I can't speak to the American experience as I'm Canadian, but my whole life I've suffered, as many do, with an anxiety disorder. Whether it was worrying about

I can't speak to the American experience as I'm Canadian, but my whole life I've suffered, as many do, with an anxiety disorder. Whether it was worrying about having to perform in drama class (we had limited options for electives in my small town), some assignment being due, or just getting bullied on the bus because you were the weird quiet kid who just read there was always something each day to dread. If you have social anxiety just sitting in a class trying to avoid thinking about all the other people around you who could be looking at you can be enough to be overwhelming. This doesn't mean that every kid had these problems, and the article says as much, but for those who were already having a hard time I can see their conditions being further exacerbated by the constant noise now.