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Teen mental health is plummeting and social media is a major contributing cause [pdf]

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Re: Teen mental health is plummeting and social media is a major contributing cause [pdf]

#241
post #83

Figure 2 that shows the rates of major depression among boys and girls is shocking. 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 10 boys have been diagnosed with major depression. I wonder what the distribution is of others who haven't been diagnosed or deal with depression to a lower degree. Something that may be surprising to some people is that this trend isn't limited to boys and girls. From data collected in 2019/2020, 30% of people a…

Table 8.1B is "Any Mental Illness in Past Year"

Edited to add: the note under graph says "These mental illness estimates are based on a predictive model and are not direct measures of diagnostic status."

Re: Teen mental health is plummeting and social media is a major contributing cause [pdf]

#242
post #68

Social media definitely amplifies it, but consider the economic and social environment that teenagers have lived through their entire lives. Multiple major recessions, a global pandemic, rising inflation, housing and education getting more expensive by the day, prospect of a mountain of debt right after graduation, climate that will be unlivable in a few decades, political extremism becoming the norm, and massive gov…

This is just wrong. Teenagers don't know or care about recessions or inflation as it doesn't affect them. Nor do they know about the cost of housing and education. Teenagers don't care much about the government either. Social media blows up the fear about climate change (it definitely will not be "unlivable") and political extremisism. Being misinformed about things you can do nothing to change isn't good for mental…

> Teenagers don't know or care about recessions or inflation as it doesn't affect them.

The hell it doesn’t! Did you even put a moment’s thought into that claim? Parents losing a job, or a house, or not being able to afford new clothes, or FFS the other hundreds of impacts recessions and inflation have on a family affect teenagers. Talk about misinformed, lordy lor’

Re: Teen mental health is plummeting and social media is a major contributing cause [pdf]

#243
post #68

Social media definitely amplifies it, but consider the economic and social environment that teenagers have lived through their entire lives. Multiple major recessions, a global pandemic, rising inflation, housing and education getting more expensive by the day, prospect of a mountain of debt right after graduation, climate that will be unlivable in a few decades, political extremism becoming the norm, and massive gov…

> they are going to inherit a pretty terrible world, and are powerless to do anything about it You yourself show a big problem with social media: feelings and takes which are not based in reality at all. Of course if you think the world is TERRIBLE and in EVERYTHING is FALLING APART you're not going to have a good time, regardless of whether that's actually the case or not.

How is anything here not based in reality?

I find this denial concerning, it reminds me of Steven Pinker's "the world is actually getting better look poverty is going down" (also, we redefined poverty to be anything below $1.90 per day).

We've already seen summers get singing hot. I live in a place where AC was very rare, because you'd only really need it for a week at max per year. That has gone up to several months (and yet new construction still wouldn't install at least wall units, so I'm also stuck with my amazing single hose unit)

I am in also in a position where I have an income considered good, but my prospects of ever owning a place to live are near nil. Because all housing now exists solely as a speculative asset.

And my pension will, as estimated right now, barely cover the "living minimum" that is provided by social support anyhow. To significantly escape that, you'd have to make about 70k EUR a year at age 20 and then keep getting raises for 47 years. Good luck with that. So I am just paying in for boomers that ruined the climate and bought up all the housing and other generational wealth to have a nice end of life.

Where's the fucking lie?

Re: Teen mental health is plummeting and social media is a major contributing cause [pdf]

#244
post #83

Figure 2 that shows the rates of major depression among boys and girls is shocking. 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 10 boys have been diagnosed with major depression. I wonder what the distribution is of others who haven't been diagnosed or deal with depression to a lower degree. Something that may be surprising to some people is that this trend isn't limited to boys and girls. From data collected in 2019/2020, 30% of people a…

> This number is skewed heavily towards women too All of the data I've seen on the mental health crisis in the West seems to indicate that it hits women harder than men. I have yet to see an explanation for why, though. Does anyone know of any articles that thoroughly cover this gender split in mental health and why this particular issue is more predominantly affecting women?

