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6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 24 APRIL 2022 OPINION 2 maltatoday EXECUTIVE EDITOR Matthew Vella mvella@mediatoday.com.mt Letters to the Editor, MaltaToday, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 E-mail: dailynews@mediatoday.com.mt Letters must be concise, no pen names accepted, include full name and address maltatoday | SUNDAY • 24 APRIL 2022 Youth, mental health and the perils of social media Editorial A major study among youths carried out by the Rich- mond Foundation has provided a much-needed snap- shot of the mental health issues afflicting this cohort. The study focussed on young people aged between 13 and mid-20s and is the first of its kind to provide evi- dence-based data that will surely help policy makers. Teenagers and young adults polled by Richmond have reported feelings of anxiety, sadness, and depres- sion. The importance of such findings cannot be un- derestimated. Unfortunately, mental health is still afflicted by so- cietal stigmas. Former MP Mario Galea could not have said it better when addressing a mental health conference organised by the Labour Party during the election: "It's easier to speak about a toothache, than a broken heart." In a disarmingly honest speech about his personal battles with anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts, Galea had appealed to his audience to be more recep- tive to the silent struggles of sufferers. That same message was relayed by President George Vella when reflecting on the Richmond study findings that showed how youths' happiness and wellbeing were directly related to the support received primarily from their families followed by their friends. "I urge parents and guardians to be equipped with means and tools to be able to ensure that the teens and young adults in their care feel truly supported and un- derstood," Vella said. He emphasised the need to impress on our youth the importance of understanding that it is okay not to be okay all the time. But the President also expressed concern at the fact that a stark majority of respondents said they rely on social media for advice on their issues. Apart from the obvious problems associated with misinformation that is often peddled as fact, social me- dia has created a virtual parallel society with its own expectations and pressures. In a selfie-driven medium, unreal worlds are created that can have profound in- fluence on impressionable and vulnerable people. The Richmond survey revealed interesting data on how young people feel about being on social media, and the continuous sense of needing to be present on- line. Almost one in every three – 30% - said they have ex- perienced feeling miserable about themselves and what they have achieved when they compare themselves to others on social media. The data shows that 35.5% of girls experienced "fear of missing out" (FOMO) quite often, and equally 36% of girls felt miserable when they compared themselves to their peers online. FOMO-related concerns are especially prevalent among 16-year-old girls: 51% of them reported fear of missing out very often. The data underscores the perils associated with social media, which cannot be ignored. Support services, in- cluding parents and guardians, need to be equipped to deal with these issues. But this is not just a question of fighting the fire af- ter it starts. Young people need to be equipped from a very early age with the skills to be able to decipher the information overload coming their way, whether this is in the form of posed selfies in picture-perfect environ- ments posted in Instagram or opinions expressed on a friend's Facebook wall. The ability to deconstruct information is an impor- tant tool to manage expectations and peer pressure. It is very easy to overlook the needs of this age co- hort and write off their concerns as natural processes of change that are to be expected. But doing so ignores a reality that has been laid down in front of us in black and white. The underlying message from the Richmond study is the need to strengthen mental health services for young people and this has to include a thorough un- derstanding of the perils associated with social media. 24 April 2012 George Cross: a matter of history, not culture AWARDED to Malta by the British 70 years ago last week, is the George Cross a symbol of Malta's bravery during World War II or an unwelcome reminder of Malta's status as a former British colony? The fact that the George Cross can still be seen on the national flag remains a consist- ently divisive issue, cropping up every now and then in letters pages and opinion columns in newspapers and online forums. But on that fateful day 70 years ago – 15 April, 1942 – when Malta was awarded the accolade by King George VI, it came as a mo- rale booster to the beleaguered population... at least, that's the impression created by the original BBC report. "The people of Malta have been awarded the George Cross in recognition of their con- tinuing heroic struggle against enemy attack," the report reads, going on to detail how Adolf Hitler's Luftwaffe had been mercilessly bom- barding the Maltese islands, "at one point averaging seven [raids] a day". … An event commemorating the anniversary of the awarding of the George Cross to Malta was organised last Tuesday at St George's Square in Valletta, where Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi announced that the original medal, which is currently on display at the Malta War Museum at Fort St Elmo, Valletta, will now be moved to the Presidential Palace, where it will be on permanent display. Also attended by the Duke of Gloucester, the event served as a reminder of the award's enduring importance to Maltese history, while not perhaps being indicative of the discomfort some may feel about the George Cross still appearing on our flag. Historian Henry Frendo sees the award in sober terms, describing its significance as being "more historical than cultural." "The George Cross is a historical fact rec- ognising collective valour in a unique world war pitting two ideologically opposed camps: simply put, the democratic against the totali- tarian. It ended up as part of the Maltese flag, courtesy of King George VI, quite exception- ally." ... Quote of the Week "Parents and guardians need to be equipped with means and tools to be able to ensure that the teens and young adults in their care feel truly supported and understood" President George Vella addressing the seminar 'Taking Care of our Youth's Mental Health', organised jointly by the Office of the President and Richmond Foundation MaltaToday 10 years ago