FIELD NOTES: The Lonely Hearts Club & Under Pressure Cohorts by Young Futures

UNDER PRESSURE COHORTS

A GUIDE TO PRE-TEEN AND TEEN BELONGING, PRESSURES, AND DIGITAL WELLBEING

We’re here to help the helpers. We fund solutions that improve youth wellbeing and support the nonprofit leaders driving them, at scale.

Through YF500, we’re building a national ecosystem of 500 social impact leaders redefining what it means to grow up in a techdriven world.

Teens and families deserve solutions that work. We challenge fear-based narratives about teens and technology and invest in empathy, evidence, youth agency, and real-world impact, because teens deserve optimism about their futures.

The Young Futures Academy supports these leaders with coaching, connections, storytelling, and resources to build resilient organizations driving system-level change. Throughawarding$3.25millioninnonprofit

MOMENT MEETINGTHE

5THINGS PARENTS SHOULD KNOW

AboutYouth Loneliness, Belonging&the DigitalWorld

Parentsandcaregiversplaya criticalroleinhelpingteensnavigate loneliness,belonging,anddigitallife.

DrawingoninsightssharedbyourYFInnovators,herearefivetipsandconversation starterstohelpyouconnectmoremeaningfullywiththeyoungpeopleinyourlife:

“Whathelpsyouunplugwhenthingsfeeloverwhelming?”

“What’ssomethingthatfeelsreallyimportanttoyourightnow?”

“What’sasmallmomentfromyourdaythatyoudidn’twanttoforget?”

“What’sbeenshowinguponyourfeedlately?”

“Wheredoyoufeelmostusefulorvaluedthesedays?”

BEHINDTHE CHALLENGES

LONELYHEARTSCLUB

Despitebeingmoredigitallyconnected(asthe shareofteenswhosaytheyareonline“almost constantly”hasdoubledsince2015), (pre)teensareexperiencingrisingfeelingsof loneliness,androughlyhalffeelliketheydon’t belongattheirschool.

Whenfacedwithamentalhealthcrisis,teens ages17andyoungermostfrequently mentionedopportunitiesforsocial connectionasawaytocopeandfeelbetter.

UNDERPRESSURE

AmajorityofAmericanteens(81%)report experiencingatleastonemajorformof pressure fromkeepingupwithachievements andappearancetomanagingfriendships,social lives,activism,andhavingaclear“gameplan”.

Accordingto UnpackingGrindCultureinAmerican Teens,thesepressurescomefrommany directions:adultsinteens’lives,socialmedia, peers,andoftenteensthemselves.Whilesocial mediacanintensifycomparisonandexpectations, teensalsoreportthatitcanreducepressure.

LONELY HEARTS CLUB

CHALLENGE

OVERVIEW

LEARNINGS

Whataresomekeylessonsorinsightsyou haveyougainedaboutfosteringmeaningful socialconnectionamongpre-teensandteens?

LONELY HEARTS CLUB

LEARNINGS

Whataresomekeylessonsorinsights youhaveyougainedaboutfostering meaningfulsocialconnectionamong pre-teensandteens?

UNDER PRESSURE OVERVIEW

CHALLENGE

WHATARETHEPRESSURES? UNDER PRESSURE CHALLENGE

WHATWEHEARDFROMOURLISTENINGTOUR

The way that social media is designed can really perpetuate insecurity and is meant to keep you scrolling So, even for someone who is fairly secure in their life and in their relationships, it's easy to fall into that hole online.”

YOUNG FUTURES

YF INNOVATORS ARE:

Youth-centeredandempathetic intheirapproachtodesigningand co-creatingsolutions

Lookingtoexpandtheirsolution beyonditsinitialuseorlocation

Bold,diverseleaderswithanunrelenting drivetosupportyoungpeople

Community-mindedandwillingto supporttheirpeers

INNOVATORS THE

NOTEFROMKATYAHANCOCK,

CEOOFYOUNGFUTURES

This fall, Young Futures launched the YF500, a first-of-its-kind philanthropic index fund designed to build the systems young people need to thrive in a digital age. Through it, we support leaders and organizations helping young people build belonging, purpose, and agency as they grow up in a world increasingly shaped by AI and technology.

The opportunity before us is urgent and collective. Rapid advances in technology, especially AI, are reshaping how young people learn, connect, and form their sense of self. Lasting change will require sustained, coordinated investment that can scale what works, support it over time, and meet the realities young people face every day.

That means investing deeply in social impact leaders, bringing young people to the table, and listening far more than we speak. It also means recognizing the essential role of trusted adults. Parents, caregivers, educators, mentors, coaches and community leaders are the connective tissue in young people’s lives. When they are supported, informed, and empowered, young people are far more likely to thrive.

Our goal is to build an ecosystem where leaders learn from one another, where effective solutions can grow, and where stories of progress and possibility are shared widely enough to shift how the world understands young people, technology, and AI. The future of youth wellbeing depends on this kind of collective effort. Whether you are a parent, caregiver, educator, funder, or community leader, there is a role to play. We invite you to join us in building what comes next.