For Times Opinion's latest focus group, we asked 12 teenagers about school, life online and their future selves.
When I was Politics editor at The Times during the 2020 presidential election, my colleagues and I often talked about the voices that were missing in our coverage — voters, viewpoints, people from certain parts of the country and more that were not represented in our stories. One group we weren't really talking to was teenagers, whose futures would be influenced by the election but who weren't old enough to vote. I thought about doing a regular round table with them, or inviting essays from them or tracking the views of one young person over the course of the election — ideas that, in the bustle of campaign coverage and amid Covid-19 lockdowns, fell by the wayside. |
So when Times Opinion began our series of focus groups this year, I knew I wanted to convene one with teenagers — and not for the sake of it. Their lives at school were totally upended by the pandemic. The usual pressures on them metastasized, with serious repercussions for the mental health of some. And over the last year, parents across America, as well as some conservative groups and public officials, have become increasingly vocal about what books, ideas, history, arguments — even facts, about slavery and racism and injustice — are taught in schools. |
In our latest focus group, which brought together 12 teenagers from across the country and was published this morning, we heard about how they are feeling stressed and worried about being judged — whether online or in school. They said they were nervous to speak out about sensitive subjects in class: "It's scary to put your opinion out there," said one 17-year-old from Pennsylvania. The return to in-person school seems to be a huge relief, as our focus group moderator, Margie Omero, noted, but it hasn't made these challenges disappear. |
It's not that the class subject matter itself is so discomforting: Several people spoke about how much they enjoyed learning about new ideas and wanted to have open discussions in class, including about sensitive or difficult topics. What makes teens ill at ease is the worry about saying the "wrong" thing. |
Among the surprises for me was when my colleague Lulu Garcia-Navarro, who co-moderated the group, asked the participants, "Looking into the future, is there something that you think you should be concerned about?" We expected some of them to bring up climate change, but no one mentioned it during the discussion. Rather, their anxieties were about the cost of college and the seriousness of becoming adults. |
We ended with a great question from Margie: "Let's say you were having a conversation with your 30-year-old self or your 40-year-old self. What would you want to know? What would you ask your 40-year-old self?" Some of the answers were unexpected, even moving — and a reminder that happiness and mental health are deeply on the minds of teenagers today. |
We're eager to hear more. If you're a teenager who's reading this, write in to opiniontoday@nytimes.com to tell us how you're feeling in this moment. What are some of the most pressing concerns on your mind today? How are you dealing with them? Please include your name and location. Your response may be included in an upcoming newsletter. |
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