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Global finds

Malia Politzer
Editor of piqd.com. International Investigative Journalist
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piqer: Malia Politzer
Tuesday, 31 October 2017

Why More American Teens Than Ever Are Suffering From Anxiety

This New York Times Magazine longread delves into the anxiety epidemic facing American teenagers; and while it may seem counter-intuitive, it seems that more affluent teens (who at first glance seem to have opportunities handed to them on a silver platter) are even more likely to suffer from various forms of acute anxiety.

Just from one year to the next (2010-2011) the American College Health Association found an increase from 50 per cent to 62 per cent among undergraduates who reported feeling an "overwhelming anxiety" over the previous year.  In 1985, just 18 per cent of incoming Freshmen at UCLA reported that they felt "overwhelmed" by all they had to do; by 2010 that number had risen to 29 per cent.  Last year, it surged to 41 per cent.  

This upsurge in numbers begs the question: Why?  The answers that journalist Benoit Dinezet-Lewis's reporting uncovers seem deceptively simple at first glance, but in reality they are quite complex.  Social media plays a primary role: The more teens are engaged in the competitive comparison game generated by the airbrushed social media profiles of their peers, the more likely anxiety is to take root.  But other issues – parents' anxiety over their children getting ahead in school, helicopter parenting, and students' own internalized perfectionism – also play primary roles.

What I liked about this article is how it gave equal weight to both the roots of the challenge facing teens, as well as to potential solutions.  Well worth a read. 

Why More American Teens Than Ever Are Suffering From Anxiety
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