Pediatrician Natalia Makodrai, for Museum of Civilian Voices founded, spoke about how life during wartime affects children. Has aggression among teenagers really increased, and what can be done about anxiety attacks? How widespread is depression among children today? What should parents do to calm a child during air raid alerts? And how do social media affect children’s health during wartime?

A child’s psyche is extremely flexible, but even it is not adapted to daily shelling, loss, and chronic fear. The pediatrician talks about alarming signs that she hears more and more often in her office: obsessive-compulsive disorders in younger schoolchildren, depression in teenagers, suicidal thoughts caused by trauma, war, and the toxic influence of social media. She explains why one should not lie to children about danger — and how important it is to be there for them: honestly, openly, and gently. War affects everyone. But right now it depends on us whether the next generation grows up traumatized — or strong.