The Things That Matter 2

Building on the inaugural Things That Matter report, Things That Matter 2 provides an opportunity for leaders across schools and the community in South Australia to hear directly from a group whose voices are rarely heard: children aged between 8 and 12 years old.

While children’s lives have always been shaped by new and emerging trends, a comparison between the 2019 and 2020 postcards shows just how quickly the world is changing in the twenty-first century. The popular multiplayer PC and mobile game Among Us came up as one of the ‘best things about being a kid’ and its characters featured frequently in children’s drawings on the back of the 2020 postcards. Despite its release in mid-2018, the game did not get a mention in the 2019 postcards. Mainly as it only became viral in 2020, when popular
video game streamers started live streaming their games on streaming platforms like Youtube and Twitch.

As was the case in 2019, many South Australian tweens are aspiring YouTubers and gamers, and TikTok’s popularity has also grown. Children see the power of these platforms to bring joy and connection to people’s lives, and to raise money for those who need it.

While most 8-12 year olds wrote about the future with hope, they also shared their concerns about a lack of voice and opportunities to understand and address the various local and global issues that seem out of their control. In the words of one 11 year old boy, the worst thing about being a kid is that ‘you’re really small in this ever growing world.’