By Annika Wolanczyk '23
During this challenging time, many have taken a hit to their mental health, especially teenagers. For teens, independence and socialization are crucial ingredients to development. However, the pandemic has locked us up at home, and many teens have lost vital social skills and a sense of individuality. Coping with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression has become increasingly hard when we cannot turn to our friends in person. Isolation has taken a hard hit on my mental health, and the stigma around mental health has left me feeling further isolated. While there are actions that we can take to improve our mental health, such as eating healthy foods and exercising, the most critical steps that we can take are accepting that these are unprecedented times and opening a discussion about mental health.
In our culture, there is an attitude that those who receive therapy or mental health treatment are "weak." It is only recently that therapy has become more normalized. However, many teens still have an attitude that mental health issues, even in pandemic life, are not affecting them. Some indicators can be a drop in grades, poor sleeping patterns (insomnia or oversleeping), fatigue, lack of movement, and negative thinking. However, there is minimal discussion of these mental health struggles amongst peers.
"I feel like there is a stigma around [mental health] because you don't want people to pity you, and I feel like there's pressure to seem like you're happy all the time," said Daisy Polowetzky '23. Violet Fraser '23 said, "I've gotten way more comfortable speaking about my mental health in front of others in the past few years, but I definitely used to feel uncomfortable doing it. I think I was uncomfortable discussing mental health when I was younger because it put me in a very vulnerable position in [my middle and elementary school] that was less accepting than the [high school] I'm in now."
If this is the case, then opening up discussions about mental health among teens would create a supportive community. So, how do we start the conversation? And what role does social media play in connecting us? The primary way that many teens have stayed connected through this isolation has been through social media platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. Teens have become glued to their screens. While it may be concerning to parents, many teens report that social media helped them get through difficult times and depressive states. "Social media had an overall positive effect on me during quarantine," said Steven Doljensky '23. "I felt extremely lonely and stressed in quarantine, and TikTok let me socialize with people and follow trends like whipped coffee and TikTok dances. I was in a depressive state, and without TikTok, I don't think I would have spent a moment outside of my bed." For many teens, TikTok became a welcoming environment where people could express themselves.
While we can reap social media benefits while isolated, social media is a double-edged sword. Studies have also shown that increased screen time can lead to depression and anxiety. According to an NPR article, The Scientific Debate Over Teens, Screens And Mental Health, Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego University, says, "Social media invites comparison." She also notes that social media is "not in real-time" and that it "invites anxiety over the likes and responses that you're going to get." Given that adults use media even more than teenagers, why does this trend crop up in teens? Twenge says it's because their brains are still vulnerable and developing. Plus, they haven't had as much time to make social connections in real life as older people have, so they are even more dependent on their phones for social validation. When we see friends and influencers painting a perfect picture of happiness online, it only enforces the idea that we are alone in our unhappiness. If we were to open up the discussion of mental health, it would help many teens ignore the perfect picture of happiness that social media paints.
Normalizing the conversation about mental health would help immensely, but opening up to others can be complicated. Many teens feel uncomfortable reaching out to guidance counselors and teachers remotely, and some have strained relationships with family members. Mental health professionals advise that teens should have a trusted adult in their life to turn to for emotional support and stability. Speaking from my own experience, I find that friends are another great way to talk out your thoughts and feelings. Because they share a similar experience, they can offer great support and advice.
Another fantastic resource is the mental health club at NEST+m, which has encouraged mental health discussions within our school community. Their mission is to "erase the stigma around mental illness by raising awareness and increasing education within our school community." Members learn about mental health topics to better themselves and others who may struggle with mental health conditions. They recently partnered up with Bring Change 2 Mind and encourage NEST+m students to stop by their meetings on Tuesdays at 7:40 am.
So I encourage you to take charge of your mental wellbeing and find the people/person that can help you through your lows and be there for your highs.
Sources:
Kamentez, Anya, “The Scientific Debate Over Teens, Screens And Mental Health” NPR
https://www.npr.org/2019/08/27/754362629/the-scientific-debate-over-teens-screens-and-bmental-health
Comments