When Max leaves for school the day after being punished unjustly, in his opinion, he starts to feel strange. His pulse quickens, his palms sweat, and his breathing falters. On the outside, he displays the signs of having a heart attack.
Children today face unimaginable pressures, more than I did when I was at school. I was that awkward gay boy trying desperately to hide who he was from a homophobic society. If I had social media to deal with on top of that, I don’t know if I could have coped. I suffered panic attacks. I thought I was dying at times. Anxiety seems to be normal in today’s kids. The amount of teens I’ve met that suffer from anxiety is overwhelming.
Max’s anxiety stems from being punished unjustly. Many children go to school coping with similar anxieties; a fear of bullying, a fear of being found out, a fear of being different. We are all different; no two people are the same, not even identical twins. We need to educate and empower our children to be the best they can be. The UK curriculum needs a major kick up the arse to educate children about modern life. Technology moves faster than politics.