– It is very sad, she says to news. Gehrken is the presenter of his own podcast “Pustermet”. There, among other things, she has taken up themes such as loneliness and self-esteem. She also shared a post about her own loneliness on social media last year. The honor was appreciated, and the feedback came from both girls and boys. Now a report from Mental Health shows that a disturbing number of young people feel the same way. They are lonely. One in five young people between the ages of 12 and 20 say they have few or no friends. Almost one in three is worried about their own mental health. Three out of ten experience bullying in a very different form. The figure shows roughly the same development as other surveys in recent years. Young people have become more stressed, anxious and depressed. The girls in particular say they struggle mentally and many experience symptoms of depression. Gehrken says that she gets a lot of the same feedback. – There are a lot of people, at least between the ages of 13 and 15, who send me messages and say that they feel a lot of pressure when it comes to school, says Gehrken. – They either have girlfriends who are mean to them, or they don’t have friends. LONELY: Gehrken shared a post about her own loneliness on social media last year. Photo: Live Wold – Feeling worse than others This is feedback that Jenny Gehrken recognizes. As a teenager, she struggled with her grades at school and felt stupider than the others. The solution for her was to find something that could give her a sense of mastery outside of school. Gradually, the 21-year-old has become a popular profile and self-employed. And she gets a lot of messages from young listeners when she brings up topics about mental health – whether it’s in the podcast or on social media. – They say that they don’t feel that they have any plan, and they feel worse than everyone else. Many feel that “the others” can do everything while they themselves can’t do anything, she says. TRYING TO HELP: Annja Edyta Johansen tries to help other students. Photo: Eskil Wie Furunes / news Students know themselves outside At Blindern in Oslo, student Annja Edyta Johansen tries to help other students. Because more and more older young people also struggle mentally. She has noticed this in her speech on inquiries to the student association Student Support, where they offer everything from confidential conversations to taking part in social events. The students’ own health and well-being survey, which is carried out in collaboration with the Institute of Public Health, confirms this impression. More and more of the students struggle. – The reason why they make contact is often that they have no friends or know each other outside. They lack someone to talk to, says Johansen. – Many young people cannot afford to take part in events that other friends take part in. Inflation and increased electricity prices create more stress for students with poor means, she adds. CONCERN: Secretary General of the Council for Mental Health, Tove Gundersen. Photo: Patrick da Silva Saether – Feeling difficult in all directions Fortunately, most children and young people in Norway are doing well. However, many young people are therefore lonely and many experience symptoms of depression. – It is impossible to point to one reason for this, says Tove Gundersen, secretary general of the Council for Mental Health. – What they say themselves is that they feel pulled in all directions. They did not sleep enough, they feel that they are not fulfilling, whether it is studies or work. Many people experience social pressure, that they must always be a yes person and must stand up and be good. Heritage and the environment are important, but here it is also about what is going on in society, she points out. There may be after-effects after the pandemic, fear of war in connection with the Ukraine war, too much time on social media and uncertain finances. – What we get in sum is that young people are more restless, anxious and stressed, she says. PRESSURE: Jenny Gehrken says that many young people tell her that they feel pressured at school. Photo: Joakim Riise – Look at them and listen to them She is concerned about the development. – We see that we have a society that is not actually able to look after our children and young people well enough. – The scope has become too large, says Gundersen. Jenny Gehrken has no expert solutions to the challenges. But she has her own experience, and she has young listeners and followers who share their experiences with her. And she gives advice if she is asked for it. She believes that one of the most important things of all is to really see the young people and recognize them for what they can actually do. – Look at them and listen to them. Show that they are seen. Children often just need a little breathing space where they can talk about what they know, she encourages. Need someone to talk to? If you need to talk to someone, you can contact these: Mental Health Helpline: Call 116 123 or write to sidetmedord.no. Kirkens SOS: Kirkens SOS is the country’s largest 24-hour crisis service on the phone and internet. Call 22 40 00 40 or chat with someone on the website. The VO line: A helpline for those who experience violence or abuse in close relationships. Call 116 006 or chat with someone on the website. The helpline for sexually abused people: 800 57 000 Cross on the neck is the Red Cross’s service for you under the age of 18. Telephone: 800 333 21. Write or chat on the website. The alarm phone for children and young people: A free phone for children and young people who are exposed to violence, abuse and neglect. Telephone 116 111. Acute risk of suicide? Call 113 when it is urgent and your life is at stake. Call the emergency room on tel. 116117 for emergency assistance. You can also talk to your GP.
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Said she was lonely on social media
