Teens are suffering, and the wellness world is just starting to create more solutions for their emotional and social health. But critics fear the industry may just be exploiting a new, young, wellness-obsessed consumer.
We’ve been bombarded for so long with stats on the teen mental wellness crisis that we’ve become numb, even as the younger generation faces rising levels of anxiety, depression and suicidality. Mental health conditions now affect 25-30% of adolescents. In China, 100,000 teens die by suicide each year. In the US, more than one in five teens suffered from at least one major depressive disorder last year. A new study of over 20 countries reveals that teens/young adults are significantly less happy than prior generations, struggling with their physical and mental health, finding meaning in life, and the quality of their relationships.This crisis isn’t surprising, given how teens now face climate and financial crises, political extremism, mass shootings, and the toxic pressures of social media.
A recent survey finds that 40% of teens spend at least six hours a day online––basically a school day. Teens are now the ones sounding the alarm on social media as the destroyer of their wellbeing. A new Pew Research survey of US teens finds that 48% say social media negatively impacts their peers, a sharp rise from 32% in 2022. A new British survey of people aged 16 to 24 reveals that the majority of respondents believe social media has become more toxic and addictive in the last five years, that it’s the main negative influence on their mental health, and that they would keep their own children offline as long as possible.
Our 2025 trend “Teen Wellness” examines how the world––and the wellness sector––are stepping up to help this emotionally challenged demographic. It covers how schools are banning phones and governments worldwide are pushing back hard against Big Tech. One recent example: Australia approved a ban on all social media for children under the age of sixteen. The trend also covers the rising wave of free apps, such as Clear Fear and Sorted Teens, designed to help teens deal with anxiety and foster resilience. And many more of these apps have appeared since the trend was published such as Sonar Mental Health’s “wellbeing companion” for US teens and the new Indian app Adaraa, an emotional support hub developed by teens for teens.
READ MOREabout how wellness resorts and retreats are finally launching teen wellness programs. And how hard-selling wellness to teens gets called out in the media.
Born from a discussion at the GWS, this article asks if wellness destinations and spas should be doing more for teens and what type of programming works best. If adults-only policies have ruled in most spas, is it time to review the age limit? What are the legal and ethical considerations of targeting a younger market? The article contains interviews with industry experts. Natasha K. Richardson, founder of REWIRE Retreats, explains how spas need to think beyond massages and focus on mental health and anxiety (from trauma release therapies to somatic workshops). Amy McDonald, founder of Under a Tree Wellness Consulting, speaks about the need to emphasize coping mechanisms like mindfulness experiences, rather than appearance and beauty.
Social media use has led to a youth mental health crisis and transformed teens’ lives. But now schools and governments are stepping in. The article covers the GWS trend, and the rise in therapeutic retreats aimed at helping teenagers. It also contains an interview with our trend author, Kate O’Brien, on the rising teen crisis and on her new book Un:Stuck: Helping Teens and Young Adults Flourish in an Age of Anxiety.
RXV Wellness Thailand is a new example of a resort creating a whole program for teens. Each program is personalized (whether they need to heal from digital overload or improve their sleep) and the offerings span movement as therapy, such as tai chi and neuromuscular and brain activation; sound therapy to regulate their nervous system; and hormone support for teen girls through Thai and Ayurvedic approaches.
Inspired by GWS’s trend, this article expresses skepticism regarding the rise of teen wellbeing offerings, asking if the profusion of adolescent spa packages and mindfulness apps is simply contributing to the pressures that young people face.
This article examines another new development around teens and the wellness market: the rising number of teens becoming wellness influencers, some with hundreds of thousands of followers. High schoolers are appealing to other health-conscious kids online, and in the US, sometimes by expressing views in line with the “Make America Healthy Again” movement.
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