3 Core Challenges Youth Face
Parents often feel isolated and overwhelmed when navigating the pressures faced by their teenagers. The good news is that the core issues youth struggle with are universal and manageable.
I spoke with James McLamb, Founder and CEO of Generation Youth and an expert in Youth Development Leadership, whose organization is dedicated to equipping both parents and teens with the tools they need to thrive.
His organization didn't guess what the biggest problems are; they asked. After interviewing 2,500 young people across the US and England, the responses consistently fell into three perennial categories—the same core challenges identified decades ago by legendary motivator, Zig Ziglar.
The Three Core Challenges of Today's Youth
James McLamb's research identified the three primary struggles youth face, in order of prevalence:
1. Self-Image (85% of Responses)
This is the number one issue. Teens expressed constant self-doubt, feelings of failure, and confusion over their identity.
The Struggle: "Who am I? What am I supposed to be?"
Manifestations: Feeling bad because of social media, struggling to live up to expectations, and constant self-doubt.
2. Relationships (70-75% of Responses)
Youth struggle significantly with how to interact and connect with others.
The Struggle: Difficulty interacting with parents, adults, and peers.
Manifestations: Not knowing how to connect, peer pressure, bullying, and even struggles with romantic relationships. This issue was exacerbated by post-2020 lockdowns, further worsening relationship skills.
3. Goals and Purpose (Over 50% of Responses)
Many young people lack a sense of purpose and the ability to map out their future.
The Struggle: "I don't know how to reach my potential. I don't know how to find my purpose."
Manifestations: Not knowing how to set goals, and in the most depressing cases, a lack of agency, feeling that their world is already decided for them without the ability to dream of a better situation.
The Solution: A Four-Pillar System for Lasting Change
Based on these findings, Generation Youth developed a system—now at the core of their coaching certification and their Ignite Journal Series—that addresses these three issues, adding an essential foundational element: Mindset.
James and his team equip coaches and parents with tools to help teens focus on:
Mindset: Building a growth mindset to get out of fixed mentalities and see possibilities.
Self-Image: Developing a strong, positive sense of self-worth.
Relationships: Learning vital interaction and connection skills.
Goals: Creating the ability to set and reach both short-term and long-term goals and articulate their purpose.
The Ignite Journal Series
The Ignite Journal Series is a highly accessible, tangible tool for students (with separate journals for Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior year) to execute this system.
Format: The 30-day journal guides students through 5-10 minutes of daily work.
Content: Each day starts with a quote, a teaching lesson related to the weekly theme (Mindset, Self-Image, Relationships, or Goals), and prompts to encourage productive thinking and conversation.
Parent Support: The website offers enhancement guides that parents or teachers can use to facilitate discussion and reinforce the lessons.
The Case for Investing in Life Coaching Skills
Parents are often willing to spend significant amounts of money on private sports trainers for athletic pursuits (volleyball, baseball, swimming, equestrian, etc.). James highlights a crucial disparity in how these investments are valued:
When parents invest in Sports Training, they are often paying high fees for private coaches and clubs. While this develops specific physical skills, the impact is often short-term.
In contrast, an investment in Life Coaching—though often viewed as expensive—develops eternal qualities. It instills a positive mindset, strengthens self-image, and provides goal-setting skills that teens can use forever in all aspects of life.
The Long-Term Perspective: Many adults in the corporate world, as entrepreneurs, or in small businesses are now paying multiple times the amount of money to be coached on the same foundational concepts they could have learned as teenagers. Investing in a life coach, or even an accessible tool like the Ignite Journals, is an investment in your child's lifelong confidence and success.
As one client shared, after working with a coach for a few years, they began to anticipate the questions and shifts in thinking, demonstrating that they had internalized the mindset skills and become self-sufficient in navigating their own challenges.
Connect with Generation Youth
James and Generation Youth offer accessible resources to help parents and teens thrive:
Website: generation-youth.com (Find all social links, books, and resources here).
The Ignite Journal Series: Easily found on Amazon.
Igniting the Next Generation Summits: Free, online summits held twice a year (summer for parents/teachers, winter for teens/college age) featuring multiple presenters offering short, powerful content nuggets.
If you're seeking a way to proactively support your teen's mental well-being and future success, starting with a powerful, low-barrier resource like the Ignite Journal Series or the free summit can be the first positive step.
