Why This Growing Trend?

[nPeace]

I was just reading an article, which was both surprising and sadly disturbing.
On Monday, February 13, 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States released a report on the mental health of U.S. teens. It noted that over 40 percent of high school students experienced persistent sadness and hopelessness.

“Although we have seen worsening trends in mental health for young people over the last 10 years,” stated Dr. Kathleen Ethier, director of CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH), “the levels of poor mental health and suicidal thoughts and behaviors reported by teenage girls are now higher than we have ever seen.”

With all the problems we face, it's sad that many youth face this as well.
What do you think are the reasons or contributing factors for this?

 

[JustGeorge]

I'm gonna guess the worldwide health crisis in recent years, and the financial crisis going on in the US have something to do with it.

 

[Revoltingest]

Excessive time on social media could be a problem.
Compared to real life, people tend to be more abusive.
Kids are less able than adults to handle that. Criminy,
even adults are generally poorly prepared.

I also wonder if kids & parents are doomscrolling in
their news consumption. That is very bad for health.

 

[Nimos]

I was just reading an article, which was both surprising and sadly disturbing.
On Monday, February 13, 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States released a report on the mental health of U.S. teens. It noted that over 40 percent of high school students experienced persistent sadness and hopelessness.

“Although we have seen worsening trends in mental health for young people over the last 10 years,” stated Dr. Kathleen Ethier, director of CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH), “the levels of poor mental health and suicidal thoughts and behaviors reported by teenage girls are now higher than we have ever seen.”

With all the problems we face, it's sad that many youth face this as well.
What do you think are the reasons or contributing factors for this?

I think a lot of it can be due to social media, as young people are constantly "judged" or have to live up to certain things, such as you can't be too fat, you have to look smart, you don't have enough likes on your posts or "friends".

Also, I think parents in general spend too little time with them and work too much in general. I know from my brother that his kids have very few interests and almost have to be forced to do anything, they do like football at the moment, but besides that, it's pretty much computer nonstop. Which I don't think is very uncommon in modern families. But parents are not really together with their children when they all just stare at a computer screen or at a phone.

At least from what I know, not that I know a lot about it, is that it is the same issue in Denmark and would assume in most developed countries to be honest.

 

[George-ananda]

I was just reading an article, which was both surprising and sadly disturbing.
On Monday, February 13, 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States released a report on the mental health of U.S. teens. It noted that over 40 percent of high school students experienced persistent sadness and hopelessness.

“Although we have seen worsening trends in mental health for young people over the last 10 years,” stated Dr. Kathleen Ethier, director of CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH), “the levels of poor mental health and suicidal thoughts and behaviors reported by teenage girls are now higher than we have ever seen.”

With all the problems we face, it's sad that many youth face this as well.
What do you think are the reasons or contributing factors for this?

I first suspect things are not that different than they have been in past decades. I think the statistical changes are likely more due to people being more open to expressing their emotions and mental health specialists that are more sensitive to things.

 

[nPeace]

Seems persons mostly think the social media trend is a contributor.
I should have done a poll. That might have been interesting.
So maybe socializing isn't as good as people say, or is it where and with whom one socializes?
Does anyone agree with @George-ananda that this is not a new trend?

 

[The Kilted Heathen]

I'm always amused at the "It must be the social media!" as though that's not the light being shined on the fact that a lot of the world - particularly the US - is a dumpster fire. Can't possibly be the latter, no no. It's that damn Ticky Tok with all the dances and whatnot.

 

[VoidCat]

A thought: maybe we better at diagnosing mental health problems too

 

[Left Coast]

I'm always amused at the "It must be the social media!" as though that's not the light being shined on the fact that a lot of the world - particularly the US - is a dumpster fire. Can't possibly be the latter, no no. It's that damn Ticky Tok with all the dances and whatnot.

The problem is that social media exposes us to things going on in the world that we wouldn't have any clue about without it, and that don't affect our daily lives. A recent earthquake in Turkey killed tens of thousands of people - would you have known about that event if not for the internet? I wouldn't. It didn't impact my lived experience at all.

