This may be an unpopular opinion but I believe the constant focus on what we call mental health and body image issues is making the problem worse. I know those words are supposed to alleviate stigma and normalize, but if you're telling kids going through regular adolescent issues that they have mental health or body image issues, you're not helping them. And naval gazing is going to make things worse.
Maybe I'm a product of the 90s, but every issue me and my peers faced was waved off as teenage angst that I'll grow out of. I didn't have "anxiety", I was being a wuss. And they were right.
If someone told me I had mental health issues and made me focus and resolve those, through therapy or meds, I would have been much worse off. Brushing it off leaves some small percentage of teens worse off, but I would think the overwhelming majority would be better off not focusing on it. This doesn't even include things like "generational trauma" that people dump on kids.
Whatever you think about today's society, I think it's safe to say that across the board we have a lot more inward facing reflection on things like mental health, especially for children. And what do we have to show for it? Are they better off? Across the board, even kids who aren't as connected to social media are worse off. Which tells me this focus is net negative
Maybe I'm a product of the 90s, but every issue me and my peers faced was waved off as teenage angst that I'll grow out of. I didn't have "anxiety", I was being a wuss. And they were right.
If someone told me I had mental health issues and made me focus and resolve those, through therapy or meds, I would have been much worse off. Brushing it off leaves some small percentage of teens worse off, but I would think the overwhelming majority would be better off not focusing on it. This doesn't even include things like "generational trauma" that people dump on kids.
Whatever you think about today's society, I think it's safe to say that across the board we have a lot more inward facing reflection on things like mental health, especially for children. And what do we have to show for it? Are they better off? Across the board, even kids who aren't as connected to social media are worse off. Which tells me this focus is net negative