Hakima Castro, psychologist: “It’s not a weaker generation, they’re teenagers who haven’t learned to understand what they feel”

Anxiety, low self-esteem, irritability, and difficulty concentrating are among the symptoms becoming increasingly common in teenagers. But according to Hakima Castro, a psychologist who specializes in adolescent mental health, the real issue runs much deeper.

“Many teenagers don’t know who they are, what they want, or what to do with what they’re feeling,” Castro explained in an interview with AS. Based on what she sees in her clinical practice, many adolescents share a common pattern of emotional distress rooted in the struggle to build a strong sense of identity and find purpose in their lives.

“They’re at a stage when they should be developing their identity, but they’re doing it on a very fragile foundation,” she said.

Castro rejects the idea that today’s young people are weaker than previous generations.

“This isn’t a weaker generation. These are teenagers growing up in an environment that makes it difficult to slow down, listen to themselves, and make sense of their emotions,” she said.

In her view, today’s world encourages emotional avoidance.

“There used to be more boredom, more quiet, and more time to think,” she recalled.

Now, uncomfortable emotions can be instantly masked by smartphones, video games, or social media. The problem, she warned, is that “emotions don’t disappear just because we avoid them.” When people fail to understand what they’re feeling, those emotions often become even more confusing.

Among the factors that have the greatest impact on teenagers’ emotional well-being, Castro believes family remains the most important.

“The family is still the primary foundation because it’s where teenagers learn something essential: whether their feelings are valid,” she explained.

Friends come next, but during adolescence, they are “more than just companions. They become part of a teenager’s identity.”

Schools also play an important role in shaping how young people see themselves.

Social media: “It’s not just another factor. It amplifies all the others”

Still, Castro believes the biggest change in recent years has been the rise of social media.

“It’s not just another factor. It amplifies all the others,” she said.

Every aspect of life is displayed, compared, and measured online, creating even greater pressure for teenagers.

That constant comparison is one of the psychologist’s biggest concerns.

“Teenagers aren’t comparing themselves to complete, real lives. They’re comparing themselves to carefully edited versions of other people,” she explained.

The result is a persistent feeling of falling behind when faced with seemingly perfect bodies, lifestyles, and achievements.

She also warns that digital platforms are intentionally designed to provide instant validation through comments, views, and likes.

“Self-esteem starts to depend on that external feedback. It rises when there’s validation and falls when there isn’t,” she said.

In her practice, she increasingly sees teenagers who “aren’t just asking themselves who they are, but how much they’re worth based on the reactions they receive.”

Warning signs: emotional distress rarely presents itself as sadness

The warning signs are not always obvious to parents and educators.

Castro says emotional distress rarely presents itself as sadness.

“Many times it’s mistaken for rebellion or a lack of interest,” she explained.

Instead, teenagers are more likely to withdraw, become irritable, lose motivation, or stop participating in activities they once enjoyed.

They also tend to develop an especially harsh inner voice.

“Many teenagers have a highly self-critical inner dialogue and live with the constant feeling that they’re not good enough,” she said.

Another increasingly common warning sign is using a smartphone as an emotional escape.

“They spend hours online, not so much for entertainment, but because it helps them avoid thinking or feeling,” she explained.

Although that strategy may provide temporary relief, it ultimately deepens their disconnection from themselves and from others.

A story designed to help teenagers understand themselves

To address these challenges, Castro created Lía and the Secret of the Crystal City, an educational project inspired by her clinical experience.

“Lía is the story of many real teenagers,” she said.

The project grew out of an analysis of responses from more than 50 young people about their relationship with screens and their emotions.

By using storytelling, adolescents can recognize themselves in the characters without feeling judged.

“When teenagers understand themselves, they begin to find the words to express what they’re feeling,” Castro said.

The project received second place for Best Educational Project from the Official College of Psychology of Catalonia in 2026. Its goal is to bring conversations about emotional health and the impact of technology into classrooms.

For Castro, the answer is not banning digital devices but teaching young people how to use them responsibly.

“We’ve introduced technology into teenagers’ lives without teaching them how to use it,” she warned.

That is why she believes digital wellness education should become part of both family life and school curricula.

“The goal isn’t for teenagers to spend less time on their phones. It’s for them to know how to use technology without depending on it to feel good about themselves or to feel like they belong,” she concluded.

In Castro’s view, it is a lesson that can no longer be postponed.

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