MORE than half of UK teenagers polled by the Children’s Society felt that the build-up to Christmas was overwhelming and found the festive season “too much”.

Two thousand teenagers, aged between 13 to 16, completed a national survey about the expectations of Christmas. Deadlines, social media and family expectations emerged as the biggest drivers of “festive strain” in the results published last Tuesday.

Nearly one third of those surveyed said that looming schoolwork and exams led to “festive strain”, whereas 28 per cent cited social media, particularly from the stream of “perfect gifts, parties and family moments filling their feeds”. One in five teenagers said looking happy “when they didn’t feel it” was the “hardest part”.

Twenty-one per cent cited “money worries/gift-giving pressure” as a cause of stress, while nine per cent cited “worries about food”.

The greatest division in opinion was on social media. About one quarter of teenagers surveyed that said social media made them “feel worse” about Christmas, and yet roughly an equal number said it made them “feel better”. Some of the biggest social-media triggers were “seeing other people’s gifts” (29 per cent), “holiday trips I can’t afford/ go on” (26 per cent), and “pressure to post my own Christmas online” (25 per cent).

The Children’s Society’s CEO, Mark Russell, said: “For many teenagers, Christmas isn’t sparkle and joy — it’s noise and pressure. They’re under constant expectation to keep up, all the while worrying about exams, friendships, or money.

“Right now, too many young people are feeling totally overwhelmed by the noise they face every day. Having someone to talk to before things become overwhelming can change everything.”

Asked what would help, 36 per cent of the teenagers surveyed said that they wanted “material gifts (e.g. clothes, gadgets, tech)”, and 31 per cent said “fun experiences (e.g. trips, activities)”.

Yet 29 per cent said that they wanted “more time to rest and relax”, and 17 per cent wanted “less pressure to perform” and “to feel calmer”. Twelve per cent said that they wanted “to be more understood by the adults around them”.

“This Christmas, we’re asking people to help a child quiet the noise so they can have space and support when they need it,” Mr Russell said.