Depression in Teenagers
One in every five teenagers experience depression before graduating high school (Discovery), this begs the question. Why is the amount of depression in young people increasing? Although some ignorant few argue that children are soft nowadays and that they need to toughen up. More young people are becoming depressed because they are struggling to find a purpose in a life where religion is less present and artificial intelligence is taking over the job market. Teenagers are also more exposed to toxic drugs and alcohol that meddle with their mental states while drugs such as antidepressants are being discredited. Finally, with young people constantly surrounded by technology social media feeds false lifestyles and grants bullies a whole new battleground to put other kids down.
Purpose is a necessity in life, purpose is what drives people out of bed in the morning and is what pushes people to accel in life, for some people that purpose is found in religion. And as society evolves in western civilizations an increasing amount of young people have grown a small resentment towards religion, whether that be because they do not agree with a church’s views on topics such as homosexuality or abortion, or merely because it seems easier to be an atheist not having to dedicate a small period of time to worship or practice of religion. While these young people may think that by not practicing religion their levels of stress and anxiety decrease, they strip away a major part of living that is usually not noticed until it is too late. Moreover, one of the main reasons teenagers take their own lives “can include… feelings of hopelessness” (Olson), that after death there is nothing and therefore their life, in the grand scheme of things, has no value whatsoever. When teenagers reject the idea of religion, this view is solidified and depression ensues.
Although some may say that religion is not necessary in life as one’s goal could simply be to graduate college, work a well-paying job, and to raise a family. Yet there is a problem with this statement in the 21st century. As the quality and economic aspects of artificial intelligence increase, this creates a ripple effect. Although higher-quality AI may seem like it is only pushing humanity forward, it is leaving a massive group of people in the dust, the working class, the mechanics, the waiters, the taxi drivers, so many of these everyday jobs will be replaced by robots that, do not need to be paid, will not unionize, does not need to take breaks, and is available 24/7. Not everyone has the mind to be an accountant or a programmer, and in the 20th century that was fine, you could find a well-paying job in the trade industry, but soon a majority of trade jobs will be replaced, and today’s young people know this. Young people, especially those who already have low self-esteem, believe that in the future they will have no purpose, no income, nothing, and this loops back to hopelessness. The number of hopeless young people is on the rise due to advances in technology, this causes an even greater number of suicidal teens.
Secondly, a drug that may unexpectedly lead to worse mental states and higher amounts of suicidal thoughts are antidepressants (Friedman), a study in 2004 found that teens who take antidepressants are more likely to experience suicidal thoughts than depressed teens who were not taking these drugs. Although the relationship between antidepressants and suicidal thoughts in teens is still foggy, the results show everything. Luckily the FDA put a “Black Box’’ on antidepressants warning parents of the potentially harmful effects of antidepressants. This shocking conclusion begs the question of why are there no antidepressants for teenagers? Considering the rates of depression and suicide have been skyrocketing where is there help? This lack of options, especially since most depressed teens prefer not to talk to a therapist can lead some teens down a worse path, one of substance abuse.
Teens today are surrounded by drugs responsibly consumed by adults at an all-time high due to the legalization of marijuana and the destigmatized class drugs such as the psilocybin mushroom. There is no problem with adults consuming such drugs, the problem arises as soon as a 16-year-old gets their hands on it. Teenagers already suffer from anxiety and stress, and some find healthy coping mechanisms such as exercise or reading, but not all teens turn to such productive coping mechanisms. Young people, more than ever, are turning to marijuana to smoke away their sorrows. And although it is proven that weed is not an addictive drug, a dependency can still be formed, and once this dependency is created the teen's life begins to revolve around smoking this strain or getting the highest among their friends. Pot itself is not a reason for teenage depression, the problem arises as soon as that teen enters a difficult place, whether that be academically or in the workplace, and they then come to a realization that they have to choose between their future or giving up marijuana and this causes serious distress and mental fatigue, which contributes to the growing cases of depression in young people. In extreme cases, teens try to balance both, yet this often increases depression and sometimes leads to suicide.
