It's undeniable, at this point: our youth´s mental health is declining- fast. In 3 years, mental health issues in youth have increased by 50% (Action For Children), and even in those without a diagnosable condition, stress and anxiety levels are higher than ever before. After all, it is a changing world.

In the past few years, we have faced a global pandemic, intense worldwide conflicts and a constantly confusing political landscape. Factor in schoolwork, stress about grades, identity and friends, and it's no wonder where this trend comes from.

And as we get into high school, it only gets harder to balance our many, many commitments.

The Stressors of School

Currently, 9th-12th graders are reported to spend almost 3 hours on average to complete homework. The average teen has about 6 hours following school that they can spend: and yet they also need time to eat, sleep, talk to friends , spend time with family, work on extracurriculars, and spend time with themselves. Studies show that people need at least two hours of free time a day to feel satisfied, and about 5-6 hours of social interaction. How is anybody supposed to get all this done? (Statistics from Three Penny Press, Psychology Today, and Go Strengths)

Now consider the fact that colleges and universities, especially top 20 schools, have ridiculous standards for prospective students outside of academics. 25 hours of extracurriculars is considered standard, along with volunteering, leadership roles, “responsible behavior” (what does that even mean?) and sports. Sports alone can take up 15-30 hours a week, and it’s considered standard to have at least one sport on an application.

A person involved in 1 sport and 5 clubs could find themselves spending 30 hours a week. Say they volunteer for 4 more hours at a hospital. 34. Now, say they have two leadership roles, and a job.

Around 40 hours! Plus school!

Even then, a good school admission is not guaranteed. Plus, many of us have chores, families, responsibilities. Not to mention a social life!

Image Credit: Ivan Aleksic from Unsplash

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A Solution

The students of Forest Park Middle School have one solution.

To make this load easier for them, we can make it more manageable. A study hall would not only free up some time but boost morale, mental health, and grades. In a survey conducted in Forest Park Middle School, nearly all students agreed that the workload is, at times, overwhelming, with the majority agreeing that study halls would be beneficial to their mental health.

And, it's completely doable! Last year, we did have an extra period, but we chose to fill it with more, unnecessary work rather than offering students an opportunity to better manage their time and not get left behind.

More than 75% of students also agree that school can be difficult or confusing. This is particularly alarming because 8th grade is the last opportunity to get caught up before high school. In high school, students have to balance more extracurriculars, clubs, and responsibilities than middle school, as well as maintain a good GPA in order to get the future they are aiming for.

The pacing is also often faster. In order to be successful in high school, middle schoolers need to understand the concepts they are working on. Failure to do so can lead to feelings of inadequacy and the decision to ¨just give up¨.

Potential Consequences

Feelings of inadequacy are unfortunately very common in school. It’s almost impossible to find anyone not insecure about grades, their body, or their intelligence. And many people try to brush this off as a part of growing up, rather than a real, huge problem that needs to be addressed.

Yes, as we get older we get more and more likely to compare ourselves to others. But being “good enough” also gets a lot more difficult, and a lot more unattainable. The school system needs to do more to help us. When put into incredibly restricting standards and not given any chance to reach them, students tend to act out, getting into trouble or resorting to cheating on tests.

The school system addresses the consequences, but not the causes of these behaviors.

Image Credit: Issac Smith from Unsplash

As we get older, life gets harder, and our commitments and responsibilities increase, it's true. But students, at least in our school seem to agree: since the point of school is to prepare us, it should give us the tools we need to succeed. So if you feel overwhelmed with the workload, speak up! There are real, possible ways to fix the problems that we face.