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Social media and academic anxieties are crushing our kids
Without significant adjustments in how we raise the next generation, the mental health crisis among children will get worse
The number of children struggling with anxiety and depression has been on the rise, coinciding with an increase in self-harm among young people.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows suicides among children 10 to 18 years old increased by more than 50% between 2001 and 2020. A separate CDC report based on poison control center data shows the rate of suspected suicide attempts by self-poisoning among kids ages 10 to 12 rose 73% from 2019 to 2021. For 13- to 15-year-olds, the rate of such attempts increased by nearly 50%.
These problems shouldn’t be written off as Covid-induced blips on the statistical radar. We should all pay attention.
Unfettered access to technology, unreasonable academic expectations and increased societal anxieties are crushing many children. But all hope is not lost. Everyone can make commonsense adjustments that will save lives and improve the mental health of the next generation.
We know that children can have a hard time with in-person interactions — a problem exacerbated for many because of the pandemic, especially for those who were in a vulnerable stage of development when Covid-19 hit.
Many children, feeling isolated and lonely, will retreat to their online world. They turn to social media for attention and rate themselves based on likes and other digital barometers of social success. Girls are especially vulnerable to staring endlessly at doctored photos and obsessing over why they don’t look the same.
As the surgeon general has advised, we should set boundaries for our children’s social media use. And as children discover social media, parents should communicate openly about the dangers of taking it too seriously. Parents should go as far as downloading social media apps and engaging with their children about their online world. Those moments can be opportunities for conversations about body image, self-esteem, gender identity and other vital mental health topics.
Equally oppressive for many kids is the pressure of being accepted to a top-tier university. At Northwell Health here in New York, we have set up mental health support services at dozens of school districts on Long Island. Through the program, we see children as young as 12 already worried about whether they’ll get into an Ivy League school. No child should be crippled by that sort of pressure – never mind a student in middle school.
These social pressures can have a cascading effect because modern parenting practices often shield children from difficult experiences. As a result, their kids struggle to build resilience and learn from hardships.
Mitigating the risk of child suicidality
For an entire generation, it’s too late to change every behavior or risk factor, which is why it’s important to take children seriously if they speak about contemplating suicide and to ask for medical help.
Therapists can help uncover adolescents’ emotional triggers and help parents manage their own anxieties or expectations. Behavioral health experts can guide caregivers with recommendations on how to create a safe environment and keep dangerous items away from children showing signs of suicidal ideation.
As health care providers, our responsibility is to educate everyone about pitfalls. That includes speaking directly to communities – in person or online – on how to get help or support children. We also should train school administrators about the importance of mental health support and school connectedness, which can make a difference in students’ lives.
Speaking to — and learning from — kids is also important, because they recognize the negative impact of stress and have been making great strides in approaching mental health with less stigma than previous generations.
For example, a group of students taking part in our children’s hospital’s “Cohen Strong” peer advocacy program recently requested classroom space and resources to create a de-stress room during AP testing week to help them decompress before their exams. Students reported that the ability to get away from the classroom noise and engage in soothing activities helped decrease their anxiety significantly.
Whether students tested better because of the exercise or not, they reported being in a better frame of mind — and unlike a test score, that can be a matter of life and death.
Vera Feuer, MD, is director of emergency psychiatry services at Cohen Children’s Medical Center.
This op-ed originally appeared in U.S. News & World Report.
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