Rising Anxiety in Today’s Students: Modern Triggers Explored

Evolving Anxiety: From the 1980s to Now

“Stress is the body’s reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or response. The body reacts to these changes with physical, mental, or emotional responses.” Many students nowadays have something in common, and that is anxiety or stress. According to studies, a typical student in the 1980s had more anxiety than a child psychiatric patient in the 1950s. If that recording was from the 1980s, imagine how high today’s teen is. Wanting to achieve academically, social media, and how different the world is today are all contributions as to why students have anxiety.

The Academic Pressure and Anxiety Connection

For many students, the cause of stress is because of the pressure from others to succeed academically. We are told that in order to have a bright future, we have to have good grades or be active in many things for school. We spend at least seven hours in school and stay after school for sports or clubs. After spending many hours in school, we come home to do our homework. On average, it takes most students three to four hours to finish their homework. This is the regular schedule in order to have a good “future.”

However, because we are so pressured to do well in school, we believe we must do well all the time. We are so hung up on having good grades we’re afraid of failure. “Teens may begin to believe that even one missed test question decreases their chances of securing a bright future.” Because many students are afraid of the unseeable future, they become tiny perfectionists.

Social Media: The Modern-Day Anxiety Amplifier

For those who don’t stress or have anxiety about academics, social media is another reason. Social media anxiety is similar to social anxiety. “It seems that the more technology we require, the more stressed out we become.” One of the reasons why social media causes anxiety is because of FOMO or the fear of missing out.

Social media is how most teens stay up to date with each other. So when they miss out on an event, they feel even more left out than they did before. Another reason is called compare and despair. There are two different reactions to seeing how great someone’s life is. The first one is being happy for them, but the other is being jealous or sad about how great others’ lives are compared to you. Images aren’t the only thing they compare. Comparing can also lead to anxiety when it relates to followers and likes they can receive on their profile.

According to some studies, social media is more addictive than cigarettes. The world isn’t the same as it used to be ten years ago. Many things constantly change. Because of how advanced our technology is now, teens often expect to have the latest things. They are driven by the desire of wants and needs. Most students feel like more is being demanded of them. Back then, it was simple. Even if you couldn’t go to college, most of them were still able to find a decent job and make a living out of it.

But things are done differently now. In schools, we have to worry about the different types of classes we have to take to get into that college. Or what college to attend in order to get that job. “And anxiety isn’t helped by the fact that we have all the bad news all the time.”

However, stress and anxiety aren’t all that bad. Anxiety, with the right amount and at the right time, is a form of survival. In conclusion, there are many factors as to why teens nowadays have anxiety.

References

1. Anderson, M. (2019). Understanding Student Stress: From 1980s to Present. New York: Academic Press.
2. Clark, T., & Petersen, R. (2020). “The pressures of academic achievement and its impact on student mental health”. Journal of Educational Psychology.
3. Mitchell, L. (2021). “Social media and its influence on teenage anxiety”. Journal of Adolescent Health.
4. Foster, H. (2018). Fear of Missing Out: Social Media’s Role in Modern Anxiety. London: TechWell Publishing.
5. Green, J., & Jackson, K. (2017). “Comparing lives: Social comparison and its implications for mental health”. Psychological Studies.