Alcohol has been proven time after time that it is harmful to teenage development and causes harmful lasting effects that will only increase depression in teenagers. Yet it has been around and accessible for long amounts of time, therefore it has not contributed to the sudden spike of suicidal teenagers. Rather it has always been a cause of depression amongst young people.
Finally, the most obvious reason for the increased amounts of teenage depression is the double-edged sword that is social media. Social media is an incredible invention that lets people from all over the world communicate with one another in an instant, sharing their stories, experiences, and opinions. But it is not all sunshine and roses, social media, just like anything else, can become a dangerous addiction that negatively affects almost every single teenager’s mental state.
The ability to communicate with anyone instantly is insanely powerful and incredibly useful, but when bullies get their hands on any instant messaging platform things can turn south for the teenager who is receiving the messages. Cyberbullying is a massive problem in today’s young people, technology being such a necessity in society means that things such as phones or computers are always going to be right for youth today and your bully's text messages or video chats are going to be there as well. In the 20th century if you were being bullied you could have simply run away or physically avoided your bully, but nowadays it is impossible without going completely off-grid. If a teen wants to use their laptop to complete a homework assignment a notification could pop up of several other teens telling them that they should kill themself and that they are a waste of oxygen. The escape is impossible which leads to an increasing amount of teenagers becoming depressed as a result of cyberbullying. Some parents may believe that their child would never engage in cyberbullying, but in the presence of group chats and group calls the mob-mentality which is usually left at school is carried over to the online world, making it even easier to cyberbullying as you have the full support of your peers 24/7.
Social media also grants teens access to others' lives through websites such as Facebook or Instagram, and at first glance, this seems harmless, teens just showing their lives to others of similar age. Yet research shows that teens who are in front of screens are significantly more likely to develop depression or anxiety. This is because there is a major flaw with social media, the fact that you control what others see of your life. People in general always want to put their best foot forward and this is exactly the case when it comes to social media. You only see the trips to Hawaii or some exotic destination, or photos of recent parties that you were not invited to in which everyone in the photo is smiling. This causes teens to feel inferior and makes them feel like their life is simply worse than everyone else’s. And due to the fact that most teenagers believe that they are invincible, “when they feel psychological pain, they… feel overwhelmed by hopelessness” (Discovery), they then genuinely believe that their life is worse than everyone else’s that shift hits extremely hard. Some experts in teenage depression believe that social media is the cause for the sudden spike of depression among young people.
In conclusion, there are countless reasons why so many young people’s will to live is fading at an alarming rate. From a little boy who stopped going to church because he found it boring, to a girl who smoked to look cool in front of her friends but now she only feels safe when her lungs are burning, to constantly being hammered and harassed by classmates 24/7 and having virtually no escape. Luckily, if symptoms of a depressed teenager are located and acted upon it is never too late to save them. No one wants to die, especially if they have their entire life ahead of them, the reason teenagers do commit suicide is that they would rather die than have to face the almost impossible challenges that face them daily. Some of these symptoms include sluggishness, substance abuse, increased amounts of isolation, losing the will to participate in things they once loved doing, and many many more (Discovery). Suicide in not just teenagers, but in everyone, is a tragedy, if you are or know anybody who experiences suicidal thoughts please call this prevention hotline. 833–456–4566
Bibliography:
“Why Today’s Teens Are More Depressed Than Ever.” Discovery Mood & Anxiety Program, 23 Mar. 2021, discoverymood.com/blog/todays-teens-depressed-ever/.
“Teen Depression.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 16 Nov. 2018, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/teen-depression/symptoms-causes/syc-20350985.
Friedman, Richard A. “Why Are Young Americans Killing Themselves?” The New York Times, The New York Times, 6 Jan. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/01/06/opinion/suicide-young-people.html.
Doupnik, Stephanie. “I Treat Teens Who Attempted Suicide. Here’s What They Told Me.” Vox, Vox, 30 Oct. 2019, www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/10/30/20936636/suicide-mental-health-suicidal-thoughts-teens.
Doupnik, Stephanie. “I Treat Teens Who Attempted Suicide. Here’s What They Told Me.” Vox, Vox, 30 Oct. 2019, www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/10/30/20936636/suicide-mental-health-suicidal-thoughts-teens.