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Abigail Boyer

Mrs. Morean

English 1201

24 October, 2021

Why are Teenagers More Stressed Today?

The question is not whether or not teenagers are more stressed today, it is why are

they more stressed today than in generations past? Many adults like to argue that teenagers

nowadays have it way easier than past generations. It is true, this generation has new

technologies and inventions that make everyday life easier that past generations did not have.

However, what older generations also like to do is use this argument to justify their claim that

“teenagers nowadays can’t possibly be more stressed than past generations” They have no

reason to, right? When their life is so much easier, what is there to be stressed about?

However, what adults fail to take into consideration is the new stressors that teenagers have

to face that past generations might not have had. In my research to find the answer to my

question above I have learned a lot and I would like to share with you some key points from

what I have discovered.

Just more recently, the covid-19 pandemic has caused a lot of stress in teenagers

(Rao). 81% of teenagers between the ages of thirteen and seventeen reported experiencing

more stress during the covid-19 pandemic. In a similarly conducted study, around 62%

teenagers between the ages of fifteen through seventeen reported some deterioration on

mental health.

In general there are school stressors (Bouchrica). There were only 4% more college

applicants in the U.S. than there were in 2017, however, only 65% were actually accepted. In

Japan, on september 1st (the first day of school for Japanese students) the sucide rates for

students below the age of 20 skyrocketed to be three times higher compared to any other day.
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Six out of ten college students reported that they experienced overwhelming anxiety, while

over 40% experienced crippling depression. Seven out of ten teenagers between the ages of

thirteen and seventeen named depression or anxiety to be a main problem around their peers.

Believe it or not, the news and exposure to the news is also a stressor among teens.

There have been changes in the news over the years. News channels are now 24 hours a day,

there is an increase of reporting in the private lives of public figures, etc. Research has shown

that children and adolescents are prone to imitate what they see and hear in the

news.persistent exposure to such violence can lead to fear, desensitization, and in some an

increase in violent and aggressive behaviors.

Maybe you are an adult and you don’t know if your teenager is exaggerating about the

amount of stress they have to undergo, what can you do? Luckily, there are signs of stress that

you can look out for (Smith). Maybe your teen is experiencing emotional changes, like

aggravation, anxiety, and even depression. Perhaps you have noticed some physical changes

in your teen. Teens that are stressed are more likely to get sick and may often complain of

headaches, stomach aches, and any other aches. Has your child's behavior changed? Like

changes in their eating or sleeping habits. Or have they had a decrease in concentration or

basic interest? If so, your teen might be undergoing a lot of stress.

The problem with the increase in teen stress is that teenagers do not know how to

properly cope with this stress (aacap). Many teens become overloaded with stress. When this

happens, it can lead to anxiety, withdrawal, aggression, physical illness, or poor coping skills

such as drug and/or alcohol use. Parents can help their children by Monitoring if stress is

affecting their teen's health, behavior, thoughts, etc. Listen carefully to teens and watch for

signs of overloading, Learning and modeling stress management skills for their teens,

Support involvement in sports and other pro-social activities.

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It is important to listen to your teens when they come to you about problems with

stress and anxiety. Adults have all of these misconceptions about what anxious people should

look like but the sooner we break down that stigma, the sooner we can start helping our teens

when they come to us about their stress and anxiety.

Bibliography

Rao, Maya E., and Dhananjai M. Rao. “The Mental Health of High School Students during

the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Frontiers, Frontiers, 1 Jan. 1AD,

www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2021.719539/full.

Aacap. “Stress Management and Teens.” Stress Management and Teens, 2019,

https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/H

elping-Teenagers-With-Stress-066.aspx

Bouchrika, Imed. “50 Current Student Stress Statistics: 2020/2021 Data, Analysis &

Predictions.” Research.com, Research.com, 10 Sept. 2021,

www.research.com/education/student-stress-statistics

Collins, Harper. “News and Children.” American Academy of Child &nAdolescent

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Psychiatry, American Academy of Child & Adolescent, Jan. 2019,

https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Childre

n-And-The-News-067.aspx

Smith, Kathleen. “6 Common Triggers of Teen Stress.” Psycom, Psycom, Nov. 2020,

https://www.psycom.net/common-triggers-teen-stress/