Supporting Gen Z: Finding Their Place in an Anxious Generation

If you spend time with young people today, it’s impossible to ignore the weight they’re carrying. I see it in my counselling work, and it echoes what Jonathan Haidt describes in his book The Anxious Generation: growing up in a world that’s faster, noisier, and more connected than ever — yet often leaving young people feeling isolated, anxious, and under immense pressure.

What I’ve Seen First-Hand

Through my work with Whitehead-Ross Education on the youth engagement project and the house counsellor at Reach Out Alternative Provision school, I’ve had the privilege of supporting 16–24 year olds navigating early adulthood. This stage of life is tricky enough without the added challenges of today’s culture: the constant pull of social media, the uncertainty of the job market, the climate crisis, and the sense of not quite knowing where you fit in the world.

For many, these pressures show up as:

• Social anxiety (especially around in-person interaction after years of online-first culture).

• Low confidence and self-esteem.

• Overwhelm when faced with choices about education, work, or relationships.

• Difficulty switching off, resting, or feeling “good enough.”

Why Gen Z Feels It So Strongly

Haidt talks about how technology and the decline in real-world play have reshaped childhood and adolescence. Instead of developing resilience through trial, error, and social interaction, many young people have been raised in highly structured, screen-based environments. As a result, when they reach late teens or early adulthood, they can feel ill-equipped to manage stress, uncertainty, or failure.

That doesn’t mean they’re “broken” — far from it. It means we need to listen differently, connect more authentically, and give space for them to explore who they are without judgement.

My Approach with Young People

When I work with Gen Z clients, whether through 2B Frank Counselling or projects like Whitehead-Ross or Reach Out, my focus is on:

• Authenticity – creating a space where they don’t need to “perform.”

• Collaboration – working with, not talking at.

• Creativity – using art, games, and metaphor to open up conversations where words can feel too heavy.

• Pace – respecting their rhythm, rather than pushing them to “catch up.”

For many, the counselling room is one of the few places they feel free to be completely themselves — messy, questioning, funny, anxious, hopeful, all at once.

Moving Forward

Haidt calls for cultural change in how we support young people, but in the meantime, the small things matter. Listening without judgement. Encouraging offline connection. Allowing young people to explore their own identity rather than rushing to label or fix.

I feel proud to be part of that support system here in Cornwall, whether through my work with Whitehead-Ross, volunteering with Intercom Trust, or in my own private practice.

Because when we give Gen Z the space to be heard and seen for who they are, rather than who we want them to be, they often surprise us with just how resilient, creative, and insightful they can be.

Siobhán xx