Robots, social media, recycling, exams and the environment worry teens

Robots, social media,  recycling, exams and the environment are among the subjects occupying the minds of today's teens.

So was the findings when we opened our letters page up to young people.

MirrorNextGen is a ground-breaking project by the Mirror to put the things British teenagers care about at the heart of the national conversation.

For one day we have handed over control of the Mirror to a team of teenage editors and let them take charge of our coverage in print and online.

This included asking young people to write and tell us about the issues they were interested in.

They said:

Keshav, 14

What's it like being young in Britain in 2019? Confused, concerned, excited. These are a few words to explain how I feel.

We must raise serious questions, such as how Brexit will affect our relations with Europe and what impact climate change will have on our lives.

Will robots really take our jobs, or create alternative career paths for us? Despite this, I have hope, belief and trust that we live in a free, democratic and safe country which will provide opportunities for me to succeed.

Charlotte, 17

Recently Instagram announced a trial where "like" counts are hidden from followers, but why not scrap them? As young people, our validation is measured above all by "likes".

Fail to hit double figures, and we're deemed unworthy of attention. Perhaps more privacy would reduce FOMO ( fear of missing out), but the issue remains that Instagram warps our self-esteem

Holly, 13

You want your children to have a good future, yet you're probably stealing it from them. Are you doing anything about climate change? Recycling, voting Green? We need to do more.

If we can do it by 2030, we may save the world from the worst of climate change.

Sylvia, 14

I'm sensitive to world events. Wars are started for peace. Our politicians squabble like babies. Our earth is being poisoned. We're told to accept things for the greater good of the nation, with no say in our future. We're under pressure – GCSE Grade 9 is equivalent to A**. For Generation X, an 'A' was the peak.

Our fight or flight instinct is permanently on, along with our headphones. We could scream this from rooftops but many adults would be deaf to it. How many children must stand up to educate closed minds?

Freddie, aged 17

With information so accessible, it's easier for us to form our own opinions – the days where we followed parents' footsteps are -e coming to an end. It seems to me that by my age many of us are pretty awake. This inbetween phase is frustrating. We're still kids but we want to be treated as adults.

Haniya, aged 13

What matters to me the most is poverty. I read about Taha, a nine-year-old Syrian boy who hadn't eaten proper food for days. Imagine you are Taha, hearing bombs falling, people screaming, your house being destroyed and your family being killed. This is reality. If we all give some of what have to help others there wouldn't be poverty.

Ronnie, 15

In my school of 500 I believe I one of only five or so not on social media. My choice. I have no phone, tablet or computer. It saddens me sit in the canteen and no one is communicating or reading. Social media must be one of the worst inventions of our times.

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