maskmatters.org
SPRING 2018
40
“They have to do well because it is
assumed that all kids will/must go to
college, and not just that, but they must
get into the best college if they want to
‘succeed’ and be competitive in today’s job
market.This is a lot of pressure on teens,”
Villanueva says.
In a 2013 survey by the Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation and Harvard School
of Public Health, almost 40 percent of
parents say their high school-age child is
experiencing a lot of stress from school. In
most cases, the stress is from academics,
not social issues or bullying. Homework
was a leading cause of stress, with 24
percent of parents saying it’s an issue.
“A little stress is a good thing,” says
Dr. Mary Alvord, a clinical psychologist
in Maryland and fellow of the American
Psychological Association in an article for
NPR.org. “It can motivate students to be
organized. But too much stress
can backfire.”
Chronic stress can cause a sense of
panic and paralysis, she continues.The
child feels stuck, which only adds to the
feeling of stress.
SOCIAL CONNECTIONS
Given the fact that the overwhelming
majority of teens today are tethered to a
smart phone or other device that keeps
them linked on social networking sites,
teens justifiably feel “on” all the time.Their
peers judge every move, so the pressure
is always on to be cute, clever, sexy, smart
and popular.
For the first time, a generation of
children is going through adolescence
with smartphones ever-present. And
although this generation is physically
safer than those who came before them—
they drink less, they learn to
drive later, they’re holding off
on having sex—psychologically,
they are far more
vulnerable.
“It’s not an
exaggeration to describe this
generation as being on the
educate
J
Generation Stress
brink of the worst mental health crisis in
decades,” wrote Jean Twenge, Ph.D., in
an article for “The Atlantic.” A professor
of psychology at San Diego State
University and author of “iGen: Why
Today’s Super-Connected Kids are
Growing Up Less Rebellious, More
Tolerant, Less Happy—and Completely
Unprepared for Adulthood,” she says it’s
primarily due to smartphones.
“Today’s teens are just not spending
as much time with their friends in person,
face-to-face, where they can really read
each others’ emotions and get that social
support,” she said in an interview with
NPR’s “All Things Considered.” “We
know from lots and lots of research that
spending time with other people in
person is one of the best predictors for
psychological well-being and one of the
best protections against having mental
health issues.”
TAKING ACTION
So what can parents do to help their child
not only deal with the stress they feel, but
also ease it? Villanueva recommends:
J
Communication.
“A study
from the Pew Research Center asked a
national sample of adults which skills are
most important for children to have to
succeed in the world today.The answer:
Communication. As parents, we should
take our own advice and talk to our teens
about expectations and goals, and ask
teens about what they think, what
they want, and how they feel.”
J
Listening.
“This, of course,
means that we should also be prepared to
listen. Really listen. Teens need to know
“A little stress is a good
thing. It can motivate
students to be organized. But
too much stress can backfire.”
– Dr. Mary Alvord
