Hi Everyone,
I am responding to the article “Teenagers are telling us that something is wrong with America.” The first thing that stood out to me in this article is the statistic that suicide among teenagers aged 10-24 increased by 54% from 2007 to 2020. Before reading further, my initial thought was that this massive increase is most likely due to the increase of social media and technology usage. I am glad I continued reading because this article provided examples from the perspective of teens regarding what was going on in their lives and what they thought was wrong. Although social media may be a problem, it is definitely not the main issue.
The examples from the teens perspectives in this article emphasized a struggle between self and the outside world. A client referred to as B in this article mentioned that she observed her parents’ unhappiness and mixed messages about success and lifestyle. Although her parents seemed unhappy, they continue to push her towards the same goals and lifestyle, and view any negative emotions from B as an attack. Her concerns highlighted societal issues, exposing cultural weaknesses offering insight into broader concerns. B seems to be questioning her path, especially when looking to the future in an unstable environment. This led B to a fantasy of withdrawal since she couldn’t sustain a sense of self or place. B said that she wanted to move to the countryside and live an isolated, simple life. She also said that she, “Didn’t want to work, or make money, or have children, or be with anyone really.” This leads to the question of how someone can look forward to the future when they feel hopeless? How can clinicians assist teens when they feel lost and confused? I think a good start is by listening to listening to them, and acknowledging that there is no “quick fix” to the problems they are experiencing.