Is Teen Stress Too Much To Handle, Emmaus High Student Asks

Special to Emmaus Patch by Victoria Laczo

These days teens are all too familiar with stress, whether it be from work, school, sports, or from any other aspect of life. Far too often stress directly impacts life in a negative way. In today's demanding society, the pressure to succeed is at times insurmountable. Teens struggle to  cope with high levels of stress and the continual pressure to succeed, but the question remains—is it just too much?

Academic factors contribute significantly to stress in teens, especially those involved in advanced classes. With looming decisions about college and where to go, it is too easy to get swallowed up by anxiety. Many teens find themselves buried in books and schoolwork for hours after an already long day of school.

Then there are exams including the SATs, ACTs, midterms, and finals. Throw in college applications, and how can teens not be stressed out? Being swamped with too much work and being too stressed is detrimental to not only development, but mental health as well. Some would say to lighten academic courses, but precocious courses are often necessary to keep options open for college. 

Certainly, teens have control over coping mechanisms they use to handle stress, but not all do cope in an appropriate manner. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a recent report displayed that most teens handle the pressure, even with rigorous schedules. However, just because kids are able to handle hectic schedules and high stress, is it healthy? Others say increasing numbers of teenagers are falling victim to anxiety and depression. Signs of stress can be simple, like headaches or stomach pain, but in the long run effects can lead to bigger problems.

Along with the academics, the sports world can be just as much pressure.  Athletes face the need to perform at high levels to make good impressions on desirable colleges. Although sports and all extracurricular activities can provide a release, both lead to even crazier schedules, later nights, and in some cases more stress. As a result, the ideal situation would be for sports to be more of a release than a stressor. Therefore, it is important for teens to stick with activities they enjoy, and avoid being forced into something that only stresses them out. 

Overall the battle with stress remains a reality for every teen, and it is important all teens find healthy ways to cope with the pressure. Experts are finding parents do not always understand or realize the impact stress has on their children. Furthermore, parent-child communication is of the utmost importance so parents can help their children cope with stress in a healthy manner. 

Maybe teens have to take a step back from the strive for excellence and take more time to make themselves happy so they do not drive themselves into the ground. However, maybe a bigger change is needed that takes teenagers, the future of America, into consideration. While it is evident something needs to be done to remedy the problem of overly stressed teens, a finite solution is not so clear cut.

Victoria Laczo is a currently a student in Ms. Bonnie Raub's 10th grade English class at Emmaus High School. Laczo wrote this essay as part of a class assignment.