That's the change from prior generations. We're coping not just with the tragedies of our local village or city, but the entire world. And media very intentionally gives the most air time to stories that are the most disturbing, heinous, and sensational.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I think a lot of it can be due to social media, as young people are constantly "judged" or have to live up to certain things, such as you can't be too fat, you have to look smart, you don't have enough likes on your posts or "friends".

Also, I think parents in general spend too little time with them and work too much in general. I know from my brother that his kids have very few interests and almost have to be forced to do anything, they do like football at the moment, but besides that, it's pretty much computer nonstop. Which I don't think is very uncommon in modern families. But parents are not really together with their children when they all just stare at a computer screen or at a phone.

At least from what I know, not that I know a lot about it, is that it is the same issue in Denmark and would assume in most developed countries to be honest.

Agree. It's an issue when social media creates 'insular' worlds for individuals that do not mirror the world as it actually is outside social media.

It's really/potentially damaging if a person feels the virtual world is more real than the actual one off screen.

 

[Mock Turtle]

I would guess that doom-scrolling and FOMO are having a large effect, especially as to Social Media (and too much use of this), together with kids getting internet devices and/or mobile phones earlier than ever.

Edit: Plus they might be getting less attention than their parent's phones get.

 

[JDMS]

I would be interested in seeing how populations would compare if the same mental health professional was somehow able to accurately assess both modern and pre-modern populations.

A pioneer may not be aware of an earthquake killing thousands of people on another continent, but they may deal with losing several children under the age of 5 years old to disease, instead.

 

[Quintessence]

A thought: maybe we better at diagnosing mental health problems too

That's some of it.

But most of it is environmental. By "environmental" I don't necessarily mean nature, I mean both the ecological and cultural environment kids are growing up in.

Basic animal behavior 101 - when an animal is in a stressful environment, you can expect it to exhibit behaviors associated with being in a stressed environment. That's what is happening now.

 

[Quintessence]

To add some insights from the ground as someone who works with college students on the regular, here are some things I notice more often than I'd like to.

Many students are very troubled and stressed about finances. I've had chats with students concerned if they can make rent next month to keep a roof over their heads. I've had chats with students who skip meals because they can't afford food. I've had chats with students who fail classes because they have to work more hours than they want to in order to prevent these first two things I mentioned from happening. All this is a reflection of the broader problems in the United States with income inequality and cost of living. It's objectively the case that people of my generation and younger are struggling in ways our parents didn't. And there are no signs that this is going to get better soon.

Many students are struggling with pandemic learning loss. It isn't uncommon for the transition from high school to college to be a difficult one. Many students never really learned how to learn, and this problem has been exacerbated by the pandemic with content loss on top of it. When a student comes to college without the tools for success, Americans tend towards self-blame. These self-defeating interpretations have parallels characteristic of clinical depression: I'm just stupid or not very smart, I'm falling behind or aren't going to graduate on time, everyone else is so much better at this than me, etc.

Many students are concerned about climate change and the environment. And they are also very well aware of how the foot-dragging by politicians is basically screwing them out of a happy and healthy planet to live on. Climate anxiety is becoming an increasingly recognized problem, and it disproportionately impacts young people. It's pretty obvious why. I'll grant that I am working with students in majors with more awareness of these issues. But even my students who are, say, pre-med and not environmental-leaning are worrying about this stuff.

 

[John53]

I was just reading an article, which was both surprising and sadly disturbing.
On Monday, February 13, 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States released a report on the mental health of U.S. teens. It noted that over 40 percent of high school students experienced persistent sadness and hopelessness.

“Although we have seen worsening trends in mental health for young people over the last 10 years,” stated Dr. Kathleen Ethier, director of CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH), “the levels of poor mental health and suicidal thoughts and behaviors reported by teenage girls are now higher than we have ever seen.”

With all the problems we face, it's sad that many youth face this as well.
What do you think are the reasons or contributing factors for this?

