Commentary
The kids of America are not OK. Although the mental health crisis plaguing younger generations is very much global in nature, it’s particularly bad in the United States. Suicide is the now second-leading cause of death among Americans between the ages of 15 and 24. Close to 20 percent of high school students have seriously contemplated suicide, while 9 percent have attempted to take their own lives, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
According to a recent study carried out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in three high school girls in the United States has seriously considered attempting suicide, while 14 percent of high school boys have seriously entertained the idea. In the United States, on average, young girls spend considerably more time on social media than young boys. The link between increased social media use and suicide is well established. Increased social media use is linked with higher levels of body dissatisfaction, depression, and anxiety….