In honor of World Mental Health Day, CLEAR haircare commits to boosting the resilience of young people in response to rising levels of social anxiety caused by the pressures of our always-on and competitive world. Studies show that when young people are more resilient, they are able to overcome social anxiety and unlock their full potential. Therefore, to equip young people with the tools to overcome social anxiety, the brand has developed, in partnership with the Resilience Research Centre (RRC), the CLEAR Resilience Bootcamp – a comprehensive training programme to power up resilience in young people.
CLEAR believes that everyone should be able to perform at their best. However, social anxiety, defined as the ‘fear of being judged’, can be a barrier to young people doing this. A new study by CLEAR reveals that almost two thirds (57%) of young people suffer from social anxiety. A surprising 2 in 3 feel pressure to perform, either at school or more generally in society, fuelling a lack of confidence and self-doubt. Social media is heightening the issue, with 1 in 2 young people worrying about being judged on social media.
Over half (52%) of young people feel that social anxiety is hard to overcome. Whilst there are tools which boost resilience, young people do not understand how to access the resources available to them. The CLEAR Resilience Bootcamp will deliver a resilience-building programme via both in-person and online trainings expertly developed for young people, equipping them with the tools and resources they need to be more resilient.
Resilience amid rising social anxiety
Resilience is our ability to cope with the challenges and pressures felt by young people today; be it at school or in social groups. For more than half (52%), resilience could be a key resource for overcoming social anxiety. Resilience comprises two core components. Firstly, how rugged an individual is – their ability to handle external stress factors that can lead to social anxiety, such as starting university or peer pressure. Secondly, how resourced they are by their friends, family, teachers, peers and communities. Currently, only one in two young people consider themselves resilient (52%), but as many as 74% want to know how they can become more resilient to the societal factors which cause social anxiety.
Tri Tran-Tue, Vice President of CLEAR at Unilever said: “Research shows that more than 1 in 3 young people struggle to find resources they can turn to for help with social anxiety. We’re here to change that. CLEAR’s new initiative is designed to take action against the growing issue of social anxiety in young people, clearing them of anxieties and self-doubt.”
CLEAR recently announced the first phase of its resilience-building programme – the CLEAR Resilience Bootcamp online platform, developed with experts from the RRC to help young people build resilience and overcome of social anxiety. Complete with scientifically validated diagnostic tools, videos from role models and educational articles, the digital platform will be free and accessible to all and continuously built on and enhanced to better cater to the needs of young people.
The online programme starts with two diagnostics – the first important step in creating positive change. One assesses levels of social anxiety via the measurement of boldness, and the other evaluates levels of resilience. Once given their scores, users are taken through to a homepage where they can choose from a variety of lessons to help build their resilience; from “Building Positive Relationships” to “Managing Stressful Situations” – each containing articles and videos.
The CLEAR Resilience Bootcamp online platform is step one in CLEAR’s wider commitment to helping young people overcome social anxiety. Looking ahead, CLEAR will:● Conduct further, in-depth research into the causes of social anxiety amongst young people across the world.● Offer comprehensive, scientifically validated solutions to help people build resilience that will be free and accessible to all.● Host free in-person training sessions with young people in need of resilience, based on a curriculum developed with the RRC and led by experts in the space.
For a first-look at the newly launched CLEAR Resilience Bootcamp online platform, please visit www.keepaclearhead.clearhaircare.com.
For more information on CLEAR’s commitment to helping young people build resilience and prevent social anxiety, visit https://www.clearhaircare.com/global/about/our-purpose.html.
The survey was carried out with young people aged 16-29 years old across three markets: Brazil, China and the UK. There was a total of 3,000 respondents.
