There’s something happening to America’s teenagers, and it’s not good. Most U.S. teens are worried about the mental health of their peers, according to a recent study by the Pew Research Center.
Seventy percent of teens say anxiety and depression are a major problem among people their age in their communities. As the teenage suicide rate rises, it’s important to understand why so many teens perceive their cohorts in a state of distress.
First, this isn’t necessarily a question of diagnosable mental illness. As a self-reported epidemic for Generation Z, depression may be a stand-in for a general bleakness. This isn’t to say none of these kids need professional help. But it’s clear that depression has become an everyday topic among youth.
“You make a joke about depression, and everybody laughs,” my 18-year-old brother tells me. “Because it’s hashtag-relatable.” Maybe this is good: teens may be more willing to talk about mental health concerns now than in the past.
But maybe it’s more than a matter of communication. Numerous studies have linked increased screen time to teenage depression, though the correlation doesn’t necessarily imply causation. Screens alone probably don’t make kids more depressed, and the Internet certainly has positive effects on kids, as well.
Another potential culprit is social pressure. Pew reports 61 percent of teens feel a lot of pressure to earn good grades, while many others face pressure to look good, fit in socially, and be involved in extracurricular activities. While teens have always faced these pressures, social media could exacerbate them: Teens can see their peers living their best lives, with photos edited to remove pimples and feeds curated to present the best photos from prom.
“Eighth Grade,” one of 2018’s underrated films, offers another answer. The movie follows 13-year-old Kayla Day as she finishes middle school, struggling to talk to classmates and slathering makeup over her acne each morning. In the opening scene, Day films a self-help YouTube video about “being yourself.” As she stares, blinking, at the camera, Day struggles to explain just what that means.
“Being yourself is, like, not changing yourself to impress someone else,” she says. Like much of her generation, she’s trying to discover what sort of self to be. But she ends up with platitudes. “So yeah. Basically, you know, like, be yourself and don’t care about, like, what other people think about you, and just, like, ignore them if they’re being mean to you about it, and everything will work out if you’re just being yourself.”
In a culture of, “Be yourself,” and, “You do you,” but also, “Get more Instagram followers,” and, “Go to a prestigious college,” teens may not know which to choose: a vapid, nebulous path they pick for themselves, or squeezing into a mold that’s been made for them.
