As the hustle culture is growing immensely at a rapid rate, the situation of stress and depression between teenage and younger children is also growing rapidly. Nowadays, the amount of stress and pressure children go through due to academic validation, society's expectations and unrealistic standards is crushing down the youth to the state of constant anxiousness and self-doubt. Most children find solace in social media or in friends' groups discussing their feelings and problems. Parents should know about the role of community and social groups in managing anxiety for kids to encourage them to express their feelings better. Keep reading!
The literal meaning of community is that it is a group of people who share a common interest, location, or experience, physically or virtually. A neighborhood can also be called a community, while the place where your children go to school is also an academic community.
Social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook are also social communities where children can virtually engage with similar interests, people, and friends. Community plays a vital role in making or breaking a state of nervousness in children.
Everyone can be a part of a community physically or socially according to their comfort, making social connections to relieve their anxiety. Kids can not only find guidance for their emotional problems but also share relatable stories with others who have gone through the same state of anxiety and situation.
Support groups are more specific than the community, inviting people with similar situations and adverse circumstances. Support groups also provide therapy or group Therapy to the kids going through depression and anxiety. The community may or may not help curb depression. Still, a support group is there to support the children no matter what situation they are going through with a phase of open conversation, therapy, and confrontation.
Support groups can be online or physical, too. Parents can contact different NGOs and social service groups to learn about support group meetups for their child physically. Children can also look to social media for different support groups, meeting at a decided place or time.
Here are some reasons for anxiety triggers in your children with how these groups child the child:
School bullying or house bullying can be a significant problem, with children feeling unsafe all the time. They can seek out these communities and support groups where they find similar victims to bond and connect with feeling safe. Support groups can even encourage children to step out of the bubble; experiencing the world, living behind the past through different people's experiences.
Physical accidents or disability can also be the reason for a child's anxiousness and state of panic. Children who have recently faced severe accidents can end up getting childhood trauma, which can be difficult to solve on their own. The emotional fear and pent-up aggression can only be guided through someone who has already been through that situation and is living a good life. Community and support groups help bring such people closer.
Loss of someone is another common incident where children tend to find solace in someone who relates to the incident. Many children with single parents have lots of engagement in social groups where they share memories and experience what they left behind, giving themselves peace and comfort. It can also be in the grief of pets where the child overcomes their grievances through sharing incidents in a support group while gaining strength and motivation from hearing other’s stories.
Here are some benefits of community and support groups in managing childhood anxiety:
Now that parents have known about what the cause of anxiety can be and how the role of community and support groups help children in managing anxiety. Parents should make sure that their children are constantly speaking and being guided by someone experienced. It is also essential to ensure that children are not emotionally misguided by these groups.