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The teen mental illness epidemic began around 2012

jonathanhaidt.substack.com

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Re: The teen mental illness epidemic began around 2012

#121

Post by 1234letshaveatw »

ok_dad wrote: post #106
nluken wrote: post #79

While I don't doubt that social media can drive some of these mental health issues, I think most teenagers are simply stressed from the constant work that's necessary for the college admissions process. I'm 24, so I would have been a teenager in 2012, but I didn't have a smartphone until I was 16 or so. My high school experience consisted almost entirely of school, studying, and running (my primary extracurricular).…

> If we want a healthier society, we need to take a step back and give teenagers a chance to actually live life. We (American here) need to take a step back and let everyone enjoy life. That means providing healthcare, food, and shelter to every single person so that they can live their life and work in a non-anxiety-inducing way. Every therapist I've talked to in the past few years has told me that they think the nu…

right, teen kids are so worried about healthcare costs! Gimmie a break, your comment has nothing to do with the article, it's low effort and a better fit for reddit

Re: The teen mental illness epidemic began around 2012

#122

Post by tasspeed »

ok_dad wrote: post #106
nluken wrote: post #79

While I don't doubt that social media can drive some of these mental health issues, I think most teenagers are simply stressed from the constant work that's necessary for the college admissions process. I'm 24, so I would have been a teenager in 2012, but I didn't have a smartphone until I was 16 or so. My high school experience consisted almost entirely of school, studying, and running (my primary extracurricular).…

> If we want a healthier society, we need to take a step back and give teenagers a chance to actually live life. We (American here) need to take a step back and let everyone enjoy life. That means providing healthcare, food, and shelter to every single person so that they can live their life and work in a non-anxiety-inducing way. Every therapist I've talked to in the past few years has told me that they think the nu…

I agree wholeheartedly. I was working a part time job in highschool to pay for my gas and other expenses, when I should have been doing kid things. Also as an early teenager I turned to online communities because there was no other way to interact with irl friends outside of school. It was too dangerous to ride a bike to a friends house (cars), I couldn't drive, and my parents were always working so they couldn't give me rides. I still needed some sort of social interaction though, so of course I turned to the internet.

Re: The teen mental illness epidemic began around 2012

#123

Post by tasspeed »

1234letshaveatw wrote: post #121
ok_dad wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If we want a healthier society, we need to take a step back and give teenagers a chance to actually live life. We (American here) need to take a step back and let everyone enjoy life. That means providing healthcare, food, and shelter to every single person so that they can live their life and work in a non-anxiety-inducing way. Every therapist I've talked to in the past few years has told me that they think the nu…

right, teen kids are so worried about healthcare costs! Gimmie a break, your comment has nothing to do with the article, it's low effort and a better fit for reddit

you're ignorant or extremely privileged if you think kids dont worry. have you ever had a parent be ill and your family has no money for their treatment?

Re: The teen mental illness epidemic began around 2012

#124

Post by rychco »

nluken wrote: post #79

While I don't doubt that social media can drive some of these mental health issues, I think most teenagers are simply stressed from the constant work that's necessary for the college admissions process. I'm 24, so I would have been a teenager in 2012, but I didn't have a smartphone until I was 16 or so. My high school experience consisted almost entirely of school, studying, and running (my primary extracurricular).…

Completely agree with this opinion. Teens expected to attend college are under tremendous admissions pressure. You don’t even realize how much more difficult it gets every year for them. For some students, nearly every waking moment is spent on something to fill an application/study/practice. While this itself isn’t new, I’d wager that the number of students having this experience has grown tremendously.

However, as someone who was in high school right when Facebook/Instagram became ubiquitous amongst teens, I can’t emphasize enough how horrible the pressure of appealing to your peers was. There is a constant, deeply unsettling fear of being publicly shamed/embarrassed online at any time & for any reason. I am confident that this is still present & stronger than ever.

Re: The teen mental illness epidemic began around 2012

#125

Post by scotty79 »

vkk8 wrote: post #51

Anecdotally, I was (as probably many here were) ahead of the curve in digital devices usage when I started hanging out in IRC and various web forums as a teenager in early 2000s. At some point I noticed that just using computers induced some amount of anxiety compared to "old tech"; whenever there was some period of time when I used my computer less (like christmas, vacations, etc.) and joined back to the "world of t…

Ugh, I guess it varies from person but for me (nearly?) every human contact is somewhat stressful, even watching humans interact can be very stressful. Using devices is downright bliss and calmness in comparison. I'm so happy when I see people interacting with their devices. I feel they are more like me and I feel safer with them than with people who don't.

