28 ms·

I personally think that mental health in teens is deteriorating because western society throws teenagers into adulthood and forces adult decision-making choices

I personally think that mental health in teens is deteriorating because western society throws teenagers into adulthood and forces adult decision-making choices upon them with nearly constant propaganda. Look at all the shit that's happening at school where kids are advised not tell their parents about certain, sometimes even life-altering, decisions they're struggling with. The social media aspect of it adds fuel to the fire by further isolating every teen and allowing them to wallow in their fears and sadness by putting them into bubbles of same-thinkers. A few years back when political derangement was seemingly at its peak, my 14-year-old cousins were feverously arguing politics and social issues with adults at family functions. It was astounding to me, not because I was shocked that they had an opinion on any of it, but because they wasted their precious youth on stupid adult issues when they have their entire adulthood ahead of them to worry about it. This is an incredible weight to bare for adults, let alone children.

kelseyfrog 4y ago
> kids are advised not tell their parents about certain, sometimes even life-altering, decisions they're struggling with As a parent of a teen a huge part of this comes from the experienced shared by their friends. When a kiddo shares that they're struggling with a life-altering decision with a parent they're taking a risk they will be disowned, kicked out, or that the decision isn't theirs to make and that their parent is the sole-authority on their decision making. When they share it with a teacher in confidence, the risk of the above occurring are less. Kiddos aren't dumb; they're minimaxing[1] - reducing the possibility of worse case outcomes. When they share it with their friends, they absolutely pass around stories of the kiddo that went to their parents and now has to live with an aunt or grandparent now because that other kid made the decision to confide in their parents. Let's be frank, there are certain lines folks have, which if their kiddo came to them for support in those cases, they would tell them wasn't metaphysically possible. We would all like to believe that parents have infinite grace with their kids, but there are real life case that get shared amongst kids, that serve as living counter-examples. 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimax https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimax

kelseyfrog 4y ago

> kids are advised not tell their parents about certain, sometimes even life-altering, decisions they're struggling with As a parent of a teen a huge part of this comes from the experienced shared by their friends. When a kiddo shares that they're struggling with a life-altering decision with a parent they're taking a risk they will be disowned, kicked out, or that the decision isn't theirs to make and that their parent is the sole-authority on their decision making. When they share it with a teacher in confidence, the risk of the above occurring are less. Kiddos aren't dumb; they're minimaxing[1] - reducing the possibility of worse case outcomes. When they share it with their friends, they absolutely pass around stories of the kiddo that went to their parents and now has to live with an aunt or grandparent now because that other kid made the decision to confide in their parents. Let's be frank, there are certain lines folks have, which if their kiddo came to them for support in those cases, they would tell them wasn't metaphysically possible. We would all like to believe that parents have infinite grace with their kids, but there are real life case that get shared amongst kids, that serve as living counter-examples. 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimax https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimax