Recently, research suggests that the mental state of young people in America is deteriorating. It is becoming more and more common as the environment around teenagers is filled with stress resulting from the increasingly competitive world around them. What leads to mental illnesses, such as depression and anxiety, cannot be reduced to just one cause, but rather to a multitude of probable causes that are still being studied. They range from the more obvious ones, like stress from school and technology, to whether or not you were born full term. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayOnly the search for one of the best-known causes of mental problems in adolescents, in school and in the resulting environment, throws readers into a vortex of first-story stories from those who have experienced them. One of the many stories that included a victim's account was an article in The Atlantic by Lucy Dwyer, a St. Louis writer, “Salli-Ann Holloway couldn't breathe. Sitting in her Advanced Placement English class, she couldn't stop shaking... Her body went numb.” It is implied that the stress from the advanced training course had finally reached breaking point causing a physical reaction known as a panic attack. An untreated (or undiagnosed) mental disorder could have more drastic consequences than simple behavior, it could potentially alter a person's physical health as well. Furthermore, it is not just simple high school or middle school classes that affect adolescents, but involvement in extracurricular activities such as sports, band music, and college classes should also be considered. For those who are not academically gifted, sports and the arts would put the same pressure on them as they rely solely on their talent to secure a secure future. One of the communities in society that suffers more than any other from mental health problems would be the LGBT community. Because of discrimination against those who identify as LGBT in places like middle and high schools, students' academic potential is hindered and their mindset becomes a breeding ground for depression. An article that comprehensively discusses the effect a person's sexual orientation can have on mental problems is "Sexual Orientation and Depression: Statistics and Where to Get Help." Author Michael Kerr explained how toxic a hostile environment can be for those affected: "LGBT students who experience victimization and discrimination typically have worse grades and do not perform well academically." If small distractions can already lead to poor academic performance, put yourself in the shoes of those who are also victims of discrimination based on their sexuality. Given that there is so much negativity surrounding these young people, it is not difficult to imagine why they are more likely to suffer from mental illness than those who are not LGBT. While it may seem minor compared to the last cause, an often overlooked stressor that could negatively impact young Americans is finding a job to help their families through tough times or to be financially independent. This cause of depression and anxiety also links to those mentioned previously as the student would not only attend school but also sacrifice time spent on homework for shifts. This suggests that teachers and other authority figures in an educational place should be open to working with their students so that they can feelsupported. The Mental Health of America (MHA) reveals that more than half of all college students have jobs, so with the worry of paying for your education and succeeding in your classes comes the knowledge that a lot of stress damages your health mental. Since this piece specifically states that its target is America's youth, it is critical to recognize that generations defined as “young” have grown up surrounded by ever-evolving technology. Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University, discusses in "As Teen Mental Health Deteriorates Over Five Years, There's a Likely Culprit" how screen time can influence mental illness or vice versa. In doing so he presents the thought that “not only have smartphone use and depression increased in tandem, but time spent online has been linked to mental health problems.” This notes that the more time spent on the phone browsing the web, the greater the possibility of mental illness in today's youth. Twenge points out that by being more interested in what appears on the screens around us, we interact less with others, causing that feeling of isolation that can be one of the symptoms of many mental problems. Along with the increased use of technology inevitably comes the abuse of available social media to hurt each other. Cyberbullying has seen an increase in the last decade due to the popularization of social media among younger generations. Consequently, with the spread of social media, the "trend" of cyberbullying has also spread. Summarized from an article titled “Cyberbullying and depression go hand in hand, according to new study,” published by the reputable site Huffington Post, as new research emerges that depression and cyberbullying are linked. If left unresolved, like any other bullying, it can lead to mental disorders such as anxiety every time the victims' phone rings with a notification and even depression at the nastiness in the derogatory comments made by the harassers. The most shocking aspect of this form of harassment is that the attacker is often the victim of their own bullying, whether online or in person, and tries to take their frustrations out on another person. When victims' depression goes unnoticed, some of these adolescents are apparently driven to the point of committing suicide. There are more negative aspects, than just cyberbullying, on social media that lead to worsening mental states of young people. The more a person is on social media, the worse they may start to feel about themselves and those who use it more tend to have more anxiety as highlighted in the piece “It's Complicated: Teens, Social Media and Mental Health”. Anxiety can result from the presentation of a “perfect life” lived by many influencers on sites like Instagram. Even if viewers know that the person isn't actually having an everyday adventure in exotic locations, there's still the subconscious thought of "why can't I or why isn't my life like that." For some, a naivety can be created after looking at the “perfect” posts too much. When they reach adulthood, one of the other reasons hypothesized as to why anxiety occurs is because the way life is not always as “perfect” as it may be portrayed. Social media use should not be cut, but people should have a limit so as not to get carried away and end up in a spiral of depression and anxiety caused by low self-esteem. resolved or worked on, such as bullying, technology use, and pressure from school and home that affect a person's mental state. A theory that, although certainly needs further research but.