The State of Youth: Survey Results from 130K Kids

Today, Boys & Girls Clubs of America released our Youth Right Now survey results — responses from over 130,000 kids and teens on how they’re feeling about their relationships, emotional well-being and readiness for life after high school.

As the owners of what is, to our knowledge, the nation’s largest data set on youth, we’ve begun sharing these survey results annually with the public to give insights on what we’re seeing from youth across the nation. You’ll find where we see kids thriving and where they need more support — a holistic picture of how America’s youth feel in 2023. 

The big picture is important, especially because so much national data around young people today can be hard to read:

• Increasing concerns for youth mental health have raised the alarm on this critical national priority – with the U.S. Surgeon General declaring an ongoing youth mental health crisis.
• The reality of the pandemic’s impact on education is hitting us hard. Years of academic progress have been lost, especially in math and reading. What’s more, students with less access to academic resources and support have fallen even further behind in their learning.
• And accruing data around social media’s impact on youth has shown greater risks to their self-esteem, mental health, social relationships and more.

Any parent knows the mix of worries and thoughts are never far from your mind — Is my child safe? Do they know their value? Believe in their potential? Will they make good decisions? 

I feel it as a parent of two teenage boys. And I feel it as the leader of an organization that serves 3.3 million kids and teens annually. And when challenges are impacting young people, I get individual phone calls from Boys & Girls Club CEOs at Clubs in communities across this country.  

When difficult events are on the evening news, I talk to my children that night. And the next day, I help 67,000 Boys & Girls Club staff talk to America’s children.  

And while youth are up against some big obstacles right now, they’re also meeting them head on with unwavering hope and perseverance. 

Our Youth Right Now data echoes some of the concerns we’re feeling as a nation. But it’s also a testament to the resilience of young people and their determination to achieve great futures — not just for themselves, but for everyone.

As the nation’s leading youth-serving organization, Boys & Girls Clubs of America is working alongside local Clubs and communities across the country to ensure what matters most to today’s youth matters to us all. 

After all, providing great futures for kids and teens depends on all of us, and the time to take responsibility and act is now.

Jim Clark 
President and CEO 
Boys & Girls Clubs of America