Disturbing Decline in Teen Mental Health—What Does the Bible Say?

[JennyM]

On Monday, February 13, 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States released a report on the mental health of U.S. teens. It noted that over 40 percent of high school students experienced persistent sadness and hopelessness.
“Although we have seen worsening trends in mental health for young people over the last 10 years,” stated Dr. Kathleen Ethier, director of CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH), “the levels of poor mental health and suicidal thoughts and behaviors reported by teenage girls are now higher than we have ever seen.”

 

https://www.jw.org/en/library/series/more-topics/teens-mental-health-bible-help/

 

 

Its in the mainstream media now. My question can we blame  social media  apps for teenage mental health crisis?

According to a psychologist, girls internalize their feelings more than boys. Or are they abused  or is it because of feminism?

I would love to hear your thoughts about this. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dustparticle]

15 minutes ago, JennyM said:

On Monday, February 13, 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States released a report on the mental health of U.S. teens. It noted that over 40 percent of high school students experienced persistent sadness and hopelessness.
“Although we have seen worsening trends in mental health for young people over the last 10 years,” stated Dr. Kathleen Ethier, director of CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH), “the levels of poor mental health and suicidal thoughts and behaviors reported by teenage girls are now higher than we have ever seen.”

 

https://www.jw.org/en/library/series/more-topics/teens-mental-health-bible-help/

 

 

Its in the mainstream media now. My question can we blame  social media  apps for teenage mental health crisis?

According to a psychologist, girls internalize their feelings more than boys. Or are they abused  or is it because of feminism?

I would love to hear your thoughts about this. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The events ever since 2020 is causing a lot of mental health issues. Is  Social Media is one of them? Yes. Yet there are other factors are involved too. I’m glad tha the brothers address how females is get hitting the hardest because the media as a whole often push it aside.

[Android89]

There are multiple factors, and social media does play a part. But it seems that mental illness has been on the rise for a while. Just 1 personal example my parents are pretty healthy mentally but I (their son) got Autism, Anxiety, Depression, OCD, lack of self esteem. And that seems to be the case for most of the younger ones. 
 

A part of it is probably our environment, with all the pollution and chemicals. There is social media where people posts highlights of there lives and that can make some people unfairly compare themselves to others and think they don’t measure up. Society is changing becoming more isolating and individualistic so people are becoming more lonely, especially with the rise of the internet. Also biologically sometimes the brain has chemical imbalances. 
 

I also look at it sometimes that it could be a sign of the great tribulation, and the closer we get the likeliness of mental illness grows. When I was learning Psychology my teacher wrote a book for the class and one part mentions the brain being compared to a computer and mental illness as glitches (I like this personal expression). Our Brains and Bodies are so complicated that mental illnesses is relatively easy to happen, especially with like I said imperfection.
 

 

[Eejay]

1 hour ago, Android89 said:

But it seems that mental illness has been on the rise for a while

 

I am finding an increase in conditions such as high functioning Autism and also ASPD. And there is a willingness on the part of those experiencing such conditions to actually reveal the situation quite readily to me on the ministry, despite me being a complete stranger.

[Ishaya]

The problem is more of psychological and way of life.

 

The spirit of comparison is the greatest problem,and girls are most hit because comparison is an inseparable part of women's lifestyle right from girlhood.comparison causes recurrent jealousy which lead to depression and unhappiness

 

Boys have a better approach to things,boys don't compete or feel jealous of one another because they share things easily among themselves and they are very open with their feelings to one another,so they tend to live happier and deal with disappointments more easily.

 

[JVincent]

I appreciated all of the comments concerning the mental and emotional health of younger ones and you are correct. There are number of factors that can bring about these conditions. Inheritance (genetic), neural malfunction, alcohol and/or drug abuse on the part of the mother during pregnancy. These can also include legitimate medications. My doctoral thesis was on fetal alcohol syndrome . The MAYO clinic has this to say: "Neurobehavioral disorder associated with prenatal alcohol exposure — problems functioning due to neurocognitive impairments, such as problems with mental health, memory, impulse control, communication and daily living skills, caused by drinking alcohol during pregnancy." Of course, there are environmental factors involved. Probably, much of it is due to social media and the need for attention. As you know, there have been a number of suicides because of on-line verbal abuse. Even comments with no apparent intention to harm can cause a feeling of worthlessness and/or a distortion of a person's life and life choices. All in all, this situation is very complicated. But, as we all know, the only real solution is Jehovah's Kingdom --- Rev. 21:3,4

[JennyM]

Thanks for all your comments. @Dustparticle @Android89@Eejay @Ishaya. I do all agree with you. The physical body of a woman is liken to a weaker vessel. Imagine the hormonal changes every month that cause mood swings.  

