Sharing the Gospel as Youth Missionaries | Dcn. Bob Rice, PhD | Franciscan University Presents

Pope Francis's 'Christus Vivit' is an apostolic exhortation addressed to young people and the entire People of God. The document reflects on the 2018 Synod on Young People, Faith, and Vocational Discernment. It encourages young people to engage actively in the Church and society. The exhortation covers themes of faith, vocation, friendship, and social responsibility. It urges the Church to listen to young people and accompany them on their journeys. The document emphasizes the importance of intergenerational dialogue and the role of young people in shaping the future of the Church.

In 'The Anxious Generation', Jonathan Haidt examines the sudden decline in the mental health of adolescents starting in the early 2010s. He attributes this decline to the shift from a 'play-based childhood' to a 'phone-based childhood', highlighting mechanisms such as sleep deprivation, attention fragmentation, addiction, loneliness, social contagion, and perfectionism that interfere with children’s social and neurological development. Haidt proposes four simple rules to address this issue: no smartphones before high school, no social media before age 16, phone-free schools, and more opportunities for independence, free play, and responsibility. The book offers a clear call to action for parents, teachers, schools, tech companies, and governments to restore a more humane childhood and end the epidemic of mental illness among youth.