The Problem of Teenage Suicide in The Society

Teenage suicide is the leading cause of death for ages ten to twenty-four. It has become an ongoing issue in society that seems to only be getting worse. Not only is suicide with all age groups a growing issue, however, teenage suicide numbers have especially skyrocketed in the last few years. People tend to shy away from talking about it because of how heavy of a subject is may seem like, but talking about it may be the only way to raise the awareness and find an end to this devastating issue. The main problems that seem to be a reoccurring theme in why teenage suicide has become such a huge problem are: the ongoing rise in social media, the pressures of society on kids at such a young age, and the way society has forced families to raise their kids.

The Rise of Social Media 

The rise of social media has become a real problem in today’s society. Kids are learning from such a young age how to work the internet and how to run certain applications such as Instagram and Snapchat. Bullying is an issue that has risen from these social media sites because of the ability to hide behind a screen and say things that you would not normally say in person. “Even youth who have observed but not participated in bullying behavior report significantly more feelings of helplessness and less sense of connectedness and support from responsible adults (parents/schools) than youth who are have not witnessed bullying behavior”.

 The Pressures From Outside World

Another growing issue in the teenage society is the pressures that the outside world puts on them. Anywhere from school to sports to social life can put much unneeded stress on a teen and their everyday life. Sports are starting to become a second job for these kids, as scholarships into college seem to be the main goal these days. The whole fun of sports has completely gone away because of the end goal these kids are seeing. The parents, however, most of the time are tagging right along on this stressful ride and unfortunately are starting to add to the stresses that these teenagers are feeling. 

The Way Families are Living 

Lastly, which might sound interesting, is the way that most families are forced to run these days. ‘The one place of connection that has the potential to be most stable for all children, teens, and adults alike is the family environment. The first place we feel love or acceptance or hatred and a lack of acceptance is in the family. We learn who we are, if we are valuable or not, all through how we are raised. When the home environment isn’t healthy, neither can a child be all that healthy”. The gap in families is created because of the amount of time parents are needing to spend at work because of how much money has become necessary to keep a family going. With this issue, comes kids not being able to have enough time to spend with their parents, and parents not being able to have the tine to be there for their teens when they are needed the most.

References

• Campbell, Sherrie. 2018. ‘Teen Suicide & Family Dynamics’. Drgreene.Com. https://www.drgreene.com/perspectives/teen-suicide-the-role-of-family-dynamics-health- issues/
• StopBullying.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved October 9, 2018, from https://www.stopbullying.
• Suicide. (n.d.). Retrieved October 9, 2018, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/suicide.shtml