The social is pushing a woman to be good looking which is not so achievable for an ordinary woman. Those professional models are into countless hours of work out because thats what they supposed to do. 

 

Social environment too can greatly affect our mental health. We are overly stimulated by noise pollution. And  more than ever, this world has never been a safer place to a  young girl or a woman. Did you know that there are always rape-slay cases in my country? 

 

@IshayaMaybe, a woman go to doctors and more readily ask for help thats why the number for girls is more than boys.

@Android89 Yes. the title of the article has "keep on the watch."  When the GT arrives, "people will faint out of fear."  to see all system of things are collapsing. 

[JennyM]

and  I would like to add that in the time of social media, young people cant handle  that they dont need social validation in those social apps. They were not born when  young children freely play on the street. People were more social back then unlike today. They are glued to internet, virtual socialization which is often fake or that it only highlights people's good times not including the bad times. 

[Dustparticle]

55 minutes ago, JennyM said:

and  I would like to add that in the time of social media, young people cant handle  that they dont need social validation in those social apps. They were not born when  young children freely play on the street. People were more social back then unlike today. They are glued to internet, virtual socialization which is often fake or that it only highlights people's good times not including the bad times. 

You have a good point. Many friends cannot handle this site because it is the official site of Jehovahs Witnesses. Social media or not all of us need to draw the line. If a friend mind cannot handle this or any other sites that pertain news around the world needs to think twice what he or she is feeding into their mind. The things we seen about 1990 on the screen it totally differant now in which we never thought of what is going on today.

[Esined]

8 hours ago, Ishaya said:

The spirit of comparison is the greatest problem,and girls are most hit because comparison is an inseparable part of women's lifestyle right from girlhood.comparison causes recurrent jealousy which lead to depression and unhappiness

 

Hmmm, social pressure and social conditioning are involved but I don't think that explains it.

 

There's an Awake article from 2017 that says:

"The incidence of depression in teenage girls appears to be higher than that of boys. One factor may be the stress resulting from emotional, physical, or sexual harassment or abuse, which girls often have to cope with. “When a scary external world and a chaotic internal world collide,” wrote professional counselor Sharon Hersh, “the result is often overwhelming and confusing.” Girls may also be unduly influenced by media portrayals of the “ideal” body. A girl who sees herself as physically undesirable or who is overly concerned about peer approval may be more vulnerable to depression."

 

I found these statistics here:

• One in 9 girls and 1 in 53 boys under the age of 18 experience sexual abuse or assault at the hands of an adult.
• 82% of all victims under 18 are female.
• Females ages 16-19 are 4 times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault.

 

This is not surprising to me based on experience. And trauma and stress cause physiological changes in the brain and inflammation in the body that can lead to depression, anxiety, insomnia, PTSD, etc, so it makes sense that more girls are dealing with this.

 

Women and girls also have to deal with hormonal changes that impact our moods and other physiological processes. Believe it or not, most medical treatment doesn't factor that in.

 

Chemicals in the environment and in the food supply, changes in the way we live now vs in the past all have an impact on girls' hormonal and endocrine systems. Girls are experiencing puberty at much younger ages than they were in the past. This all has implications for mental health. The struggle is real!

 

Edited February 18, 2023 by Esined

[Android89]

10 hours ago, JennyM said:

The physical body of a woman is liken to a weaker vessel. Imagine the hormonal changes every month that cause mood swings.  

I’m a Guy so I was offering my opinions on both men and women in general.

[JennyM]

12 hours ago, JVincent said:

 Even comments with no apparent intention to harm can cause a feeling of worthlessness and/or a distortion of a person's life and life choices. All in all, this situation is very complicated. But, as we all know, the only real solution is Jehovah's Kingdom --- Rev. 21:3,4

True. Some older brother and sister prefer to talk to someone face to face rather than sending text on apps. They dont want to be misunderstood and unintentionally hurt someone.  and yes genetics has an impact too. 