I wonder if it's a growing trend or just more often diagnosed and reported nowadays?

 

[exchemist]

To add some insights from the ground as someone who works with college students on the regular, here are some things I notice more often than I'd like to.

Many students are very troubled and stressed about finances. I've had chats with students concerned if they can make rent next month to keep a roof over their heads. I've had chats with students who skip meals because they can't afford food. I've had chats with students who fail classes because they have to work more hours than they want to in order to prevent these first two things I mentioned from happening. All this is a reflection of the broader problems in the United States with income inequality and cost of living. It's objectively the case that people of my generation and younger are struggling in ways our parents didn't. And there are no signs that this is going to get better soon.

Many students are struggling with pandemic learning loss. It isn't uncommon for the transition from high school to college to be a difficult one. Many students never really learned how to learn, and this problem has been exacerbated by the pandemic with content loss on top of it. When a student comes to college without the tools for success, Americans tend towards self-blame. These self-defeating interpretations have parallels characteristic of clinical depression: I'm just stupid or not very smart, I'm falling behind or aren't going to graduate on time, everyone else is so much better at this than me, etc.

Many students are concerned about climate change and the environment. And they are also very well aware of how the foot-dragging by politicians is basically screwing them out of a happy and healthy planet to live on. Climate anxiety is becoming an increasingly recognized problem, and it disproportionately impacts young people. It's pretty obvious why. I'll grant that I am working with students in majors with more awareness of these issues. But even my students who are, say, pre-med and not environmental-leaning are worrying about this stuff.

Yes. Those are the 3 factors I was thinking about mentioning. If you add in the bad government the US has recently had, which encouraged division and hatred, it is not surprising that teenagers think they are entering a very troubled and angry world, in which their own prospects for advancement are not easy to discern.

 

[Revoltingest]

I'm always amused at the "It must be the social media!" as though that's not the light being shined on the fact that a lot of the world - particularly the US - is a dumpster fire. Can't possibly be the latter, no no. It's that damn Ticky Tok with all the dances and whatnot.

I've not seen anyone express the view you criticize.
It seems that you've missed some nuance & questioning in this thread.

 

[viole]

I was just reading an article, which was both surprising and sadly disturbing.
On Monday, February 13, 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States released a report on the mental health of U.S. teens. It noted that over 40 percent of high school students experienced persistent sadness and hopelessness.

“Although we have seen worsening trends in mental health for young people over the last 10 years,” stated Dr. Kathleen Ethier, director of CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH), “the levels of poor mental health and suicidal thoughts and behaviors reported by teenage girls are now higher than we have ever seen.”

With all the problems we face, it's sad that many youth face this as well.
What do you think are the reasons or contributing factors for this?

Probably because the US is too religious. I would suggest they move to happier places, like secular Scandinavia.

Ciao

- viole

 

[Revoltingest]

Probably because the US is too religious. I would suggest they move to happier places, like secular Scandinavia.

Ciao

- viole

Looking at this info, Scandinavia looks pretty dismal too.
List of countries by suicide rate - Wikipedia
Suicides by country, around the world | TheGlobalEconomy.com

 

[Kenny]

I was just reading an article, which was both surprising and sadly disturbing.
On Monday, February 13, 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States released a report on the mental health of U.S. teens. It noted that over 40 percent of high school students experienced persistent sadness and hopelessness.

“Although we have seen worsening trends in mental health for young people over the last 10 years,” stated Dr. Kathleen Ethier, director of CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH), “the levels of poor mental health and suicidal thoughts and behaviors reported by teenage girls are now higher than we have ever seen.”

With all the problems we face, it's sad that many youth face this as well.
What do you think are the reasons or contributing factors for this?

for me... #1 - no Jesus. (within the scope of my signature)
AMP
Through Him we also have access by faith into this [remarkable state of] grace in which we [firmly and safely and securely] stand. Let us rejoice in our hope and the confident assurance of [experiencing and enjoying] the glory of [our great] God [the manifestation of His excellence and power].

Obviously. there are #'s 2-10 in addition to #1