(By: Geoff Brown)

Generally, when I read the alarming studies about social media and screens – their detrimental impact on the lives of students – they tend to go ‘high level’: depression, anxiety, and, most tragic of all, self-harm.

But, there is another area of concern that I have. More pervasive. And, dare I say it, because it is happening on a broader scale, even more damaging to youth culture on the whole.

It is the fear-driven loss of opportunity.

Nationally, there is a growing body of research now suggesting that high school-aged students are increasingly hesitant to take risks and put themselves “out there” in new school settings – including things like extracurriculars – because the social and emotional stakes feel higher. The CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey reports that in 2023, 40% of U.S. high school students experienced persistent sadness or hopelessness to the point that they stopped doing their usual activities or taking chances on engaging within new activities or social groups.

At the same time, research demonstrates that fear of peer judgment is widespread: 40% of teens say they often/sometimes decide not to try something new or, believe it or not, post something on social media because they worry it could be used to embarrass them (and this rises to about 50% among girls ages 15–17). That same fear of negative evaluation shows up in participation patterns: using nationally representative U.S. adolescent data, one study found teens with current anxiety problems had about half the odds of participating in organized activities (sports/clubs/social events) compared with peers.

Put together, these statistics paint a persistent picture: as unfounded, but social-media-driven, social stresses and fear of embarrassment become more common, a growing share of students are likely to avoid the vulnerability that comes with trying something new—including stepping into unfamiliar clubs, teams, or other extracurricular activities.

On Thursday evening, March 19th, we once again hosted our annual online talent show, Crusaders Got Talent.  This annual program was populated with students who put themselves “out there” by submitting a talent video.  On that evening, we had the chance to affirm, celebrate, and encourage students to take risks, try something unfamiliar, and to continue to strive towards discovering who they are in Christ, helping them to understand that they are fearfully and wonderfully made, that their talents are God-given, and that in exercising those abilities, they glorify their Maker.

When you get the chance, please visit CrusadersGotTalent.com and enjoy watching these students break through the cultural trendlines, defy the statistics, and press towards who they are in Christ.  And, if you are a member of the Northwest Christian community, when you see these students, please take the time to congratulate their courage.

Geoff Brown is the Superintendent of Northwest Christian School located in Phoenix, AZ. Northwest Christian School is one of the largest private Christian schools in the state of Arizona and an ACSI Exemplary Accredited school.

This post is sponsored by NCS Online. NCS Online is a fully online K-12th grade Christian school providing an online education that is rigorous, affordable, and rooted in Biblical worldview. To learn more about NCS Online, visit NCSonline.org.