To many kids today, the world feels like it’s on the brink of collapse. From climate change to societal unrest, anxiety about the future has reached unprecedented levels, especially among younger generations. A 2021 study by the World Economic Forum found that 60 percent of young adults aged 18 to 25 believed the world was failing to tackle climate change. For kids who are just beginning to find their place in the world, this can be an overwhelming reality to face. But the crisis isn’t just environmental—it’s also deeply psychological.
Our children are no longer part of the nurturing, cohesive communities that once gave them a sense of purpose and direction. Instead, many are struggling with what I call a “purpose vacuum.” In an age where everything is connected online, where kids are bombarded with content designed to sell them a lifestyle, it has become harder than ever for them to find a sense of fulfillment. And the consequences of this are starting to show.
The Decline of Religious Affiliation
A 2023 study by the Pew Research Center highlighted a troubling trend when it comes to this loss of community: religious affiliation among younger people has been steadily declining in countries like the U.S. Over the past 20 years, more and more teens and young children identify as “nones”—those who are religiously unaffiliated. This absence of connection to religious or spiritual communities is leaving many kids without the sense of grounding that earlier generations might have relied on to weather life’s challenges. In a world full of uncertainty, this loss is particularly significant for developing minds in search of purpose.
The Mental Health Crisis
The mental health of children and adolescents has become a major concern, and the numbers are startling. According to the National Survey of Children’s Health, adolescent mental and behavioral health conditions increased by 35 percent from 2016 to 2023. The percentage of kids diagnosed with anxiety has soared by 61 percent, while depression diagnoses have risen by 45 percent. This dramatic uptick in mental health challenges points to a growing sense of distress among kids—and it isn’t just about their immediate well-being. It’s about a broader existential crisis: What are they supposed to be doing with their lives? What is their purpose in a world that seems increasingly chaotic?
The Role of Social Media in the Purpose Vacuum
This is where social media steps in. As our kids scroll through Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, they are bombarded by influencers promoting a curated version of the “perfect life.” These influencers sell not just products but lifestyles—images of luxury, freedom, and success that seem within reach if only kids can emulate the life being sold. Whether it’s a world-traveling influencer or a teen entrepreneur flaunting their brand, these content creators present a version of purpose that is often unattainable for the average young person.
The issue lies in the fact that most of these social media “purposes” are based on unattainable standards. The content your kids consume often encourages them to strive for things that are highly difficult to achieve, whether that’s becoming a global influencer, launching a successful business, or living a lavish lifestyle. And if your child is not the right person with the right timing, luck, or genetics, the result can be failure—followed by feelings of inadequacy, disappointment, and frustration.
Social media influencers, for example, are not offering a genuine sense of purpose for your child’s growth and well-being. Instead, they’re offering a version of purpose that is often driven by a desire to sell something: a product, a lifestyle, or an image that benefits the influencer, not the child.
The Commercialization of Purpose
Let’s not forget the other major players in the social media landscape: advertisers. Everywhere your child looks, there are ads targeting them with the latest trends, clothes, gadgets, and luxury items. What advertisers are really selling is an image—the idealized version of life that they want kids to believe is possible if they buy into their products. This is a dangerous game. Advertisers and influencers alike are shaping what kids think success looks like, and by doing so, they are creating an unattainable standard of purpose.
When kids see ads for the latest sneaker or the newest phone, what they are really being told is that the pursuit of these material things is what will make them happy, fulfilled, and successful. But in reality, these material objects often bring only short-lived satisfaction. As kids fall further into the rabbit hole of social media, they may start to believe that their self-worth is tied to their ability to accumulate these external markers of success. But the truth is, most of these “goals” were never meant for them to achieve—they were meant to make the influencers, advertisers, and marketers wealthy.
The Consequences: Purpose Anxiety and Mental Health Struggles
What does this all add up to? Purpose anxiety. The more kids spend time on social media, the more they are exposed to these impossible ideals of success and fulfillment. The result? A growing sense of inadequacy and frustration. This constant bombardment of curated perfection leaves kids feeling more disconnected and depressed, rather than inspired. Instead of finding things that genuinely light them up, they are stuck chasing unattainable goals that were never meant to fulfill them in the first place.
This is not to say that social media in and of itself is the problem. There is nothing inherently wrong with learning online or using screens to connect with others. The problem lies in the content being consumed by kids: content designed to make money for the producers, not to enrich the lives of those consuming it. Instead of helping kids discover what excites them and motivates them, social media is feeding them a hollow, materialistic version of success that leaves them empty and discouraged.
How to Break the Cycle
The only way to address this purpose vacuum is to rethink how much exposure our children have to social media. While there is no one-size-fits-all solution, limiting screen time and curating the content kids are exposed to can go a long way in helping them reconnect with themselves and their sense of purpose. Instead of scrolling through endless images of curated perfection, kids need to spend time developing their passions, discovering what brings them joy, and forming meaningful connections with their real-life communities.
It’s time to start asking ourselves: What do we want our kids to aspire to? A life defined by social media’s unattainable standards, or one where they have the space and time to discover their true purpose? The power to shape their future is in our hands.