Growing up in Canada is tougher than one would think says UNICEF.
Today, UNICEF just released the Canadian Index of Child and Youth Well-being 2019 Baseline Report and reading this article a couple of things jump out at me.
- 23% of Canadian children say they never or hardly meet their friends outside of school
- 21% of kids 5-11yrs engage in at least 1.5 hours of play or unstructured activity a day
Just thinking about a person who sits at home without any interaction with their peers and limited physical activity makes me feel depressed. This can definitely lead to a strong upswing in mental illnesses like depression among other things. I see this as a call to action, hopefully the right people are listening
If you haven't already, do yourself a favour and read the article.
UNICEF is a United Nations organization and works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, to defend their rights, and to help them fulfil their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.