The young are very easily swayed. This is why communism has been able to spread here in the USA - they target the young. (See “Fabian socialism.”)
You can get a young kid separated from its parents to believe almost anything via the simple means of carrot-and-stick training.
Our society has been greatly weakened by the myth - pushed by religion, the state, and popular entertainment - that young kids are actually very wise and self-sufficient, and that we need to listen to them and extend belief to their (often fantastical) sayings.
Kids are resilient and able to cope with situations and conditions that would cause an older person to escape or commit suicide. They will make sense out of what is going on around them no matter how crazy it is - that’s not the same thing as wisdom.
Thanks for posting.
Excellent observations.