Our Generation is so Depressed.

1997 - 2011.

We're all so depressed. Every time I see someone of or generation, online or in real life, something about them is either depressing or just plain sad.

I know our generation is a lot more tied to material things than others ever were. It's a fact the internet is shown to cause depression among teenagers. And apparently there was a study done that showed music loving teenagers were far more depressed than those who read. Self harm is on the rise, as is mental disorders among teens, not to exclude eating disorders. Here' s a few quotes from an article I read.

"According to an article in The National, this generation might be the saddest generation of all evidenced in the rising rate of emotional disorders among adolescents. They increased by 70 percent between 1974 and 1999. In addition, the rate of adolescent suicide has doubled in the last 30 years."

And according to the article, here are some things that define our generation:

"Well educated
Immersed in technology
Very collaborative and creative
Masters of multitasking
Technology leads them to expect instant results and constant feedback
Grow up in smaller households with older parents.
Until the global recession, materially endowed.
Many will work in careers that don’t currently exist
Expected to have at least five careers and more than 20 employers
Environmentally conscious"

Some other things that concern me is the unrealistic exceptions given to us. We're expected to accelerate in everything, and where I live we're shoved into 7 classes a day, filled with a new topic each hour, and given pages upon pages of homework in every class. My teachers always tell me if you don't learn a second language, pass with a B+ or higher, or are unable to properly take notes then you will fail in the real world. I hate it so much. This puts so much stress on all of us. Another issue could be the rise in divorce and families splitting up. In yet another article, I had seen that there is a rise in smaller homes holding bigger families, with the added stress of the economic depression that has taken a hold on the country.

The peer pressure and the pressure of society is pushing down on our shoulders. Models are getting skinnier and skinnier, and the message that being beautiful on the outside is what you have to be in order to be accepted is being forced right into our faces and shoved down our throats every time we interact with the media.

Our generation bugs me because of all this depression. The depression that surrounds us and spreads like a deadly virus to others that we're around until everyone is sporting a new depressing factor about themselves. It seems foreign to find someone who loves life, lives good, and wants to continue on with the way they're living.