Monday, 9 November 2020
Youth Liberation in Action: Youth Labor Unions
Wednesday, 4 November 2020
Solving the Problem of Youth Suicide: Toward a World Worth Living In
Youth mental health is a public health crisis. Reports have found that teen suicides are
increasing at an alarming pace, outstripping all other age groups. Suicide
death rates among young people have increased rapidly in the past decade –
becoming the second-most common cause of death among young people, outpaced
only by accidents.
For
example, in Alaska, the rates of suicide and depression in Alaskan teens
have increased significantly in recent years. In 2019, 1 in 5 teens attempted suicide.
1 in 5.
I’ll let that sink in. 1 in 5!
How is
our society tolerating this? How is it that 1 of every 5 teens believed life is
not worth living – and were suffering enough to take the affirmative step to
end their lives?
There has
been much speculation as to the causes of this national surge in youth suicide
– from the prevalence of social media to increased access to firearms.
But this
is only part of the story. Mainstream analyses of the causes of the
youth suicide problem stubbornly ignore the oppression of youth and the
intolerable conditions of being a young person.
Modern society strips young people of their dignity and autonomy, and subjects them to arbitrary and meaningless routines. There is no real sense of agency; almost no freedom to explore passions and find what makes life worth living. It seems obvious that this would create an experience where many young people believe that life is meaningless. Combined with the stress and suffering that many young people experience in schools and at home, and one can imagine why some youth see no other options.
Certainly,
the oppression of youth is not the only cause of youth suicide. Traumatic
incidents and the adverse experiences faced by many young people are a
significant factor in mental health. Also, race and ethnicity play a factor in
suicide rates. For example, Alaska Native youth experience
disproportionate suicide rates – roughly seven times the
national average. Additionally, nationwide population-based surveys of American youth have consistently
found rates of suicide attempts reported by LGBTQ+ youth 2-7 times higher than
average. This shows that, as always, the liberation of all subordinated groups
– not just youth – is needed.
Yet
suicide still affects all youth. And dominant institutions may play a major
causal role. One disturbing collection of studies has found significant
correlations between suicide attempts and the school year. In other words,
there is a sharp decline in psychiatric emergencies and
suicide in youth during summer and other school vacations; youth
suicide rates are highest when youth are in school. Moreover, studies have revealed that teenagers are the
most stressed, anxious group of people in America and that 83% of them cite
school as a major cause of their stress.
Another
seemingly obvious factor in increasing youth suicide – and one that is rarely
discussed – is the fact that the future doesn’t appear hopeful. A 2017 Gallup
survey found that only 15% of working adults worldwide are engaged in their
jobs. Other surveys have found that over 70% of Americans hate their jobs or
are completely disengaged. This is a depressing situation. If young people are
told their purpose is to become adults – and they look to adults to see how
their future will be – it’s understandable that they might despair. And of
course, watching adults commit environmental destruction doesn’t help the
matter.
There
have certainly been attempts to address the problem of youth suicide. These
usually take the form of suicide prevention projects. While these are
well-meaning efforts that undoubtedly provide much-needed support for some
youth, they are focused on treating symptoms. They still completely fail to
address one of the underlying causes of youth suicide: youth are oppressed
and therefore many find life meaningless or intolerable. Any real solutions to the problem need to
focus on improving the living conditions of youth.
There is
hope and a path forward. Recognizing youth control and autonomy in their lives
is a start. Ending violence against youth is another important project.
If we can
imagine a world where we work together in partnership with young people; if we
could imagine a society where the lives of all people are recognized as
valuable, then we would be that much closer to a world worth living in for all.
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