New data from The Social Institute reveals how students create positive environments while navigating academic and social pressures
The Social Institute, the leader in empowering students to navigate their social worlds—online and offline—in positive and high-character ways, has released new survey data exploring the strengths and challenges students face in supporting their communities, navigating difficult conversations with respect, and handling top stressors as they prepare for the future. These findings emphasize how school communities can integrate student voices to support their well-being, better preparing them for their futures, whether that’s the next grade, college, or careers.
Key Findings
The Good: Building meaningful connections by including and respecting others
- 57% of 8th-grade students say adding more quiet spaces or creating a relaxation room would make the biggest difference in improving mental health at school.
- 48% of 9th-grade students would like to improve their skills in keeping a calm tone and body language during disagreements with friends or family members.
- 3rd-grade students were asked to choose their favorite ways to be nice when playing games with friends. Nearly one-third of the students chose these two options as their favorite ways to be nice.
- 33% of students say their favorite is cheering for everyone, whether they win or lose
- 30% of students say their favorite is helping someone if they’re having trouble
The Challenges: Balancing school, friends, and activities while preparing for the future
- 33% of 7th-grade students report that school and homework stress them out the most
- 11th-grade students were asked to choose what they think is the hardest part about getting ready for an interview. These two choices were nearly tied for first:
- 31% of students feel that speaking confidently and having good eye contact is the hardest part of getting ready for an interview.
- 29% of students feel that preparing and practicing responses to common interview questions is the hardest part of getting ready for an interview.
- 8th-grade students were asked to rank the following challenges, with their top choice being the one they find themselves struggling with the most:
- 29% of students report they struggle with balancing school, sports, and activities the most.
- 26% of students report they struggle with feeling confident about their body and self-esteem the most.
- 23% of students say they struggle with dealing with pressure from friends to fit in the most.
- 22% of students say they struggle with managing how much time they spend on screens and social media the most.
Expert Commentary
“Between final exams, graduation, and excitement about the summer vacation, the end of the school year can be a stressful time for students.” said Laura Tierney, Founder and CEO at The Social Institute. “When educators, families, and students work together to proactively address these stressors and understand ways to manage pressure, we strengthen school communities, build meaningful relationships, and prepare students for their futures.”
Call to Action: Addressing the Issues
The findings underline the need for proactive solutions:
- Schools: Integrating lessons on resiliency, digital wellness, and social media education into classrooms.
- Parents: Engaging in open, ongoing conversations about the pressures students are facing
- Communities: Supporting initiatives that promote positive online behavior and digital literacy.
The Social Institute provides innovative tools and programs that empower students to use social media positively while equipping parents and educators with resources to guide them. These solutions aim to bridge the gaps revealed by the survey.
The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in equipping students to navigate learning & well-being in a tech-fueled world. Through #WinAtSocial, our interactive, peer-to-peer learning platform, we empower students, educators, and families to make high-character choices online and offline. #WinAtSocial Lessons teach essential skills while capturing student voice and actionable insights for educators. These insights help educators maintain healthy school culture, foster high-impact teaching, and build meaningful relationships with families. Our unique, student-respected approach empowers and equips students authentically, enabling our solution to increase classroom participation and improve student-teacher relationships. Through our one-of-a-kind lesson development process we create lessons for a variety of core and elective classes while incorporating timely topics like social media, AI, screen time, misinformation, and current events to help schools stay proactive in how they support student health, happiness, and academic success. For more information, request a demo today.