This week, America will be remembering a tragedy. More specifically, this week is the 23rd anniversary of 9/11. It remembers the lives lost, as well as the importance of community in the face of hardship. By finding each other in dark moments, we allow strength and hope to come as well. This allows us to heal through not being alone. While teens today, including myself, weren’t alive to witness 9/11, they’ve heard the stories passed down. While teens need to know the tragic occurrence and the lives lost, it’s equally important for teens to learn the importance of coming together to face challenges.
Collective Resilience: The Power of Standing Together
With disasters affecting communities, collective resilience is one of the best ways to overcome it. Collective resilience is when people adapt and heal together, instead of relying only on themselves. This shared identity makes it easier for people to cope in times of hardship. After 9/11, it brought a fractured America together. We were able to rebuild the nation and heal after 9/11 not because of individuals, but because of community. This is an incredibly important thing for teens to realize, as this generation is statistically one of the loneliest. This generation also has higher rates of depression and suicide compared to other generations. That is why it’s so important for teens to realize that any challenge they have, they don’t have to go through it alone. Leaning on others helps to create healing, growth, and hope. Humans are stronger together, and with collective resilience, teens can learn to overcome hardships.
With collective resilience also comes social support, which is equally helpful in overcoming traumatic experiences. Social support refers to having people you can turn to for support in times of need. After 9/11, friends, families, neighbors, and even strangers came together to support one another. While teens don’t have 9/11 to deal with, they can still use the concept of coming together to help overcome their own struggles. This can help individuals be more mentally healthy and cope with stress/trauma in a better way. Nurturing and investing in community relationships helps create a more fulfilling life, and can carry you through life’s challenges.
In the face of tragedy and hardship, empathy becomes the fuel for prosocial behavior. Prosocial behavior is behavior aimed at helping others. After 9/11, there are many stories of people’s heroism and kindness towards people who are total strangers. Welles Crowther, also known as “The Man in the Red Bandana” is one such example of that. During the attacks on the Twin Towers, Crowther managed to save eighteen lives before his own was taken from him. His heroism is still celebrated to this day. Teens can learn from Crowther, and 9/11 as a whole, how to use empathy in their daily lives to make the world a better place. Especially during dark times, even the smallest amount of empathy can give hope to people who might not have any. By creating a culture of kindness and community, teens can help contribute to a more compassionate and caring world. People looking out for one another, especially during difficult times, helps everyone to cope.
As the anniversary of 9/11 approaches Americans, it’s especially important for teens to reflect on the power of community and overcoming hardship. While tragedies and challenges ahead may seem daunting, collective resilience, social support, and empathy can help us to emerge stronger. We can help each other to navigate life’s difficulties and have the awareness to know we’re not going through it alone.