Teenagers are stressed. And pressured. And anxious. And overwhelmed.<\/p>\n
According to a recent study<\/a>, 45 percent of teenagers in the US are stressed \u201call the time.\u201d And though anxiety levels have risen in teens across all backgrounds, it has risen more among teens in affluent areas.<\/p>\n In an essay for Philly<\/em> magazine<\/a>, Tom McGrath explores the idea that \u201cit\u2019s the kids with the seemingly endless opportunities who are most anxious about their futures.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He talks with his daughter\u2019s friend Paige about where her anxiety comes from.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of it stems from the idea of the ideal student or the ideal college applicant,\u201d she said. \u201cYou have to donate to the homeless\u00a0and\u00a0be an astrophysicist\u00a0and\u00a0have a five-point-thousand GPA.\u201d<\/p>\n Paige said that she has high expectations because of the advantages she has.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I feel an internal pressure to do something great, to use my education to do something great, like cure cancer. Do something for the greater good, since I\u2019ve been given this leg up. I think that\u2019s where I feel the need to excel and get all As,\u201d she told McGrath.<\/a><\/p>\n Colleen Philbin, the director of counseling and program development for the nonprofit Speak Up, said it\u2019s important for parents to remind their stressed students that they are still kids. Their brains are still developing.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s so much preparation for adulthood right now,\u201d Philbin said. \u201cThe life of a young person isn\u2019t really about being the best young person you can be anymore, the best teenager you can be. The job of a kid is to be a good kid. Some of that\u2019s lost on us right now.\u201d<\/p>\n Paige admits that it is lost on her.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of people say, \u2018Live every day like it\u2019s your last,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cAnd I\u2019m like, if this was my last day, would I be doing any of this? No, I wouldn\u2019t. I wouldn\u2019t be with the people I\u2019m with. I wouldn\u2019t be sitting in the classes I\u2019m in, probably. But it\u2019s like, okay, you have to follow the path.\u201d<\/p>\n Read McGrath\u2019s full essay<\/a> and explore NACAC\u2019s resources<\/a> for coping with anxiety in the college admission process.<\/p>\n Ashley Dobson is NACAC\u2019s senior communications manager for content and social media. You can reach her at\u00a0adobson@nacacnet.org<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Teenagers are stressed. And pressured. And anxious. And overwhelmed. According to a recent study, 45 percent of teenagers in the US are stressed \u201call the time.\u201d And though anxiety levels have risen in teens across all backgrounds, it has risen more among teens in affluent areas. In an essay for Philly magazine, Tom McGrath explores … Continue reading Dealing with Stress as a Teenager<\/span>