Children Face Tougher Upbringing, Older Generations Burdened by Guilt, MPs Told

Children today are subjected to a more challenging upbringing than previous generations, who unfairly label them as 'snowflakes' to assuage their own guilt about creating a more difficult environment, according to Professor Peter Fonagy.

Fonagy, a child psychologist and chair of the Independent Review into Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism, told Members of Parliament that adults use the term 'snowflake' because they are unwilling to confront their responsibility for diminishing opportunities and increasing difficulties for younger people.

"The snowflake generation is an insult to young people," Fonagy stated. "I challenge all of you here to cope with the pressures that young people are under and sustain the quality of childhood and young adulthood that you all were privileged to experience."

He explained that younger generations are grappling with mounting financial pressures, job insecurity, unaffordable housing, and constant social comparisons, all while receiving diminished support compared to their predecessors. Fonagy suggested that instead of acknowledging societal failures, it is "much easier for us to say they are a snowflake generation than for us to say actually we've really messed it up for them, and it's our fault."

Historically, older generations anticipated a better future than their parents, but today's youth anticipate a bleaker outlook. "We are currently with a generation who are convinced, and rightly so, that they will not have the opportunities that their parents had," Fonagy noted.

Furthermore, young people are being deprived of the support systems and recovery avenues that aided previous generations in managing stress. Fonagy highlighted a 73 percent reduction in youth services funded by local authorities since 2011.

Social media also contributes to these challenges, Fonagy warned, by disrupting sleep patterns and replacing face-to-face interactions, thereby reducing young people's capacity to cope with increasing pressures. He cited the Covid-19 pandemic as an instance where adult health priorities may have overshadowed those of younger generations, leading to school and social restrictions that potentially harmed education and development.

Fonagy also criticized the ubiquitous use of mobile phones by adults in front of children, describing it as "appalling" behavior that sets a negative example. "The number of people who are engaged rather than face-to-face interactions with their cell phones over meals is actually appalling, and of course, it sets a model for young people because they are there to learn from us, and that's how human beings learn - looking at adults and see what they do," he said.

He called for a shift towards a more encouraging and less critical approach from parents and society toward young people.

Fonagy's recent review also raised concerns about the overdiagnosis of ADHD and autism in children, suggesting that misguided schools and welfare systems incentivize diagnoses with 'labels.' The review found no evidence that the number of affected children has actually increased, despite diagnosis rates soaring.

Concerns were also voiced regarding the consistency and quality of ADHD and autism assessments conducted by a growing number of private providers. These firms, which now conduct a significant portion of NHS-funded assessments, are poorly regulated and can advertise directly to the public, while the NHS often covers the costs.

Misdiagnosis and overdiagnosis can be harmful, potentially leading to inappropriate treatment, delayed support for other issues, and lowered expectations for children's future achievements. The review noted that children diagnosed with ADHD before age 17 are around four times more likely to not be in education, employment, or training in early adulthood.

Fonagy concluded that young people today are contending with more complex and challenging forces than previous generations, emphasizing that they are "not fragile. They are outnumbered."