08/08/2025
Kids today arenât worse. Theyâre not lazy, ungrateful, or âaddicted to their phones.â Theyâre just differentâbecause the world that raised them is different. Theyâre growing up in a time of chaosâsocial media pressure, constant comparison, online bullying, and the never-ending demand to be âperfect.â And in the middle of all this noise, they often feel completely alone.
They sit in their rooms, staring at screens. Not because they prefer it. Not because itâs better than talking. But because thereâs no one to talk to. Their parents are always busy. Tired. Preoccupied with work, responsibilities, and stress. Every now and then they might hear a rushed, âHow was your day?â or get treated to something coolâa new gadget, a trip, or a pair of sneakers. And parents think: âTheyâre good. My kid has everything.â
But they donât have you. Your full attention. Your presence. Your âTell me how youâre really feeling.â Because love canât be replaced by the newest iPhone or a vacation. What your child really needs is you.
They need connection. They need you to sit beside them and ask, âWhatâs going on?ââand actually mean it. They need you to put your phone down, look them in the eyes, and truly listen. Because if you donât, someone else will. And that âsomeoneâ might not have good intentions. It might be a stranger online who says all the right things: âI get you.â It might be a friend group that demands they change just to belong. Or it might be the anonymous cruelty of the internet, following them from school to home, to bed, to the buzzing phone under their pillow.
Kids today are growing up under pressure and under a microscope. Every post, every comment, every selfie is open for judgment. Every vulnerability is an invitation for ridicule. And the worst part? Thereâs no escape. Bullying doesnât end when the school bell rings. It follows them home.
And you? You might think, âWell, theyâre not complaining, so everything must be fine.â But kids donât always say it when theyâre hurting. They scream through silence. They stop talking, stop asking, stop trying to be seen. And thatâs when we, as parents, start to believe everythingâs okay. But thatâs exactly when it isnât.
Because kids donât stop needing us just because weâre busy. They donât stop needing connection just because weâre tired. They donât stop needing love, validation, and presence. They just stop asking for it. And thatâs the moment we start to lose them.