The
situation
Warning
Child and adolescent mental health in decline
The digital environment shaping their minds
The race toward a future that doesn't yet exist
166 million adolescents worldwide live with a mental health disorder (UNICEF).
Suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15- to 29-year-olds globally (WHO, 2025).
In Ibero-America, 1 in 5 young people has a mental disorder linked to intensive social media use, and more than 60% report "digital anxiety" (SEGIB / Ibero-American Youth Organization, 2026).
The arrival of smartphones in 2012 has not only negatively affected young people's mood; it has also led to cognitive and personality decline.
Suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15- to 29-year-olds globally (WHO, 2025).
In Ibero-America, 1 in 5 young people has a mental disorder linked to intensive social media use, and more than 60% report "digital anxiety" (SEGIB / Ibero-American Youth Organization, 2026).
The arrival of smartphones in 2012 has not only negatively affected young people's mood; it has also led to cognitive and personality decline.
Young people in Ibero-America spend an average of 3 hours and 32 minutes a day on screens, while young Americans spend an average of 8 hours and 39 minutes a day (Common Sense).
Using screens for more than 3 hours a day doubles the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms, and raises the risk of depression and low self-esteem in adolescence by up to 2.8 times.
A meta-analysis of 153 longitudinal studies covering more than 360,000 children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 confirms the link between social media use and higher risk of anxiety, depression, self-harm and poor academic performance (JAMA Pediatrics).
Using screens for more than 3 hours a day doubles the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms, and raises the risk of depression and low self-esteem in adolescence by up to 2.8 times.
A meta-analysis of 153 longitudinal studies covering more than 360,000 children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 confirms the link between social media use and higher risk of anxiety, depression, self-harm and poor academic performance (JAMA Pediatrics).
65% of children entering primary school today will, as adults, work in jobs that don't yet exist.
Every dollar invested today in quality early childhood programs can generate up to 13 dollars in long-term benefits for society.
Organizations such as UNESCO identify teacher well-being as a critical factor in educational quality: when educators experience chronic stress, teacher and student absenteeism rises, school climate deteriorates, and children absorb that stress as their own.
Every dollar invested today in quality early childhood programs can generate up to 13 dollars in long-term benefits for society.
Organizations such as UNESCO identify teacher well-being as a critical factor in educational quality: when educators experience chronic stress, teacher and student absenteeism rises, school climate deteriorates, and children absorb that stress as their own.
