Experts warn of a rise in anxiety and loneliness among Generation Z. Is excessive parenting to blame?
Excessive parenting or 'helicopter parenting' is a label used to describe an unhealthy parenting pattern. In this case, the parent invests all his attention in raising the child, performs unpleasant tasks and makes decisions for him. Even if this one is old enough.
Excessive parenting is manifested by control, protection and excessive involvement in the child's life. According to some research, this very pattern of upbringing could be linked to the increase in loneliness and anxiety among Generation Z. The latter is a recent study by the American Psychological Association (APA, 2020) described as the most burdened generation after the pandemic.
Generation Z consists of individuals born between 1997 and 2012. Generation Z is well on its way to becoming the best-educated generation ever, but that comes with certain challenges.
The research showed that Generation Z faces a lot of uncertainty, experiences increased stress and already reports symptoms of depression. According to APA's 2023 survey called 'A Nation Recovering From Collective Trauma,' Gen Z ranks money (82 percent), health-related challenges (82 percent), the economy and housing costs as important life stressors.
In a study conducted by Chengfei Jiao and his colleagues, it was found that excessive parenting is a risk factor for the well-being of Generation Z. The researchers examined the relationship between excessive parenting, loneliness and social anxiety in 287 young adults.
The results of the study showed that excessive parenting by the primary parent was associated with increased feelings of loneliness, social anxiety, and difficulties with emotion regulation. Over-parenting occurs when a parent controls a growing young person's relationships.
What can we parents do?
Parenting Generation Z brings many challenges. There are no instructions and no 100% right or wrong. But it is important to allow children to experience certain things on their own, without us taking their burden entirely. It is so important for a child's development that they fail along the way, even though it sounds so harsh. Excessive parenting forces us to protect them as much as possible, but it is through challenges and falls that children gain valuable experiences for life. Therefore, do not jump in and solve the situation in case of even the slightest discomfort. Let the children, age-appropriate, solve the problem, but let them know that they can rely on you for help and support. The greatest lessons in life are learned from our failures if we sit down and examine what went wrong and then make a new plan to solve the problem.
