If you are not a teenager reading this, hopefully it will give some insight into how much more stressful high school can be for Gen Z. According to APA adults reported when not getting enough sleep on average they feel more stressed. Stress and sleep have a hand and hand correlation, and teens on average are sleeping on average 7 hours of the recommended 9 ¼, says NationwideChildrens. This is also generous, considering many of my peers mention getting less including myself. Lack of sleep has been related to slowed thinking, reduced attention span, worsened memory, lack of energy, irritability, and so on. All these things are important factors for the school day that lies ahead of them. 31% of teens have reported feeling depressed, sad, or overwhelmed as a result of stress from school and social media according to APA. 

Few teens have reported their stress on the decline. Only 16% in a survey done by APA  while over twices as many 34% reported their stress increasing in the past year. The rest of the participants said that they believe it will rise in the upcoming years. Stress expert Felicia Houston reports covid-19 is making it even harder on teens. “Physical distancing and the inability for children and teens to spend time with friends is negatively impacting their social development and causing psychological problems.” Fortunately ,now, life is getting back to

normal, but many teens are going into highschool lacking social skills they should’ve developed in middle school. This is also causing even more stress, especially for those who lost a family member due to Covid-19. 

With politics on the rise in recent years many teens have taken the deep dive into it and are becoming more involved and passionate about politics. Pew Research Center says that their has been far more ,very strong, partisan conflicts in the past two elections. I have personally seen many comments sections of conflicting topics on social media like Instagram, and tik tok turned into warzones of Republicans and Democrats. 

This article has talked about many of the causes of stress, how do we get rid of it? Well the unfortunate answer is you really can not. You certainly can manage it and avoid things that stress you out and use different methods to release stress. If the cause of your stress is more of a mental thing and something is bothering you “talk it out” says the American Psychological Association. Find someone you trust and let them know how you feel and maybe they can help, but it still feels great to let it off your chest. One of the most important things ,especially for teens, is to make sure you are getting enough sleep, as we have already talked about how bad the symptoms of sleep deprivation can be for a student. For us kids, make sure you remember you are still young and stay mindful, be in the moment and go outside to enjoy nature.”Spending time in nature is an effective way to relieve stress,” says the American Psychological Association.  The PHD certified doctors at APA say, “Kids and teens need time to do what brings them joy”. Whether or not that is drawing, playing video games, sports, etc. Having fun and doing what you enjoy most is a key factor to being less stressed.