Children today, in 2026, are growing up in a world that feels busy, fast and sometimes overwhelming. This raises questions: is the world too chaotic, are children and young people not resilient enough or could it be that our support systems have not kept up with the 'chaos'? Our current world is characterised by rapid technological change, algorithmically amplified social pressures, evolving global uncertainties translating into new reasons for worry and anxiety, and increased prevalence of mental health problems in children and young people globally. They are online at school, at home and all but constantly in the world around them. A modern resilience agenda must therefore prioritise safety-by-design online, neurodiversity-affirming educational and digital environments and expanded care capacity, supported by learning health systems that iterate quickly as conditions change. Our big picture systems and infrastructures have not kept pace and evolved at speed alongside digital advances and AI-driven environments. Consideration must be given to how digital and AI-enabled mental health tools can mitigate service gaps when demand exceeds workforce capacity, while emphasising and ensuring ethical, inclusive, accessible and developmentally attuned design. Modernising systemic supports is essential for cultivating youth resilience and mental health in an increasingly complex digital world.
Julia Dray (2026) studied this question.