Youth Centers Matter

Youth Centers Matter.

[Audio] Teens are feeling more alone than ever before due to a lack of in-person socialization. Teenagers with time on their hands and nothing to do are more vulnerable to the negative effects of isolation, which include anxiety, despair, acting out, and substance addiction. One contributing factor to this is that smaller cities and rural communities have fewer after-school programs and activities than larger cities. Because of this, many teens in these communities have limited access to youth centers and activities, and many times there are little to no programs available for teens over 13 years old..

[Audio] This graph shows the results of a survey from The Wallace Foundation and Public Agenda Report: All Work and No Play, in which teens were asked about the availability of activities and youth centers in their communities. According to the survey, 72% of participants said " neighborhoods need to have more things for kids their age to do," and 54% said there is "not much for teens their age to do" in general. The survey also highlighted that 62% of the teens without a youth center nearby would use it regularly if they did, all of which shows both the need and desire by teens to have a youth center geared toward their needs. However, only 23% of the teens who have a youth center nearby actually use it regularly, which reinforces the need for youth centers to provide a more teen friendly space with more activities, groups, and events for 14- to 17-year-olds..

[Audio] Along with feeling that their communities have nothing for their age group to do, the development and increased use of social media and cellphones has also added to the problem by reducing the need for face-to-face interactions which means teens spend less time socializing in person. Many teens today will also tell you that they are not likely to get together in person with their friends outside of school or school related activities. And those who do not attend traditional schools are even less likely to interact with their peers in person on a regular basis. Due to this, a large number of todays teens report feeling lonelier and more isolated than ever. Furthermore, many teens also report that in-person communication is intimidating and has become a source of anxiety and stress for them. The consequence being that teenagers with no safe place to make new friends or develop social skills and nothing to keep them active and engaged are more vulnerable to the negative effects of isolation, which include anxiety, despair, acting out, and substance addiction..

[Audio] So how does this relate to Youth Centers and why does it matter? A study by the Pew Research Center found that only 25% of teens spend time, outside of school, with friends on a daily basis, in person. Because of this, teens feel lonelier and are at greater risk of developing mental health issues than previous generations. A 2021 Mental Health America report also found that youth between the ages of 11 and 17 were "the most likely age group to score in the moderate-to-severe depression categories when screened for mental health conditions." Additionally, a survey done on Washington State teens found that 61,000, or 11.11%, used drugs in the last month alone; and among them, 88.52% reported using marijuana in the last month. The survey also found that 9.83% of all 12 to 17-year-olds in the state used alcohol in the last month making them 7.48% more likely to use alcohol than the average American teen. Another report, from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention on the Trends in Youth Arrests for Violent Crimes, found that youth ages 16–17 accounted for more than half ( 55%) of all youth arrests for violent crime in 2020..

[Audio] So what do we do?. Man and woman looking confused with question mark behind them.

[Audio] The solution is to build more youth centers in rural and smaller cities that would be committed to providing a variety of easily accessible activities, groups, and events for teens between 14 and 17. Although there are still questions and considerations that still need to be addressed, such as discovering what programs and services teens want from a youth center, finding out what teenagers need from program staff and figuring out how to promote the youth centers and programs in ways that encourage teenagers to come. The facility's main goals would be to nurture positive social interactions, boost confidence, teach resiliency and personal accountability, foster innovation, and aid in the treatment of mental health issues..

[Audio] So what are the benefits to building more teen friendly youth centers in rural areas and small cities? Some of the key benefits of building more teen friendly youth centers are that teens would develop healthy relationships and mental well-being. It helps in preventing juvenile suicide, and decreases the likelihood that young people will engage in risky activities like drug use and criminal behavior. The center would give teens a much-needed safe, fun, and supervised place to hang out with their friends away from the dangers of the streets. And finally, research demonstrates that after school program participants had "positive changes in feelings and attitudes, behavioral adjustment, and academic performance including social and emotional learning.".

[Audio] The first step in the planning and building of the youth centers is to secure support and funding for building, through fund raising. The next step is to find a sizable area or building for the youth centers. Then we will need to paint and furnish building with teens in mind. Once that's done we will need to develop mentoring and support programs for teens along with a range of activities, clubs and events for teens. The next step is to hire personnel or volunteers. The final step will be to promote the youth centers, programs and activities by making use of word of mouth among teens and employing persuasive advertising..

[Audio] In closing I would like to emphasize that by providing easily accessible youth centers for teens between 14 and 17 that offer a variety of activities, groups, and events, we will help to reduce the number of teens that are negatively affected by isolation, anxiety, depression, and boredom, which can lead to self-harm, suicide, acting out, criminal behavior, and substance addiction. Let's all work together to solve this problem. Thank you..

Afterschool Alliance. “America after 3PM: Afterschool Programs in Demand.” Http://Afterschoolalliance.org/AA3PM. , The Afterschool Alliance, Oct. 2014, afterschoolalliance.org/documents/AA3PM-2014/AA3PM_National_Report.pdf. Canady, Valerie A. “MHA State of Mental Health in America Report Finds Suicidal Ideation Concerning.” Mental Health Weekly , vol. 31, no. 41, Oct. 2021, pp. 1–3, https://doi.org/10.1002/mhw.32991. CDC. “Teen Substance Use & Risks.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , 10 Feb. 2020, www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/features/teen-substance-use.html . Jones, Stephanie, et al. “Social and Emotional Learning in Out-of-School Time Settings.” Www.wallacefoundation.org , The Wallace Foundation, 8 Dec. 2017, www.wallacefoundation.org/knowledge-center/Documents/Social-and-Emotional-Learning-Out-of-School-Time-Settings-Brief.pdf. Lenhart, Amanda. “Teens, Technology and Friendships.” Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech , Pew Research Center, 6 Aug. 2015, www.pewresearch.org/internet/2015/08/06/teens-technology-and-friendships/..

[Audio] . Mothers Against Drunk Driving. “Every Statistic Is a Person.” Madd.org , 2022, madd.org/statistics/. National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics. “Teenage Drug & Alcohol Use: Statistics, Facts and Data.” NCDAS , 2019, drugabusestatistics.org/teen-drug-use/. National Institute of Mental Health. “Prevalence of Major Depressive Episode among Adolescents.” Www.nimh.nih.gov , Jan. 2022, www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression#part_155031 . Ryan, Liz, et al. “Trends in Youth Arrests for Violent Crimes.” Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention , U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs, Aug. 2022, ojjdp.ojp.gov/publications/trends-in-youth-arrests.pdf. The Wallace Foundation and Public Agenda. “All Work and No Play?” Www.wallacefoundation.org , Public Agenda, 2004, www.wallacefoundation.org/knowledge-center/pages/finding-two-no-particular-place-to-go-all-work-and-no-play.aspx. Youth.gov. “Benefits for Youth, Families, & Communities | Youth.gov.” Youth.gov , 2019, youth.gov/youth-topics/afterschool-programs/benefits-youth-families-and-communities..