Nordic youth on what is needed to give them faith in the future

(If you read the text on a mobile phone, you will find the questions asked by Nordic Labour Journal at the bottom.)

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Edvin: More must get politically engaged

Edvin Mårtenson (20), lives in Uppsala, Sweden, studies law and Russian and sits with the social liberal group on the Nordic Youth Council.  

1. We should definitely be worried. Our Nordic state systems are based on participation in elections and representative democracy. If the younger generation no longer feels politicians are listening to its concerns and challenges, there is a risk the legitimacy of democracy itself is undermined. 

We already see this in poor voter turnout among young people. The younger generation must also understand that change can only happen through our democratic systems. More need to get engaged politically to change worries into practical action! 

2. It is difficult to overestimate social media's role in young people's mental health. It is very easy to fall into spirals of harmful content, whether it is body image pressure from influencers or graphic violent material.

Many young people are aware of this and try to reduce their screen time. However, we need more initiatives for sustainable social media use, such as less addictive algorithms from tech companies or better tools to help individuals manage their own screen time.

3. Young people face many challenges in the Nordic labour markets. I still want to draw particular attention to the issue of mental health, however. This should absolutely not be overlooked as a reason why young people stay home from school, studies or work. Addressing this would make it easier for young people to complete their education, for example.

4. The Nordic cooperation largely revolves around issues that are very close to young people's hearts. Climate and environmental issues, of course, but cultural and educational matters also directly affect young people's daily lives. 

Tackling the challenges in these areas through more coordinated efforts to combat the climate crisis and offering more opportunities for young people to move between the Nordics and their labour markets – via a focus on language and initiatives like Nordplus –are examples of how the Nordic region plays an important role for young people. That is, if they were only aware of all the Nordic projects that actually exist.

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Steffen: More should take on active community roles

Steffen Bagger (22) lives in Greater Copenhagen in Denmark and studies theology at the University of Copenhagen. He represents the Youth League of the Norden Associations in the praesidium of the Nordic Youth Council.

1. It’s concerning that young people aren’t looking to the future with optimism and hope, especially in the Nordic region where our welfare societies and solid labour market model ought to secure an optimistic outlook.

This is troubling, as hope among today’s youths forms the foundation for a strengthened and improved future society. 

2. The Nordic region is a collective region, a region of community, which means we perform worse when we are part of fewer communities and engage less in out societies. 

To change this development, more people should join associations and actively participate in them, seeing themselves as part of a whole. The Nordic associations, the states, and each of us individually must contribute to making this happen.

Community is the cornerstone of the Nordics. Nordic associations, the states and all of us need to contribute to make this happen.

3. School communities, supportive parents, families or guardians, and municipal support for workplace visits and internships.

4. By supporting projects like Nordjobb and providing economic support to associations, enabling them to offer better services for their members and more easily integrate new members into their communities.

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Cecilia: - We are in the same boat on many issues

Cecilia Huhtala (21), is from Vasa in Finland. She is taking a gap year after working in various associations and is currently preparing for higher education. She represents Finland on the Nordic Committee for Children and Young People NORDBUK.

1. We need to take the results from these surveys very seriously. Young people’s confidence in the future is low, which is worrying in light of all the crises we face.

Many young people have little faith in their ability to buy property, secure a safe pension or achieve economic stability. We risk creating a generation with reduced hope and motivation. 

We need to provide young people with the tools they need to manage their emotions and create spaces where they can talk about their thoughts about the future. 

Decision-makers and adults in general carry a great responsibility for taking these issues seriously, not only by listening but also by taking action. By being role models, addressing social crises and demonstrating that change is possible, we can help instil greater hope for the future in young people.

2. The main causes of mental health issues among young people in the Nordics are complex. The demands of society, the impact of social media and less access to meaningful leisure time are major factors. 

Many young people also experience increased insecurity at home and worry about global issues, which again contribute to their anxiety and depression. 

To turn this negative trend around, we need to make hobbies and leisure activities more accessible, work to reduce the pressure to perform and offer more supportive conversations and resources for young people’s mental health.

We need a holistic approach where schools, families and society as a whole collaborate to create a safer and more hopeful environment for young people.

