4 ms·

Could it be something to do with the CRUSHING BURDEN OF DEBT? No, clearly it is smartphones.

grenoire 7y ago
European students who are not under crushing debt are also having difficulties with such mental health problems. The root of the anxiety and the following depression is economic prospects and the terrible status quo.
- JulianMorrison 7y ago
  Fair, although I expect you'd find less of it. The feeling of "I am literally going to die owing this, I will never be free" isn't doing anyone but the loan-owners any favours.
  - grenoire 7y ago
    In the end it's not a pissing contest by any means. The factors contributing to the mental issues of European students might be different than the Americans', but the overall trend is apparent for both demographics. Sadly enough, the environmental pressures faced in terms of economic situation and extreme competition have been observed for a very long time in Asian nations, exhibiting themselves in the form of suicides. I hope, deeply so, that the West does not devolve that far...
- alexgmcm 7y ago
  Indeed. In Europe we still have huge issues with declining home ownership, youth unemployment and precarious/low-paid jobs (incl. the 'gig economy') etc. I did okay-ish (home ownership still seems impossible), but when I see some of my high school and uni friends stuck in bad jobs with seemingly little hope of escape you can understand the despair.
KaoruAoiShiho 7y ago
I honestly think it's the smartphones. Source: Anecdotal data off of yours truly
- klyrs 7y ago
  Any reason to believe it all boils down to a single factor and not a complex and interconnected set?
  - KaoruAoiShiho 7y ago
    I thought about this a lot. It's my belief that it's similar to porn decreasing sex. You can get fulfillment from media that's like actual sex, it'll make an impact. For social networks we have this thing called a parasocial relationship. We can what we feel like is a worthwhile relationship online (but it's not). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasocial_interaction#Parasocial_relationships https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasocial_interaction#Parasoc... In the end it screws up our incentive systems by fulfilling our natural urges. We dull our loneliness with the internet in the short term, ending up with greater loneliness in the long term. There's been a lot of reports of loneliness rising rising pretty dramatically. Debt on the other hand is falling as a percentage of gdp: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/HDTGPDUSQ163N https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/HDTGPDUSQ163N IMO internet consumption is in the same category of addictive vice as drugs, gaming/gambling, drinking (which is just drugs tbh), etc. It's a short term simulation of successfully achieving our body's goals. It's fake and interferes with our actual success.
Zarath 7y ago
I'd put money on the fact that it is smartphones and the internet over student debt.

European students who are not under crushing debt are also having difficulties with such mental health problems. The root of the anxiety and the following depression is economic prospects and the terrible status quo.

JulianMorrison 7y ago
Fair, although I expect you'd find less of it. The feeling of "I am literally going to die owing this, I will never be free" isn't doing anyone but the loan-owners any favours.
- grenoire 7y ago
  In the end it's not a pissing contest by any means. The factors contributing to the mental issues of European students might be different than the Americans', but the overall trend is apparent for both demographics. Sadly enough, the environmental pressures faced in terms of economic situation and extreme competition have been observed for a very long time in Asian nations, exhibiting themselves in the form of suicides. I hope, deeply so, that the West does not devolve that far...
alexgmcm 7y ago
Indeed. In Europe we still have huge issues with declining home ownership, youth unemployment and precarious/low-paid jobs (incl. the 'gig economy') etc. I did okay-ish (home ownership still seems impossible), but when I see some of my high school and uni friends stuck in bad jobs with seemingly little hope of escape you can understand the despair.

KaoruAoiShiho 7y ago

I honestly think it's the smartphones. Source: Anecdotal data off of yours truly

klyrs 7y ago
Any reason to believe it all boils down to a single factor and not a complex and interconnected set?
- KaoruAoiShiho 7y ago
  I thought about this a lot. It's my belief that it's similar to porn decreasing sex. You can get fulfillment from media that's like actual sex, it'll make an impact. For social networks we have this thing called a parasocial relationship. We can what we feel like is a worthwhile relationship online (but it's not). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasocial_interaction#Parasocial_relationships https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasocial_interaction#Parasoc... In the end it screws up our incentive systems by fulfilling our natural urges. We dull our loneliness with the internet in the short term, ending up with greater loneliness in the long term. There's been a lot of reports of loneliness rising rising pretty dramatically. Debt on the other hand is falling as a percentage of gdp: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/HDTGPDUSQ163N https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/HDTGPDUSQ163N IMO internet consumption is in the same category of addictive vice as drugs, gaming/gambling, drinking (which is just drugs tbh), etc. It's a short term simulation of successfully achieving our body's goals. It's fake and interferes with our actual success.

Zarath 7y ago

I'd put money on the fact that it is smartphones and the internet over student debt.