Worries about the world

Keeping your feelings to yourself can leave you feeling even more upset. It’s OK to feel down, but it’s also important to talk about what’s going on to try and make sense of things.

Try talking to an adult you trust about what’s scaring you. If you feel like you’re not being taken seriously or you feel more worried after talking to them, contact one of our counsellors or another adult you trust.

It can often help to get advice from different people you trust and then decide what makes sense for you.

The news you see or read isn’t always going to be accurate. Something you see or read on social media might be trying to get your attention by scaring you. Or it might only be showing one side of a story.

When you see something online or in the news that makes you upset, angry or scared, there are things you can do:

• Don’t react straight away. Sometimes headlines or stories are designed to make you have a reaction, so make sure that you’ve read the information in the article or check that you’ve heard what’s been said properly.
• Be careful of ‘fake news’. This is news and stories on the internet that aren’t true. There are lots of places online that aren’t that reliable or accurate and it’s important to find trustworthy news sources, such as Newsround (which also has useful information on how to spot ‘fake news’).
• Look for evidence. Ask yourself whether the news you’re looking at has facts to confirm what it’s saying and whether it’s got all of the information.
• Think about why the news exists. Some news and sites will try and convince you about something. Look for lots of different views so you can make a decision for yourself.
• Get a second opinion. This could be from different sites or an adult you trust.

If you’re confused or upset by something you’ve seen in the news you can always speak to a counsellor. 

Try starting a journal to write down what you’re grateful for, things that you’re happy about, what good things that have happened in your life or great stuff you'd like to happen. 

If you don’t feel like writing, you can create a collage or picture in our Art box. When you feel down or angry, try looking at these words or pictures to remind yourself of positive and good things.

Some things in the world happen because of extremist or radical beliefs. Focusing on good thoughts and getting more people involved in positive activities can help fight this negativity.

For example, if you or someone you know has been bullied or experienced racism, you could raise money for an anti-bullying charity, speak out about treating people equally or help other young people in similar situations.