The mental health field has seen numerous concerning studies and trends pour in over the last few years, recently culminating with the CDC’s release of their latest youth risk survey which contained some of the most sobering numbers yet; more than one in four teen girls seriously considered attempting suicide in 2021, while nearly six in ten reported feeling persistently sad and hopeless. Much of the response from the media and medical world has focused on the national shortage of mental health providers and gaps in access to mental health care. Indeed, these are extremely valid points that we must address as a nation.
However, when one takes a step back and considers that it is also true that from a mental health perspective, Generation Z is indisputably the most treated, most engaged, and most medicated generation in our country’s history. This fact suggests the very real possibility that perhaps our core problem, and therefore best potential solution, may run deeper than simply getting more of today’s youth on psychotropic medication.
I believe that the key to turning things around starts with the very basic premise that humans are innately social beings. Medically, we see evidence of this in the very first stages of life. When a new mother is allowed to hold their newborn infant, studies show the infant is better able to regulate their own vitals including heart rate, body temperature and oxygen levels. This practice, now referred to as “skin to skin” time, has become widely encouraged by my colleagues in obstetrics and pediatrics. We also see the benefits of socialization towards the end of the life cycle, with Alzheimer’s patients demonstrating better cognitive function if they get regular socialization and remain in meaningful relationships. Unfortunately, it appears that social media, or “digital socialization,” does not offer the same clinical benefits seen with actual socialization, and in fact many studies now show it can be the driver of significant psychological distress.
As a board-certified forensic psychiatrist and father of four young children, including three daughters all under the age of 10, I believe the epidemic we are witnessing in anxiety, depression and suicidality among today’s teens and young adults is not simply an access to care problem. Rather, I believe today’s youth is responding as I would expect them to, given this new virtual lifestyle and the associated very superficial, deeply pathological message our modern society is sending them. In a variety of ways, we seem to be signaling to our children and teens that what matters in life are one’s number of “followers,” physical appearance, and materialistic possessions. Relatedly, a recent Wall Street Journal poll found that many traditional American values that involve caring for others, including patriotism and community involvement, are on the decline while the only priority that has risen in recent years among Americans is “money.”
This is a deeply flawed and hollow mindset that will inevitably lead to intense levels of disappointment and despair in virtually all cases, with spikes in anxiety, depression, and suicidality to follow. That is precisely what our young ones are currently experiencing and struggling with. After all, if a young teen spends countless hours viewing and posting highly selective pictures online - pictures that are then run through a slew of artificial “filters” – is it any wonder why that same teen may experience high levels of anxiety and insecurity when leaving their home to step out into a completely unfiltered world?
I would submit that our teenagers are actually experiencing a very normal reaction to a highly abnormal, highly digitized lifestyle pattern. Additionally, it is worth noting that the harms of social media addiction are not just limited to the false “reality” they are exposed to on their phones and computer screens. The harm is also in what we are not doing when we are staring at our phones – we are not exercising, not engaged in conversation, not actually socializing, or caring for others. Even when in the physical presence of family and friends, the screens still get the lion’s share of our attention all too often.
A just and psychologically healthy society does not judge people based on their looks, material possessions or number of “followers,” but on what we do to care for and serve others – the very essence of humanity. How are we interacting with and serving our community? Our town? Our country? These are the values and key questions to ask and to prioritize when talking with our young ones, whether that is in the home, the classroom or at a social gathering. We must try to replace selfies with service. The sooner we return our focus to these core principles, the better off the next generation will be from a mental health standpoint. After all, serving others is something that is deeply engrained in our DNA as Americans. We are a nation that not only rallied together to fight and die for our own freedom, but our ancestors did the same so that other nations could be free as well.
Dr. Hegarty is a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and Board-Certified in both General and Forensic Psychiatry. He is also a Commander in the United States Navy’s Medical Corps. The views expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Navy, Department of Defense, nor the U.S. Government.
