Sitting on my flight home from Brussels after addressing the President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani on behalf of A Lust for Life, I had a bit of time to replay the conversations that were constructed regarding how we can better connect and reach out to young people regarding mental health.
Present at the conference were some of the top ‘digital influencers’ (as it’s been coined) in Europe who have used online platforms to engage mass numbers of young people, building powerful and successful brands through the art of communication and knowing their audiences. The President was seeking some clarity and advice on how the EU parliament could develop and progress in this area.
I was sincerely impressed at the level of detailed knowledge these influencers possessed and at their capacity to use digital economics to predict the trends and developments in the area of tech. I was also relatively impressed at the EU parliament’s ability to consume this knowledge in an interactive and respectful way. Many suggestions were made by the thirty or so digital influencers, some concepts overlapping, some even clashing but all relevant and no doubt helpful.
I was one of the last of the group to address the parliament and as I sat there listening to my peers I started to deconstruct what I was going to say. I decided to use this opportunity to voice my many concerns regarding politics, communication and mental health. It no doubt was an intimidating environment and it was immensely important to show respect and fairness but I wanted to make sure I said what was on my mind.
The general core question being asked of us was how can the EU parliament improve their communication to young people. I felt it was important to address that question rather than use the opportunity to promote the work that we do in A Lust for Life, which was my initial plan.
Instead I started by informing the President that if you want to connect with young people you must first understand, with utter coherence, the problems that they face and the chaos that they are navigating currently. DO NOT ASSUME you know and absolutely do not underestimate the level of distress and pain that exists among many young people throughout Europe and the world today. Mental health struggles are the greatest epidemic facing this generation and we all have a duty to help them.
Another constructive suggestion I made which I’m sure was received with a slight element of distain by the parliament, though that certainly was not my intention, was that if you want to sculpt a more effective connection with the youth of Europe they must first be able to trust politicians and the political system. For very good reasons right now most don’t, and nor do I.
Watching the current situation with Brexit and the absolute embarrassment of the behaviours of many of the cabinet ministers in power overseeing it is an illustration of how utterly childish and petty politics in some countries has become. You wouldn’t witness such behaviour in a primary school schoolyard and these grown adults, whom possess great power and responsibility, really should be ashamed of themselves.
I completely comprehend that politics is a difficult game, incredibly emotive and explosive at times but I am able to debate with those with opposing views to me without shouting them down, lying, or slagging them. Politicians must become better role models and demonstrate true leadership and integrity by action if the youth majority are ever going to develop a genuine trust of politicians and engage with the system. Authentic trust must be worked for and earned by politicians for our youth to ever engage on any meaningful level. That said perhaps certain politicians don’t particularly want to engage a youth audience as that would mean changing the status quo. In saying that, I noted that there are many areas within European politics where they have had incredible successes (such as the abolishment of roaming charges by mobile companies for example), but to make these relevant to young people, trust once again must be built.
The area of technology was also a focused discussion, some suggesting perhaps we should look at restriction of tech use etc. This was collectively dismissed. The reality is we have created this juggernaut of modernity in a tech age that is fast becoming unstoppable. You are either on this juggernaut or you are run over by it and we know it is affecting our minds and collective wellbeing. We now have to develop the skills to enable our youth to cope with this monster we have created because it’s not going anywhere.
The fact that most education systems in Europe still have not systematically employed the introduction of such potential coping strategies is politically myopic and in fact dismissive of the duty of care politicians in the education and health realms have towards the citizens of Europe. What in the name of God are they waiting for?
I finished addressing the parliament by suggesting that accountability forums need to be established to perhaps develop more trust and connection. We have to get rid of the idea that somehow politicians are our bosses, that they have the absolute freedom and power to run our society. The reality is they work for the state, they work for us. We pay their wages through our tax systems and as a society we deserve and should demand accountability from them. This should be transparent and clear and above all measured. If a political promise is broken, or lies are told to the public, there should be consequences as there would be in any other job.
On a personal level I have been asked countless times over the last few years to go on primetime political TV shows and debates to discuss the area of mental health. Discussing and debating can be extremely frustrating as I feel our government already know exactly what has to happen, there is nothing to debate here. They are fully aware of the issues, fully aware of what needs to be done, and I for one am done with fucking asking them to implement what everyone knows needs to be implemented. We need action and not PR created spun lines to calm down and distract the masses from what is truly going on.
Coming out of one of the darkest recessions our country has ever faced, where countless families lost their homes and too many lost their lives, our powers that be owe us authentic honest communication and implementation of what we all know needs to be done. A society where the citizens of the state are put first and when they fall they are supported, carried and nurtured with humanity, empathy and kindness.
Meaningful communication is not something you can take for granted. If the EU Parliament, and indeed politicians across the board, are genuinely aiming to improve this area when it comes to connecting with the youth of Europe they must first look internally at how they can earn it.