Vermont teens report feeling overwhelmed by world events

Fifteen-year-old Zoya describes sitting down to process current events as a frightening experience. She says the volume of news is overwhelming and that the situation feels hopeless because teenagers do not have a vote.

The United States turned 250 in the summer of 2026. This milestone occurred while the country was engaged in a war abroad. A heated political campaign season also concluded in the same period.

Two Daughters Productions spoke with a group of Vermont teenagers during the summer of 2026. The group included Zoya, who is 15, and Nora, who is 18. The teenagers told producers they feel frustrated and dismissed by adults.

Despite these feelings, the group is taking direct action. They are calling the governor’s office to advocate for themselves and other children. They are also pressing their schools to listen to their perspectives.

Nora explains her motivation for getting involved. “This is gonna sound, like, so stereotypical, but I wanted to be the change that, like, I wanted to see,” she says.

Jennifer Sutton produced the story for Two Daughters Productions with help from Elissa Pine. The full audio report is available in the Vermont Public Docs podcast feed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.