Teen Issues with Anxiety: Is Too Much Homework to Blame? 
It’s no secret that teen anxiety is becoming an epidemic. Every teen I mentor these days is dealing with anxiety. Although teen issues have always been common, kids from past generations did not suffer from such extreme mental health problems in such a widespread way. What has changed, and what can parents do to help their kids?
Too Much Homework: Teen Anxiety and the Increasing Workload
When it comes to teen issues with anxiety and depression, there are various theories on the cause of the problem. There’s a lot of focus on the problems caused by social media usage, which are indeed a big concern. One area we don’t hear much focus on is homework and the increasing workload most kids are dealing with these days.
According to a 2015 study published in The American Journal of Family Therapy, students in elementary school are getting up to three times the recommended amount of homework. For many students, this workload increases throughout high school. Between that and the pressure to take on a variety of extracurricular activities, many of these students are working harder than most adults. This leaves them with very little downtime in which they can enjoy being young.
No Time for Human Interaction: Turning to Social Media
Social media can be toxic for both kids and adults. However, when you consider how burdened many of our kids are with homework and too many extracurricular activities, it makes sense that they would turn to the internet for socialization. It’s not an adequate substitute for face-to-face interaction, but for many of these kids, it’s the only time they feel they can be themselves and have fun. As a whole, society seems to be moving away from real human contact and using technology as a primary means of social interaction. It may take decades to understand the repercussions this will have on our mental health.
If you feel your child is receiving too much homework, don’t be afraid to talk to their teachers and possibly request a change if necessary. Face-to-face interaction is crucial for kids, and they deserve it.
