Gallup poll reveals how teens cope with negative emotions — and why 'they want to be heard'

A new Gallup survey explored how young Americans cope with stress, anxiety and other big emotions – and the results were mostly positive.

The research was done in partnership with the Walton Family Foundation and Dr. Lisa Damour, a bestselling author and clinical adolescent psychologist who served as a consultant on Pixar’s movie "Inside Out 2."

Ohio-based Damour and the rest of the team dove deep into the Gen Z experience, exploring the relationship between teens and their parents and other support systems.

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The researchers surveyed 1,675 children between ages 10 and 18, along with their parents or guardians.

The data revealed that young Gen Zers are using a "range of healthy coping mechanisms" to deal with challenging feelings, according to a press release.

A poster for the movie "Inside Out 2" is displayed in Hong Kong, on July 3, 2024, with nine animated emotions: joy, sadness, anger, disgust, fear, ennui, envy, embarrassment and anxiety. Dr. Lisa Damour, a bestselling author and clinical adolescent psychologist, served as a consultant on the movie. (Vernon Yuen/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

More than half of Gen Z respondents reported listening to music as a coping mechanism, while 45% said they play video games, 45% connect with friends and 39% talk about their feelings.

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Only 20% of teens reported that they turn to social media when upset. 

The emotional lives of preteens and teens are "marked by more ups than downs," according to the Gallup poll.

Listening to music is a "really effective way to manage emotions," a psychologist told Fox News Digital. (iStock)

A whopping 94% of teens said they felt happiness "a lot on the prior day" — while 45% said they also felt stressed, 38% felt anxious and 23% felt sad.

Helping teens handle emotions

The survey explored how parents and guardians can help teens manage their emotions as they start to seek more independence.

More than 60% of Gen Zers said they want their parents to listen to them when upset. Only 28% want their parents to give advice.

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Younger Gen Z respondents are more likely to search for parental reassurance and physical comfort — but teenagers are 20% more likely to want their parents to give them space when they are upset, the survey found.

Young people who feel the need to be perfect are 23% to 30% more likely to feel anxious, sad and stressed.

Among the parents surveyed, 35% reported their teens having "very intense emotions," but more than eight in 10 parents said they feel "confident in their ability to comfort and communicate with their children."

The survey also found that one-third of Gen Z kids feel pressure to be perfect, a sentiment that is particularly higher among 13- to 15-year-olds (38%) and girls (40%).

"Social media may be shifting the landscape a little bit, but perfectionism in young people, and certainly in girls, has been on the scene for a long time," the expert said. (iStock)

Young people who feel the need to be perfect are 23% to 30% more likely to feel anxious, sad and stressed, the research found.

"These new findings suggest that the negative emotions many Gen Zers feel are closely related to the pressure they feel to be perfect," Stephanie Marken, Gallup senior partner, wrote in a statement. 

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"Prior Gallup research has found that children who frequently experience negative emotions are more likely to say that they also struggle in school, so helping Gen Z to cope with these emotions – as well as their underlying causes – is critically important to their academic and future success," Marken added.

Damour expressed how "delighted" she was to see how "strong and common" positive emotions were in young people. (iStock)

‘Surprisingly’ positive

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Damour expressed her surprise at the large number of young Gen Zers who reported positive emotions and coping techniques.

"I think our results will surprise a lot of people, because the headlines over the last several years have focused on mental health concerns and unwanted emotions," she said. 

"We are hearing from young people that, above all, they want to be heard and taken seriously."

While 23% of children reported feeling envy and sadness, 29% experienced anger, 38% reported anxiety and worry, and 45% said they were stressed, a majority reported feeling enjoyment (91%) and happiness (94%).

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"The takeaway here is that teenagers have downs, but they also have ups," Damour said. "And in terms of what they're telling us, their ups are far more common than their downs."

While teenagers tend to have complicated emotions and intense feelings, they're not always negative, she pointed out.

The low number of teens who turn to social media when upset, according to a new poll, reflects their "own awareness" that it "does not help them feel better," the psychologist said. (iStock)

The expert also offered guidance for parents whose teens may have perfectionist tendencies.

"We want to go out of our way as adults to remind young people that everyone has shortcomings," she said. "The goal is not to be perfect, but to acknowledge and work on our shortcomings while still feeling good about ourselves overall."

‘Listening goes a long way’

As the new school year kicks off, Damour encouraged parents to focus on listening rather than always providing solutions.

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"Well-meaning adults will often lead with some suggestions or guidance when a teenager brings painful emotions their way – and though it may come from a loving place, we are hearing from young people that, above all, they want to be heard and taken seriously," she said.

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"Listening to teenagers and taking their feelings very seriously goes a long way to helping them feel better," Damour added.

Parents should gauge how best to support their children based on their individual needs, the survey suggests. (iStock)

By stepping back instead of rushing in to help, adults may find that teenagers can effectively manage their own upset feelings, she said.

"We're in a moment where parents are very, very anxious about teenagers and very, very anxious about their kids becoming teenagers," the psychologist noted.

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"Teenagers want to be heard by and taken seriously by adults, they are very thoughtful about how they manage emotions, and they know what doesn't help them feel better."