Why parenting feels harder than ever

A new Common Sense Media report, The State of Kids and Families in America 2026, found that more than half of parents (54%) say things are going only "fair" or "poor" for families like theirs today. More than half of children and teenagers (56%) feel the same way about life for young people in America.

Key takeaways:

• More than half of parents (54%) and young people (56%) say things are going only "fair" or "poor" for families today.
• Parents face growing financial pressure and worry about their children's future opportunities.
• Mental health remains a major concern for families and young people.
• Social media and technology are seen as important contributors to today's challenges.
• Modern parents are balancing traditional parenting responsibilities with new digital risks, from scams to cyberbullying and online safety.

Parents Are Carrying More Than Ever Before

Parents today aren't only worrying about school, friendships, and family finances. They are also helping children navigate social media, online scams, cyberbullying, AI-generated content, privacy settings, gaming platforms, screen time, and mental health challenges. At the same time, they are trying to prepare their children for a future that often feels uncertain.

Many parents are carrying responsibilities that previous generations never had to think about, all while trying to raise happy, healthy, and resilient children in a world that feels increasingly complex.

Half of parents with children under 18 (51%) say their ability to afford the things their children need has become worse compared to last year. Seven in ten parents (70%) say they are living paycheck to paycheck with little opportunity to save, while six in ten (60%) feel they are one unexpected illness, injury, or major crisis away from financial disaster or significant debt.

For many families, these concerns go far beyond today's bills. Nearly eight in ten parents (79%) say they are worried about children's future economic opportunities, and only about one-third feel confident that children growing up today will be able to afford a house (33%), a college education or job training (35%), or have children of their own someday (37%).

When parents are worried about both today's challenges and their children's future, it can create a constant feeling that there is always one more problem to solve and one more responsibility to manage.

Why Online Safety Feels Like One More Job for Parents

Mental health remains one of the biggest concerns for families. According to the report, more than half of children and teenagers (54%) describe the mental health of young people in their community as fair or poor, while 58% believe schools are doing too little to support students' mental health and well-being.

When asked about the causes of today's mental health challenges, both parents and young people pointed to social media, technology, and screen time as important factors. Thirty percent of parents and 32% of children and teenagers identified social media, technology, and screen time as one of the main causes of today's mental health challenges.

Parents may find themselves wondering whether a message is a scam, whether a child is spending too much time online, whether a gaming platform is appropriate, or how to talk about AI-generated content and misinformation.

As a result, online safety often becomes another responsibility added to an already long list of parental duties. Parents are expected to make decisions about screen time, social media, gaming platforms, privacy settings, location sharing, and online behavior, often without clear guidance and in an environment that changes constantly.

But technology can also reduce some of the pressure. For example, a Bitdefender Family Plan helps families stay safe from scams, phishing attempts, malicious links, and other online risks.  Bitdefender Parental Control helps parents manage internet time, filter inappropriate content, and use location-sharing features for younger children. Together, these tools can reduce some of the pressure of trying to monitor everything and allow parents to focus more on communication, trust, and healthy digital habits.

Find out more about how Bitdefender Family Plans can support your family’s digital safety.

FAQs

Why does parenting feel harder than ever today?

Many parents are balancing traditional responsibilities such as school, friendships, and family finances alongside newer challenges like social media, online safety, cyberbullying, scams, screen time, and children's mental health. These added responsibilities can make parenting feel more complex than it did for previous generations.

Why are so many parents feeling overwhelmed?

According to the Common Sense Media report, many parents are facing financial pressure, concerns about their children's future, and worries about mental health and online safety. When these challenges overlap, it's common to feel stretched thin.

What are the biggest challenges facing parents today?

Parents report concerns about finances, children's mental health, social media, screen time, cyberbullying, online scams, privacy, and helping children prepare for an uncertain future.

How does technology affect modern parenting?

Technology offers many benefits, but it also introduces new responsibilities. Parents often need to help children navigate social media, online scams, cyberbullying, privacy settings, AI-generated content, and healthy digital habits.

How can parents protect children online without constant monitoring?

Open communication, clear boundaries, digital literacy, and age-appropriate parental controls can help children stay safer online while still allowing them to develop independence and good judgment.

What can parents do if they feel overwhelmed?

Focusing on what matters most—strong relationships, open conversations, and realistic expectations—can help. Parents don't need to know everything or monitor everything to support their children effectively.

How can a family security plan help parents?

Family security tools can add extra layers of protection against scams, phishing attacks, malicious links, and other online risks. Features such as parental controls, content filtering, screen time management, and location sharing can also help reduce some of the daily pressure on parents.