As COVID-19 disconnects us physically, a new podcast series is giving local youth a “platform to be heard”.
Torquay dance and yoga teacher Fiona Luca speaks to Luke Voogt about the pressures facing young people and her efforts to give them a voice.
Young people are a constant source of “fascination” and “awe” for Torquay’s Fiona Luca.
“They are so much more aware, well-read and inquisitive then we give them credit for,” the 38-year-old dance teacher and mother-of-two says.
“I have worked with youth in my professional career for 20 years and have learnt and gained so much insight from them.”
She hopes to share that insight in her new, free podcast series Talking Youth, which she launched in June.
In the series she speaks to a young man chasing his ballet dream in Germany, a YouTube entrepreneur, young people who have survived eating disorders or live with disability, and more.
Together they cover topics such as mental health, peers, social media, self-image and self-expression, careers, meditation and nutrition.
“The biggest thing that has come up has been the pressure to fit in,” Fiona says.
“The pressure to fit in is real, it’s overwhelming and consuming.”
Fiona says young people are particularly concerned with social norms and what is expected of them, which often prevents them from “just truly expressing who they are”.
The expectations of social media, the education system, families and friends can overwhelm young people, she says.
“I can see that so many of them are lost in the structure, the social media and the curriculum they are encouraged to follow.”
But hearing a diverse range of stories about teens who have carved their own path can help her listeners do the same, she says.
Fiona does not shy away from taboo topics; she seeks them out, in hope other kids going through the same issues will draw inspiration from her interviewees.
“This will be not only freeing and healing for them,” she says.
“It will be supportive for their peers, and we as adults can learn first-hand from these conversations.
“It’s not until you sit down and give young people the time, space and an opportunity to share, that you really learn who they are, how they feel and what their experience of life looks like.
“If a single young person listens to an episode and can resonate with what has been said, to inspire them to take their own action … then Talking Youth has served the purpose it was created for.”
That purpose has become even more vital amid COVID-19, according to Fiona.
Geelong has experienced an increase in youth accessing mental health services and several youth suicides during the pandemic so far.
“I believe COVID-19 has had a bigger impact on young people than we can currently recognise or fathom,” Fiona says.
“Humans thrive off connection, and my memories of high school are so social and interactive, so I can only imagine how triggering this solitude and restriction is for young people.
“That is a lot of time to be in your own company, immersed in your own thoughts. And for many, this must be extremely confronting.”
Fiona also sees her interviewees as a source of knowledge.
“We throw around the concept of ‘the lost youth of today’ but never dissect the reasoning behind this,” she says.
“We can ask them what they need … rather than assume we know what they need.
“We can gain insight into what is going on in their minds and make sense of it in a way that cannot be determined from a text book.”
She believes this can help parents and other adult role models take responsibility and gauge how they are doing.
“I most certainly am gaining so much knowledge that I know will support me as a parent when my girls are teenagers, God help me!
“I believe wholeheartedly that we can learn from young people, and I most certainly have.”
But most of all, the podcast is a celebration of “the wins” of local youth overcoming their struggles in pursuit of their dreams, Fiona says.
“I am absolutely in awe of the responses and manner of the young people I have interviewed.
“Amongst so much adversity and challenge, these young people have demonstrated incredible resilience, awareness and emotional maturity.
“All interviewees have presented with utmost gratitude, perspective and an eagerness to grow, learn and make a difference.
“My conversations with them have been way beyond their years and I have gained so much from them.
“Young people are brave and if afforded an opportunity, they too are open to sharing their truth.”
Details: talkingyouth.libsyn.com
If you or someone you know needs help phone, Lifeline on 131114 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
