And just like that, the 2024 season is about to end! But, before it does, why not check out our final drop of the year that unpacks another three topics and our word of the month?!
ISSUE: Have A Holly…Jolly Anxious Christmas?
A survey was recently commissioned by Action for Children, involving nearly 3,000 people aged 11-21 in the UK, as part of their ‘Secret Santa’ initiative. Their findings reveal a concerning trend amongst young people of financial anxiety surrounding Christmas. A significant 75% of young people reported that they feel that Christmas will be an anxious time for their parents and other family members due to money worries. This anxiety stems from the pressure to provide gifts and maintain festive traditions despite financial constraints.
Furthermore, nearly 69% of those surveyed believe their parents will have to sacrifice something important in order to provide gifts, and more than a third (35%) think their family will be worse off financially this Christmas compared to last year, highlighting the ongoing economic challenges many families face.
Additionally, 21% of the young people surveyed worry that their parents will not have enough money to pay household bills, and 18% are concerned about there being enough to keep the house warm. These statistics underscore the broader impact of financial stress on the wellbeing of families and young people this season.
At a time of year when media outlets are telling you to buy, buy, buy and influencers are doing hauls on social media, whilst others are showing off extravagant Christmas lists they’ve dreamt up – it’s a stark contrast to how many young people feel.
DIGITAL WORLD: No More Social Media Down Under
Recently, the Australian parliament took a bold stance when stating that moving forward there will be a social media ban for under-16s. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese emphasised the need to protect young people from the harms of social media, a sentiment echoed by many parent groups. The hope is that it will shield young people from the negative effects of social media and improve their health and well-being.
However, it will be interesting to see how smoothly the transition goes – particularly for young people who are already on the platforms and will have to face removing themselves from them. It will also be intriguing to see if young people will try to find a way around the ban – especially as many young people already do join platforms younger than the current age guidelines and also as many are so tech-savvy they can get around the bans.
Do you think this is the answer to teen’s social media struggles?
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c89vjj0lxx9o
HOT TOPIC: Get Rid Of Those Mince Pies!
For many people, Christmas dinner is the most highly anticipated meal of the year and, in the spirit, of the annual feast, Aldi conducted a survey amongst young people around their Christmas dinner preferences! The survey found that more than three-quarters of young Brits would prefer to ditch traditional Christmas foods in favour of more modern options.
The top 10 Christmas foods that Gen Z and Millennials want to axe include mince pies (31%), Christmas pudding (29%), Christmas cake (25%), cranberry sauce (25%), Brussels sprouts (24%), bread sauce (22%), chestnuts (21%), brandy butter (20%), turkey (20%), and trifle (19%). Instead of these traditional dishes, many young people expressed a preference for crispy fried chicken over turkey for their festive feast!
Word of the Month: Coded
Coded – a term used to describe something that is quintessentially or stereotypically characteristic of someone or something.
Eg. ‘”a whale wearing a top hat and a monocle, that’s so Beth coded.”