The Personal Depression Assistant

Depression and anxiety levels among school-aged children are soaring. What is the reason that these rates have become what I consider to be astronomical? Obviously, there is not a single reason; there are many and it is difficult to apply a blanket statement about the causes to what is happening in schools.

But many kids are just unhappy. Unhappy with school. Unhappy at school. Unhappy with themselves. Middle school-aged kids are being prescribed anti-depressants. What can that be doing to their brain chemistry? Is it fixing the cause of the depression, or is it just alleviating the symptoms?

The first contributing factor I’d like to look into is nearly constant access to technology and the entertainment it provides. Mobile technology in the form of hand-held personal devices has so many of us, even as adults who grew up without it, in chains. Have you ever been unable to locate your phone and felt the panic set in? Do you have notifications interrupting you all through the day? How often do you look at your phone to see if there is something new? Do you sit in a waiting room and take out your phone to amuse yourself without even thinking about it? Do you get worried when someone you messaged doesn’t reply right away?

I have experienced all of these things over the last decade since I got my first smartphone at the age of 37. If you can relate to these anxieties, imagine all of those same things going through the mind of a hormonal middle school-aged child!

Middle school is the HARDEST of our school years. Think about your own time as a twelve to fourteen-year-old. Would you want to do it again? The insecurities of not fitting in, finding friends, not getting laughed at, having a crush, tripping over your awkwardly oversized feet, noticing that you are shorter/taller or much less/more physically developed than others, being too smart or not smart enough, having yard sale clothes or the newest and coolest fashions, being pretty or funny or cool. Now try recalling the halls of your school. Were they crowded? Could you open your locker? Was the kid whose locker was next to yours nice to you? Did you like all your teachers? Did you try to “date”? Did you have friends in your classes? Was PE fun or was it torture? How about the locker rooms? Could you change safely, without comments being made? Were you bullied? Did you do the bullying, or laugh when someone else did? 

Bullying is another contributing factor to soaring anxiety rates. I use middle school scenarios when I write because that is where I have spent twenty years. I know that elementary playgrounds and high school hallways have many of these elements as well. But middle schools are where most bullying happens, and middle school seems to be where it hurts the most! Middle school kids are getting that first sense of independence, which includes fending for themselves, finding their own way, and trying not to be called a snitch or any other demeaning term used on kids who seek adult intervention. And then the hormones.

Bullying is not new. Kids who bully KNOW HOW TO DO IT WHEN TEACHERS AREN’T AROUND. Cyberbullying IS relatively new. It’s not always direct, and it’s hard to detect. The access by children this age to technology that allows them personal and instant access to social media might as well be called a personal depression assistant. 

Kids are comparing themselves and their seemingly “boring” lives to all the amazing highlights and videos they see on their feeds. They are feeling anxiety when they are “left on read” by a friend. They are seeing posts that ridicule them or maybe making posts that ridicule others. They are dependent on their phones for their entertainment, and dependent on entertainment for happiness. They are distracted in class by their need to check their phone or be entertained constantly. This is not how childhood is supposed to be, and it is one of the causes of what has gone wrong in schools. I encourage parents to visit the website Wait Until 8th to learn more about the impact of smartphones and social media on our children’s brains and mental health. 

I want to also be clear that I am not blaming kids, parents, or teachers for this new phenomenon. We all need to seek information, learn about the hazards of child smartphone use, and try to understand its effects. Smartphones and other instant access technologies are valuable tools that can be used to add value to our lives. As with any good thing, the key is in finding balance.