Re: The teen mental illness epidemic began around 2012

#126

Post by johnfn »

nluken wrote: post #79

While I don't doubt that social media can drive some of these mental health issues, I think most teenagers are simply stressed from the constant work that's necessary for the college admissions process. I'm 24, so I would have been a teenager in 2012, but I didn't have a smartphone until I was 16 or so. My high school experience consisted almost entirely of school, studying, and running (my primary extracurricular).…

I agree that the college admissions process is quite stressful, and we should take a critical look at it. But did it really only begin happening around 2012? Across all demographics? I don't think that this explanation really fits the data.

Re: The teen mental illness epidemic began around 2012

#127

Post by waboremo »

nluken wrote: post #79

While I don't doubt that social media can drive some of these mental health issues, I think most teenagers are simply stressed from the constant work that's necessary for the college admissions process. I'm 24, so I would have been a teenager in 2012, but I didn't have a smartphone until I was 16 or so. My high school experience consisted almost entirely of school, studying, and running (my primary extracurricular).…

It's also important to note that social media doesn't operate in isolation. We can blame social media all we want, but when we keep preferring candidates in the hiring process who have presentable social media, it's just amplified for teens. Now they have to keep up a grand social media presence, good grades, stay in physical shape, manage their changing family dynamics, get and hold a job, and their own internal systems changing on them.

It's no wonder stress levels are peaking. We demand they carry immense burdens the second they're able to hold a full conversation, but without any of the freedoms associated with responsibility. Can't move out, can't afford help, so what do we really expect to happen when people are placed into such conditions?

We place them under constant pressure, and act surprised that this pressure hurts. Why can't you be more like your sister who's doing good in school? Look at your cousin he got a job already and he's only 16. When you turn 18 you need to have your act together because I'm kicking you out. Endless pressure because we are unable to process our own feelings of insignificance, we just project it on kids all without the help of social media.

The rising wealth inquality amplifies these problems more in every way.

Social media gets a lot of negative attention but there's also a huge positive here. You can connect with others who get you and can maybe help you get through those unbearable days - they make it feel tolerable. And so for people to pin the blame entirely on social media, we're just going to cause so much more harm when we realize how many teens are out there that are only avoiding suicide marginally because of social media.

Re: The teen mental illness epidemic began around 2012

#128

Post by mattficke »

This is a complex issue, but one factor not addressed in the piece is the Affordable Care Act, which went into effect shortly before the rise in depression diagnosis rates. Before the ACA the uninsured rate among young people was dramatically higher than it is today, and mental health coverage (which is an essential health benefit under the ACA, and included in all health plans now) was not always included in the health insurance people did have. I’m not saying there hasn’t been any actual change, but a substantial portion of prior cohorts were likely undiagnosed because they couldn’t afford mental health treatment.

Re: The teen mental illness epidemic began around 2012

#129

Post by eecc »

nluken wrote: post #79

While I don't doubt that social media can drive some of these mental health issues, I think most teenagers are simply stressed from the constant work that's necessary for the college admissions process. I'm 24, so I would have been a teenager in 2012, but I didn't have a smartphone until I was 16 or so. My high school experience consisted almost entirely of school, studying, and running (my primary extracurricular).…

very well said, although allow me to make a minor correction. Where you wrote

“Today's society demands so much from adolescents for so little in return. “

I would simply generalize to

“Today's society demands so much from anyone for so little in return.”

There, perfect

Re: The teen mental illness epidemic began around 2012

#130

Post by LarryMullins »

magicalist wrote: post #113
carabiner wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

40% of high school students don't go to college (of any type). Of those, only a tiny portion are focused on elite universities. Many are just going to Long Beach State, University of Redlands and other 4 year schools that you've never heard of. They have lax admissions. Among adult Americans, only a third have bachelors degrees. Certainly the high pressure scholastic environment of certain high schools is not common.

> 40% of high school students don't go to college (of any type). > Among adult Americans, only a third have bachelors degrees So clearly things have been changing in recent decades. I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss this as a factor.

Going to college is not the same as graduating with a degree. A ton of people go to college for a time and leave with little more than a mountain of debt. Also, a bachelors degree is not even the least degree you can get from a university.
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