3. To help young people back into education and work, we need a combination of measures. Preventive efforts should be prioritised and should receive adequate funding so that young people can get support before they are marginalised.

We also need to promote projects aimed at fighting marginalisation, where the diversity of young people is taken seriously. 

The labour market must become more flexible and inclusive, with a focus on reducing obstacles preventing minorities from getting jobs and securing the just treatment of young people. 

Mentorships, internships and adapted training programmes can also create bridges to education and jobs.

4. The Nordic cooperation can help by strengthening research on the challenges facing young people, facilitating mobility and the exchange of experiences between the countries and making sure young people’s voices are heard in all decision-making bodies.

We are all in the same boat on many issues. Together, we can develop common solutions for mental health challenges, education and work, and create a more secure future outlook for young people in the Nordic region.

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Andreas: Tomorrow could be too late

Andreas Salomonsson (23) studies political science at Lindköping University and lives in Linköping. He is the Vice President of the Nordic Youth Council. 

1. We are undoubtedly living in less stable times with many challenges. Our generation will need to deal with a range of tricky problems and many young people are aware of this.

The most important thing is to give young people the opportunity and tools to make an impact today, not tomorrow when it might already be too late. We must improve young people’s opportunities to influence politics and promote innovation and new solutions to large challenges.

2. Personally, I believe that social media plays a significant role in this issue. It helps perpetuate the illusion that most people live "perfect" lives and promotes unattainable beauty standards, something today’s children and youth are exposed to at increasingly younger ages.

I believe we need to hold the companies behind these platforms to higher standards and enforce age restrictions for social media use.

3. Mental health challenges are contributing a lot to the marginalisation of young people in education and the labour market. We must get better at identifying those who are struggling as early as possible.

The lack of qualified healthcare staff and long queues means many do not get help in time and sink further into poor mental health. This makes it even harder to return to a normality where they can manage everyday life. 

We also need to improve cooperation between schools and healthcare so that pupils who struggle are identified and get help sooner. We must also make sure we have more qualified psychologists, psychotherapists and councillors. 

4. The Nordic cooperation is well placed to help young people. A key aspect is that we can share knowledge and methods that improve our societies. We can use various programmes and projects to focus collective resources on specific issues. 

At the same time, the Nordic arena provides young people with a greater opportunity to have a political impact. That’s why it is crucial that we promote young people’s political participation within the Nordic cooperation. 

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Sofie: The crucial thing is to meet young people where they are 

Sofie Sæther (27) lives in Oslo, Norway, and is the Secretary General of the Norwegian Chess Federation, Deputy Leader for the National Council for Norway's Children and Youth Organisations (LNU) and Norwegian representative in the Nordic Children's and Youth Committee NORDBUK. 

1. It is sad to see the development of young people's worry about the future. I think this can be seen in light of which issues young people are allowed to discuss themselves.

Those who are not heard can lose their belief in the future. That makes it even more important that children and young people have a seat at the table and can influence non-academic arenas and activities. 

This way, they can feel that their voice matters. It can give individuals a sense of purpose, and it creates resilience that can extend to other spheres of life. 

2. There are many reasons why this is the case, but I believe one of the main causes could be the lack of real influence. Increases in mental health issues among young people could have many causes, including performance pressure and constant exposure to bad news.

We read about catastrophes and scary news and constantly get updates on social media. The abundance of shocking news probably leads to apathy about the state of the world.

This can be countered by allowing children and young people to make a change in society. Children’s and youth organisations provide a community that makes it easier to participate in processes that can influence developments. 

Here, children and young people can contribute and promote their opinions. Good and safe communities in children's and youth organisations give young people a platform where they can talk together about their concerns, but also about actions.

3. It is important to commit at a young age to participating in something where you experience different perspectives on thoughts and problems.  Challenging your perspectives and worldview is crucial, and this can be done in diverse children's and youth organisations.

The most important thing is to meet young people where they are. Measures combining voluntary activities and responsibility. Voluntary organisations can play a key role by offering community, guidance and experiences which strengthen young people’s skills and self-confidence. 

4. I believe Nordic cooperation is important, also for young people. One example is a cooperation project between national youth councils in the NORD project. The aim is to bring together youths across countries and organisations. They can learn from each other and we can find out that what works for young people in Denmark, might also work in Norway.