210 | The Cultural Pivot: Five Social Environment Shifts That Have Impacted Youth Mental Health

Ministry leaders have long recognized that changes in culture affect mental health. This is especially true for those who have only known life through a digital framework and lens: developing adolescents and emerging adults. The “Cultural Pivot” describes five cultural and social environmental shifts that have affected everyone, especially young people, in ways that impact how they think about themselves and relate to one another. Specifically, five shifts have been noted, youth and young adults live as virtual selves, are mosaic versus linear thinkers, experience life as transactional, feel increasingly isolated, and have never been lonelier. This work explores these five cultural shifts, examines their impact, and provides therapeutic, pastoral, workplace, and parental skills and strategies to promote relational understanding and connection for those seeking to make a difference in young people’s lives. This workshop particularly applies to a coach, pastor, pastoral counselor, or lay counselor.