 

5 hours ago, Esined said:

I found these statistics here:

• One in 9 girls and 1 in 53 boys under the age of 18 experience sexual abuse or assault at the hands of an adult.
• 82% of all victims under 18 are female.
• Females ages 16-19 are 4 times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault.

This is one of the reason that Im thinking. The present society conditioned young girls to be sexy. We all see that in pop music. Then, to be desired sexually? 

Ive read from Awake or WT that the prevalence of pornography can lead to more serioius problem. This could be the one. 

Women are not honored and loved as the bible  commanded.  

 

There are many rape slay cases in my country than in the 90s. Men can view porn easily on their phone. Perhaps young women are more fearful of their environment more than ever before. I did feel that before. Im older than teens and I felt constantly around men.   When a guy contacted me on my FB without any common friends, I blocked him right away because I am afraid that he will cause me harm. 

 

 

[JennyM]

1 hour ago, JennyM said:

But high school girls are speaking out, too, about stresses that started before the pandemic - growing up in a social media culture, with impossible beauty standards, online hate, academic pressure, economic difficulties, self doubt and sexual violence. The isolation and upheaval of covid made it tougher still.

The reasons girls are in crisis are likely complex, and may vary by race, ethnicity, class and culture. Harvard psychologist Richard Weissbourd points out that "girls are more likely to respond to pain in the world by internalizing conflict and stress and fear, and boys are more likely to translate those feelings into anger and aggression," masking their depression.

Weissbourd added that girls also are socialized not to be aggressive and that in a male-dominated culture girls can be gaslit into thinking there is something wrong with them when problems or conflicts arise. "They can be prone to blaming themselves," he said.

That's not to say everything that people do on smartphones is problematic, Twenge said. "It's just social media in general and internet use show the strongest correlations with depression," she said.

Ella died by suicide on Jan. 22, 2022. Her parents said they wish someone would have alerted them to the warning signs. Unknown to them, Ella was being bullied, and she was devastated by a breakup, they said.

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/crisis-american-girlhood-214121721.html

[JVincent]

Obviously, there can be no comparison between women's and men's social upbringing. By far, women have been on the "losing end" than men. As a man, I was taught not to cry, not show any emotions, not to be compassionate, to believe we always have THE solution to a problem, not to have deep affection toward other men (The old "what are you, some kind of a queer?"), to be the "ruler" of the house, that it's the woman's job to care for the children, the house, the laundry, the shopping etc..ect..ect... ad nauseum. My point is that all of these "societal norms" have caused deep-seated problems between women and men. Look at the current divorce rates and the number of unwed mothers. Satan has done a "great job" in his attacks against the basic family unit, wife and husband. What better way to bring about the collapse of any society, the very foundation of life on this earth. Remember that he is trying to thwart Jehovah's original purpose for man and woman. Please try to keep in mind the complete picture.

[JennyM]

7 hours ago, JVincent said:

Obviously, there can be no comparison between women's and men's social upbringing. By far, women have been on the "losing end" than men. As a man, I was taught not to cry, not show any emotions, not to be compassionate, to believe we always have THE solution to a problem, not to have deep affection toward other men (The old "what are you, some kind of a queer?"), to be the "ruler" of the house, that it's the woman's job to care for the children, the house, the laundry, the shopping etc..ect..ect... ad nauseum. My point is that all of these "societal norms" have caused deep-seated problems between women and men. Look at the current divorce rates and the number of unwed mothers. Satan has done a "great job" in his attacks against the basic family unit, wife and husband. What better way to bring about the collapse of any society, the very foundation of life on this earth. Remember that he is trying to thwart Jehovah's original purpose for man and woman. Please try to keep in mind the complete picture.

 

Jesus a perfect man freely expressed his emotions when Lazarus died and when  people didnt respond to his message and he knew that destruction was certain to them, he cried. 

Jehovah freely expressed His love to mankind.  ex. Jeremiah 31:3. The Creator is so loving and expressive of His love. No more powerful and more masculine than Jehovah. 

He is above the wisest, powerful and yet the most loving  person you would ever met. 

 

The education system is teaching students to be rational than to be emotional or sympathetic. And being empathetic is a hindrance to progress. 

 

We see in the movies that its ok to rape women, thats its ok to be violent against women and  to sexualize women. They portray that women like to be sexualized. But in the bible the greatest need of a woman is to be loved and that can be passed on to their offspring. No greatest gift that a man could give to his children than to love their mom. Thats brings stability to the family.   And most importantly, Jehovah will be happy because God is love.  

