Busy - busy - busy

When our young people can no longer keep up – about the silent pressure of an overstimulated society

We live in a time where everything seems to be happening faster, louder, and busier. And our young people feel this most acutely. Behind this generation's apparent self-confidence often lies something else: overstimulation, performance pressure, and exhaustion.

More than 1.3 million young people in the Netherlands suffer from persistent complaints such as anxiety, difficulty concentrating, sleep problems or stomach aches — signals that are too often dismissed as "a phase" or "attention seeking."

More than 125,000 children take ADHD medication every day. Often, no real investigation is done into why they feel restless or different. Restlessness is rarely just an attention problem—it's often a sign of a nervous system overloaded by stimuli, expectations, and insufficient recovery.

Chronic stress and feelings of depression are no longer the exception, but part of daily life for a growing group of young people. And those who can't keep up, literally stay home. The number of students staying home has more than tripled in recent years. Behind these figures lie the stories of young people who haven't yet found their place in the world.

But it's not just young people who are struggling. Adults are also searching for balance en masse. We all seem to have it all figured out—a job, a home, a social life—but the numbers tell a different story. One in five adults struggles with mental health issues like anxiety or depression. More than 1.2 million people use antidepressants, often without in-depth emotional support or attention to the root cause of their symptoms.

And then there's work: every Monday, millions of people start over with something that drains them. Seventy percent of workers say they experience little to no pleasure or meaning in what they do. No wonder one in six employees experiences burnout symptoms.

Giftedness—often seen as a gift—can also be a source of loneliness. Approximately 2.5% of the Dutch population has an IQ above 130, but only a third completes further education. Many gifted individuals experience a profound sense of being different: not fitting into the school system, not belonging in work environments, and difficulty finding meaningful connections.

What unites all these groups is the desire to be understood—not as a diagnosis, but as a person. Whether you're young and stuck, an adult and out of balance, or gifted and searching: your story deserves to be heard. Learn more about yourself and write your own manual. This will help you regain clarity, direction, and confidence, so you learn to make choices that align with who you truly are.

About the power of insight, resilience and finding direction in a world full of noise.

Sources

Trimbos Institute (2025). Figures on mental health and medication use in the Netherlands.

CBS (2024). Home-schoolers and youth subject to compulsory education.

RIVM (2025). Youth Mental Health Monitor.

· SCP (2024). Job satisfaction and meaning in the Netherlands.

Kooijman, T. (2023). Gifted and Stuck – The Hidden Side of Talent.