It is often argued that youngsters these days suffer more
stress
than
people
in earlier times.
Although
today’s teenagers have to cope with a lot of
stress
, I believe that their
stress
level does not exceed that of those in the past.
There are several reasons why adolescents are said to feel more stressed than their ancestors.
First
and foremost, they are in competition with their peers not just in their academic performance but
also
in social status. When it comes to sitting an exam, they have a burning desire to outperform their classmates as their future prospects are going to be dictated by those results to a certain extent.
Secondly
, apart from parent pressure, they have to keep up with their schoolwork. They have to make commitments in extra-curricular activities as well in order to win popularity among friends, which leads to excessive
stress
.
This
means that they do not have enough time for their hobbies and relaxation.
Thirdly
, social media magnifies social comparison in today’s modern consumer society, which results in growing
stress
.
For example
, when teenagers cannot afford pricey products like iPhones or PS 3, they are more likely to come in with anxiety and depression as they would not get the attention they desire.
However
, that pressure was not that intense for the community in the past as they led a simple life without access to any information about how other
people
were living.
On the other hand
, the fact that teenagers are going through a difficult time does not necessarily mean that older generations didn’t experience lower levels of
stress
.
People
in earlier times would have faced stressful situations in order to meet the basic needs and support the family because there were not as many job opportunities in the past as there is today.
Furthermore
, if only simple machinery had been used in industry, they would have relied heavily on physical labour.
As a result
, it would have been stressful for previous generations to work in massive production industries. Some workers might have had to work in unsafe environments
such
as construction and mining.
In addition
, due to limitations in internet access and transportation as opposed to today, getting the mails and products delivered to the clients in time would have caused physical workers high levels of anxiety.
To sum up, young
people
feel under pressure as a consequence of competition, a heavy workload and social comparison but their
stress
level is not stronger than that of earlier generations.