The Resilient Schools Programme funded by Barnet Public Health is proud to showcase a Youth Realities and Pink Productions film ‘Generation Verified’. From identity to pressure for perfection, popularity, and the desire for likes, this is a short film explores young people’s experiences of the online world and how they cope with the unique generational challenges that they face.
The film was coproduced by a group of young Barnet creatives, who experienced all aspects of scriptwriting, acting, film making and directing to explore the online world and the effects it has on young people’s wellbeing.
‘Generation Verified’ will be used as a school resource with the support of lesson plans, additional resources and signposting to help young people deal with these issues. Families, peers and are encouraged to watch the film and start their own conversations.
The film has been nominated for an award for Best Use of Social Media for Involvement at Nottingham University's YPii DMH (Young People’s involvement in Digital Mental Health) Awards Ceremony which takes place on Friday 8th July 2022.
Tamara Djuretic, Public Health Director said “We recognise that the challenges this generation face are unique – the challenges of social media, digital world pressure, and fear of missing out!. Generation Verified addresses these challenges and showcases the creative skills of young people and the power of co-production”.
Nationally 90% of young people have their own laptop, and are spending on average 4.5 hours a day online. 7 in 10 teens have their own games console and play on average 2.5 hours a day; with all this activity tending to be carried out alone in their rooms. Most young people have a mobile phone and reported that “they couldn’t live without it” (Childwise Monitor Report 2022).
The growing number of children and young people experiencing poor mental health is one of the greatest challenges facing our schools. The mental health and wellbeing of children and young people can affect them for the rest of their lives. Supporting their mental health at an early stage can help them cope better with life’s setbacks now and in the future.
The Resilient Schools Programme helps young people build resilience, raises awareness of mental health, and address concerns early on.
Jayne Abbott, Resilient Schools Manager says “I wanted to showcase what young people experience online in a way that was meaningful and had the lived experience at the heart of it. This film reinforces that co-production and ensuring that young people’s voices are heard is central to all we do in supporting our youth.”