 

This loveless world is not habitable for women anymore. Being harrassed, sexually assaulted and a domestic violent victim, for years, I am in constant fear that a man could abuse me again. 

 

[computerwiz]

On 2/17/2023 at 10:28 PM, JennyM said:

My question can we blame  social media  apps for teenage mental health crisis?

According to a psychologist, girls internalize their feelings more than boys. Or are they abused  or is it because of feminism?

I would love to hear your thoughts about this.

 

I love science and medicine and digging for the truth behind chronic diseases and whatnot, and I can say that the mental health crises we see today is so complicated, you cannot pin it on one single thing.  Everything I've learned and read, I can summarize it as this:

• Caffeine intake - Our body's natural ability to relax is blocked.  Thereby increasing anxiety.
• Low/No fat diet - Our brains need fat for proper development.  Also, many vitamins are fat soluble.  Without fat, we miss out on key vitamins.  This trend has contributed to the rise of mental disorders and disease.
• Poor gut health - Serotonin is produced in the gut.  Poor gut health = poor serotonin production.  Serotonin plays a key role in such body functions as mood, sleep, digestion, etc.  Chemicals in our food contribute to leaky gut & microbiome problems.
• Sleep apnea - More people have it than you think.  Don't have to snore to have it.  This condition greatly increases stress & anxiety in people.
• Not enough energy for healthy bodily function - Our bodies need energy from various sources to operate at peak efficiency.  We get it from food, but our food is polluted.  We get it from water, but our water is "dead" (structurally different than water from a moving river & in sunlight).  We get it from oxygen, but there is less oxygen these days and it is polluted.  We get it from sunlight, but we are told to stay out of the sun and it is bad for you.  And we get it from the earth, but we don't walk barefoot on the earth anymore.  So with a lack of energy, our systems deteriorate and throw things out of whack.
• Getting stuck in fight or flight - We have so much stress from so many sources, it is easy to get stuck in fight or flight.  Our body cannot heal when we are in fight or flight.  Learning how to let go & get unstuck, we are able to heal.  Limiting & letting go of negativity, which can easily come from social media, will help us to get unstuck and therefore heal.

 

Now knowing these facts & thinking about what life was like during the COVID lockdowns, you can see:

• Our diets probably got worse.  Eating out at restaurants stopped, and if a person didn't cook for themselves, they probably turned to more processed junk.  At least with eating out you had a chance to have a proper diet.  Eating more processed foods contributed to the Low/No fat and Poor gut health problems.
• With a poorer diet during the pandemic, many of us gained weight.  This in turn contributed to the sleep apnea problem.
• We stopped going places and hanging out, and stopped going on vacations to beautiful beaches and fresh air.  This contributed to the Not enough energy problem.
• We got stuck on our phones/TVs/games more easily, so we didn't go outside as much.  This contributed to the Not enough energy problem.
• COVID was very stressful.  This contributed to the stuck in fight or flight problem.
• Those who caught COVID had damage to their lungs and encouraged blood clots.  No doubt causing oxygen problems and contributing to the not enough energy problem.

 

So can we blame social media?  Indirectly, a little bit.  But to say that social media caused the increase of anxiety & depression...that is far from the truth.  The neglect of many other important things is more proper to blame.  COVID only exacerbated the terrible path of health that many people already travel.

 

Anxiety & depression are very very complex things.  That is why they are so hard to solve.  But my functional doctor + all my research has solved my anxiety.  Hopefully this information can help others...

 

PS - Does any of the above help with past trauma, when that is the source of anxiety or depression?  Maybe, but I don't know for sure.....

[Amygdala]

Parents of teenagers need to be aware of the clues, including making sure their kids are eating properly, getting enough rest and/or managing their problems, and building their own relationship with Jehovah. This is where lots of patience and a listening ear are important. Because teenagers go through feelings of change, new feelings, identity issues and peer pressure, stress from school work, or for some bullying. So parents not only need to be aware of their kids feelings, but also be their sounding board even if they seek to distance, and most important give them enough love and affection to feel that they have self-worth and maintain healthy self-esteem. Because the world is a scary place. Our kids need to feel safe, and by making sure their diet gives them enough nutrients and vitamins, getting fresh air and exercise, enough hours of sleep, and a good spiritual routine can certainly contribute to allay at least the driver for anxious feelings.

