Generations of Sadness and How to Help Them

Over the past 20 years, many alarming studies have come to light regarding the mental illnesses of the young population increasing significantly with every new generation and the importance we must give to this phenomenon and the future of our society cannot be overlooked.

According to a study by the American Psychological Association, young people suffer more stress, anxiety and other disorders compared to previous generations. Like this study, many other studies explore why new generations are less tolerant of stress.

According to Clay Daniel Owsley, a social work student from the University of Windsor, multiple factors can affect the mental health of new generations such as apathy.

“There is definitely a rise in apathy with more impersonal means of communication in the modern world,” Owsley said.

Apathy is defined as lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern. Many young people have lost excitement about themselves, about others and about the purpose of their lives, being indifferent to their own mental and physical health. This has concerning consequences for the future, taking into consideration young people are the ones who will govern the future society.

According to information from healthline.com, serotonin, a hormone which has been known to significantly help with mental and physical problems, is released when people interact with others face to face, but social networks, creating a physical barrier, makes this hormone incapable of fulfilling its function.
This supports Owsley’s idea about impersonal means of communication in the modern world.

Science and medicine are desperately trying to spread information about mental and physical health, reminding young people ignoring these aspects has consequences, but social and entertaining networks have become the replacement of the cure for mental illness being a distraction for young minds suffering from these issues.

This does not mean technology is our enemy, as if it is used in the right way as a tool to improve ourselves and to reach our goals, the results are the complete opposite.

Just as technology created from love can be useful, another one created without love becomes a way of control that will not be beneficial for the users of this technology.

Besides the problems mentioned, the lack of jobs in today’s society can be a factor as well in the depression of young adults according to Owsley.

“It is a combination of individual choices, exterior legislations, exposure to opportunities and variety of other factors,” he said. “The west is experiencing a similar phenomenon with the rise of NEET (not in employment, education or training) citizens. These people are contributing very little to the modern work force and the pandemic has really heightened this growing issue.”

The lack of passion for purposes or the lack of purposes itself is a common and easy way to suffer mental illnesses eventually.

This is why many social workers and doctors recommend having short-term and long-term goals to sustain good mental health.

The effects of this will not only be reflected on young people’s lives but in all humanity and the world itself, since by being apathetic when taking care of themselves and others, this makes the probability of them taking care of the world lower than expected creating a concerning image of the future.

Some scientific recommendations emphasize when people exercise, their bodies clean themselves of Cortisol, the stress hormone which protected ancient humanity from dangers and gave them the impulse to run or fight for their lives against animals or other humans.

When it comes to modern humanity, our stress comes from different sources like personal problems, work or study and instead of doing physical exercise, which is the correct solution for modern stress, we replace the solution with a calming agent that causes more anxiety and stress, entertainment.

Meditation and mindfulness are another medical recommendation which have shown very positive results by relaxing a mind that is constantly facing worrying thoughts. This simple breathing and thinking exercise has been a treatment for different physical and mental illnesses which are still being studied for their positive effects.

This exercise is not about avoiding thinking, but to relaxing your body, focusing your attention on your breathing or the beating of your heart and as soon as a thought arises, analyze it and then let it go, repeating the process again and again. Performing this exercise for at least 15 minutes a day can improve your life for the better by helping you live in the present.

HenryFordHealth.com recommends you … to reduce Cortisol (hormone stress in your body)