A high school student’s life is often portrayed as an enjoyable period that includes sports games, friendships, and love. While these moments definitely exist, they also tend to mask the silent epidemic known as stress. These stresses cover the pressures of education, extracurricular activities, social expectations, and planning for the future.
Highest causing stress
One of the most stress-causing aspects of high school is none other than, academics. Students have the mindset that they must achieve perfect grades, take multiple AP courses, and participate in extracurricular activities to be on top. These topics cause intense competitions between students which can lead to chronic anxiety, sleep deprivation, and burnout. Studies show that students often do poorly simply because teachers are expecting perfection while not offering enough opportunities to get them there. Student Sofia Mercado states, “School work is one of the most stressful parts of my day. I work really hard to keep my grades up and sometimes it can be difficult when the teachers aren’t teaching the lesson properly.”
The hidden consequences
It feels like a never ending treadmill, never being able to stop and catch a breath. Constantly having to perform better than the last time. It’s mentally degrading, the pressure interferes so much with an everyday lifestyle. It’s unnecessary stress so many kids go through and majority of the time, adults don’t believe kids are genuinely suffering or understand how to handle it. Colonia High School teacher John Hadad states, “Lots of my students go through different stresses. Parents cant always know exactly what to do. Whether it’s social media stresses or financial stresses, kids go through more compared to when I was a kid.” By adults not always comprehending current stresses, students do not get the attention needed to cope with said anxiety and pressure.
Beyond academics
Social media has added a completely new level of stress that teenagers across the globe constantly manage within every waking moment. It has added a new layer of complexity, with students feeling pressured to maintain a perfect online persona, compare themselves to others, and navigate cyber bullying. According to “The United Nations,” “about 41% people reported to have experienced social anxiety as a result of online abuse.” Cliques, popularity contests, and peer pressure can also contribute to a stressful social environment. The fear of missing out consistently eats away at a student. The need to be included is essential when dealing with FOMO. Kids stare at their screen for hours awaiting the latest gossip and trends. Uninvited students tend to feel lonely and not accepted by the world.
Recognize the silence
It is consistently said that officials are working on ways to help manage stress, but where is this said effort? A short online counseling check up that no one takes seriously? In what way is that really going to help students who really need it? Spanish teacher Begona Ferreiro had an idea in which she stated, “Maybe we should take college interns and have them provide additional help. Future psychiatrists and therapists need a year of internship regardless, why not use them? It’s a win win.” Whether we continue off this idea or not, something has to be done. It’s time we recognize the signs, start the conversations, and implement strategies to help relieve what’s known as the silent epidemic, stress.
