the mental health and self esteem of young people, is marking its 10th anniversary this year.
Speaking on Alive and Kicking with Clare McKenna, Tammy Darcy, founder and CEO, reflected on a decade of work with young people.
“God, what a fast 10 years,” she said, admitting that when the project began, long-term plans were far from her mind.
“You can’t think that far ahead, you’re just dealing with what’s right in front of you.”
Darcy explained that the past year has been particularly challenging for the young people the Shona Project works with, describing “a lot of change, a lot of uncertainty, a lot of stress”.
“Ideally we’d live in a world where there was no need for the Shona Project,” she said.
“But unfortunately, we wouldn’t be big enough in the next 20 years to deal with everything we’re dealing with.”
Credits: The Shona Project (shona.ie)The organisation, which originally focused on girls, has begun a programme aimed at supporting boys, something Darcy described as long overdue.
“There’s nobody really offering a safe space for boys to figure out what it means to be a man,” she said, pointing to gaps in support and the influence of “loud” but harmful online voices.
Reflecting on recent research, Darcy said many girls are struggling profoundly.
“Seventy per cent of girls have tried to move schools or have considered moving schools because they don’t find school to be a positive space,” she noted.
She added that young people need three key things:
“A community where they feel they can be themselves”, a sense of purpose, and freedom from damaging messages about appearance.
“Girls are being bombarded with messages about what they should look like and that what they look like is the most important thing about them.”
Despite these issues, Darcy said the focus remains on searching for solutions rather than fear.
“I don’t like scaremongering, but I have to be honest about what I’m seeing,” she said.
“When I’m honest about what I’m seeing, I can then focus on the solutions.”
Shine Festival
The Shona Project also runs an annual Shine Festival, which brings thousands of young people together in a phone-free environment focused on connecting with others and relaxing.
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Darcy recalled watching "thousands of girls singing and dancing and celebrating each other," adding how moments like these are "so rare" for young people now.
“We can all be part of the change,” Darcy said, calling for more spaces where young people can simply “be themselves and just be joyful”.