There are tons of proposed explanations. Starting with "during covid, boys were less isolated due to them socializing via computer games way more then girls". Continuing through "different body standards and societal expectations" (tho those did not changed in covid). In addition, some mental illnesses are simply genetically more prevalent in one gender then in the other.

Those are all speculations tho.

Historically, also issues like alcoholism, anorexia, drug use had different rates between genders. It is not unprecedented for one gender to be affected differently then the other.

Re: Teen mental health is plummeting and social media is a major contributing cause [pdf]

#245

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Situation wrt to teen mental health is similar in Europe, but there's a much smaller graduation debt. We have other issues here, though (speaking for the situation in Germany). I’m quite some time out of my teens at 36, but for many years now I’ve been told that all that tax (technically not a tax) I pay for my pension will not result in me getting any meaningful pension. For people who are currently teenagers it p…

You think teenagers are thinking about pensions... If they are they are probably already having mental issues because that's not something someone pre 20s should be concerned about. People in this thread need to stop projecting their problems and worldviews as universal social issues.

> If they are they are probably already having mental issues because that's not something someone pre 20s should be concerned about.

they should be. Perhaps not worry or be anxious about it, but definitely should know about the financial implications of having to retire one day, and how they could fund that retirement. May be even work on how one might fund an early retirement, etc.

Not thinking about long term financial planning is a failing of the education system (or parents, as it falls onto them when the state fails on policy grounds).

Re: Teen mental health is plummeting and social media is a major contributing cause [pdf]

#246
post #241
post #83

Figure 2 that shows the rates of major depression among boys and girls is shocking. 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 10 boys have been diagnosed with major depression. I wonder what the distribution is of others who haven't been diagnosed or deal with depression to a lower degree. Something that may be surprising to some people is that this trend isn't limited to boys and girls. From data collected in 2019/2020, 30% of people a…

Table 8.1B is "Any Mental Illness in Past Year" Edited to add: the note under graph says "These mental illness estimates are based on a predictive model and are not direct measures of diagnostic status."

8.36B if you want a direct comparison for major depression. I still think that "Any Mental Illness in Past Year" is a lot more interesting because it includes other mental illnesses like anxiety.

Re: Teen mental health is plummeting and social media is a major contributing cause [pdf]

#248
post #83

Figure 2 that shows the rates of major depression among boys and girls is shocking. 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 10 boys have been diagnosed with major depression. I wonder what the distribution is of others who haven't been diagnosed or deal with depression to a lower degree. Something that may be surprising to some people is that this trend isn't limited to boys and girls. From data collected in 2019/2020, 30% of people a…

> This number is skewed heavily towards women too All of the data I've seen on the mental health crisis in the West seems to indicate that it hits women harder than men. I have yet to see an explanation for why, though. Does anyone know of any articles that thoroughly cover this gender split in mental health and why this particular issue is more predominantly affecting women?

The most common argument I've heard is that women are more likely to seek help than men since mental health issues are more stigmatized in men.

Re: Teen mental health is plummeting and social media is a major contributing cause [pdf]

#249

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Personally I think it looks like going back to when your online and offline identities were totally separate. Inhabiting the internet under your real name is living in two different worlds with two different rulesets and pretending the same identity is well-suited to both. 100% of your online identity was under your control in my day. You were exactly who you chose to be. Not anymore. Now if you're ugly, fat, gay, a…

> Personally I think it looks like going back to when your online and offline identities were totally separate. Even this backfired at me when I was dating. Everything is completely separate and I get misjudged entirely. But maybe I'm talking to the wrong people, but a lot of people are kinda the same in that regard.

My current girlfriend was kind enough to take a chance on me, despite having only a single photo on a rarely-used Facebook account. While it worked out, her next guesses were "I'm being catfished" and "Dude's definitely a serial killer".

I fully get how having a smaller online footprint makes tracking down a date harder.

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