[JennyM]

1 hour ago, computerwiz said:

 

I love science and medicine and digging for the truth behind chronic diseases and whatnot, and I can say that the mental health crises we see today is so complicated, you cannot pin it on one single thing.  Everything I've learned and read, I can summarize it as this:

• Caffeine intake - Our body's natural ability to relax is blocked.  Thereby increasing anxiety.
• Low/No fat diet - Our brains need fat for proper development.  Also, many vitamins are fat soluble.  Without fat, we miss out on key vitamins.  This trend has contributed to the rise of mental disorders and disease.
• Poor gut health - Serotonin is produced in the gut.  Poor gut health = poor serotonin production.  Serotonin plays a key role in such body functions as mood, sleep, digestion, etc.  Chemicals in our food contribute to leaky gut & microbiome problems.
• Sleep apnea - More people have it than you think.  Don't have to snore to have it.  This condition greatly increases stress & anxiety in people.
• Not enough energy for healthy bodily function - Our bodies need energy from various sources to operate at peak efficiency.  We get it from food, but our food is polluted.  We get it from water, but our water is "dead" (structurally different than water from a moving river & in sunlight).  We get it from oxygen, but there is less oxygen these days and it is polluted.  We get it from sunlight, but we are told to stay out of the sun and it is bad for you.  And we get it from the earth, but we don't walk barefoot on the earth anymore.  So with a lack of energy, our systems deteriorate and throw things out of whack.
• Getting stuck in fight or flight - We have so much stress from so many sources, it is easy to get stuck in fight or flight.  Our body cannot heal when we are in fight or flight.  Learning how to let go & get unstuck, we are able to heal.  Limiting & letting go of negativity, which can easily come from social media, will help us to get unstuck and therefore heal.

 

Now knowing these facts & thinking about what life was like during the COVID lockdowns, you can see:

• Our diets probably got worse.  Eating out at restaurants stopped, and if a person didn't cook for themselves, they probably turned to more processed junk.  At least with eating out you had a chance to have a proper diet.  Eating more processed foods contributed to the Low/No fat and Poor gut health problems.
• With a poorer diet during the pandemic, many of us gained weight.  This in turn contributed to the sleep apnea problem.
• We stopped going places and hanging out, and stopped going on vacations to beautiful beaches and fresh air.  This contributed to the Not enough energy problem.
• We got stuck on our phones/TVs/games more easily, so we didn't go outside as much.  This contributed to the Not enough energy problem.
• COVID was very stressful.  This contributed to the stuck in fight or flight problem.
• Those who caught COVID had damage to their lungs and encouraged blood clots.  No doubt causing oxygen problems and contributing to the not enough energy problem.

 

So can we blame social media?  Indirectly, a little bit.  But to say that social media caused the increase of anxiety & depression...that is far from the truth.  The neglect of many other important things is more proper to blame.  COVID only exacerbated the terrible path of health that many people already travel.

 

Anxiety & depression are very very complex things.  That is why they are so hard to solve.  But my functional doctor + all my research has solved my anxiety.  Hopefully this information can help others...

 

PS - Does any of the above help with past trauma, when that is the source of anxiety or depression?  Maybe, but I don't know for sure.....

I totally agree with what you have written. Excellent post. 

I was a young university student  and I had very poor food intake and not enough exercise and poor rest.What I only did was to stuck my head in books so I had poor mental health too. 

 

I love caffeine. It keeps me awake from doing computer work. And its true, our food and water are already polluted.  Theres a song which say "its in the water." 

Plus  life is so stressful we are constantly in fight and in flight.  Terrible. I hope the new world is coming. 

 

I wouldnt want my kids to be born in this system. Thats why 1 kid is enough. 

 

@Woanders I dont want to have more kids in this system.  I love kids but its hard  to raise and its challenging to keep them healthy in this system mentally, physically and spiritually. plus if you are a jw, they are target of satan too. 

 

 

[Amygdala]

Further to the subject:

 

https://jonathanhaidt.substack.com/p/social-media-mental-illness-epidemic

[JennyM]

22 minutes ago, Woanders said:

Further to the subject:

 

https://jonathanhaidt.substack.com/p/social-media-mental-illness-epidemic

validation from social media is not good and it can be addictive

Edited February 23, 2023 by JennyM
wrong grammar