Students Tell All: What is truly impacting their mental health?
Be sure to check out the suggested Huddle question at the bottom of this article to have an engaging conversation on this topic with your students in class!
Recent surveys conducted by the EdWeek Research Center shed light on a notable difference between what educators believe is impacting student well-being compared to the challenges that students say they are struggling with.
While bullying on social media is often pinpointed by adults as the primary source of teen mental angst, the survey findings reveal a different narrative. High school students, it turns out, identify schoolwork-related stressors as their predominant mental health hurdle. This survey raises a crucial question for educators: How can we be tuned in to the stress triggers that impact our students? Let’s find out.
The Root of Student Stress and Anxiety
The survey, conducted by EdWeek Research Center, asked high school students, teachers, and principals about the main factors causing stress among students and revealed a discrepancy between what educators think and what students believe.
It’s important to close this gap because when teachers understand what’s causing students to feel anxious, they can assist them in dealing with stress more effectively, making it easier for students to thrive in school.
Sharon Hoover, the co-director of the National Center for School Mental Health, says it’s not surprising adults are quick to assume social media is a primary stressor for students. She says, “Some of the adults might be more keen to identify something that they didn’t experience as a stressor when they were growing up,” said Hoover. “I think there is a quick assumption that the increase in mental health concerns must be related to something new to this generation.”
So, what does the survey tell us?
Top 5 stressors for students that negatively impact their well-being, according to students
- Stress related to finishing schoolwork/homework (34%)
- Grades/test results (28%)
- Concerns about my physical appearance (22%)
- Anxiety over societal issues/news (21%)
- Concerns about how I am perceived by others (20%)
Top 5 stressors for students that negatively impact their well-being, according to educators
- Bullying online/ by text/social media (70%)
- Concerns about how they are perceived by others (67%)
- Family (67%)
- Friends (60%)
- Concerns about their physical appearance (56%)
While educators’ believe that cyberbullying, friends, and family make up a large portion of student stress, students reveal that’s not often the case. This data highlights that students believe school and social challenges are the main cause of their stress. While no student is the same, this research helps us pinpoint common causes of student stress and anxiety. By understanding student stressors, building stronger relationships with them, huddling with students regularly, and doing wellness check-ins, educators help students handle the pressure of their daily lives and ultimately support the whole student, not just their academics.
School’s Impact is Not to Be Ignored, But Neither is Social Media’s
The difference between adult perceptions and student realities underscores the intricate web of factors influencing student well-being. For high schoolers, the pressure to complete assignments, excel in academics, and navigate the complexities of grades emerges as a dominant force.
However, students may be afraid to reveal how social media impacts them, or they might not be totally aware of the effects platforms like Instagram and Snapchat have on their mental health. Hoover states that “teens might be deemphasizing the negative impact social media use is having on their mental health. It is designed to be addictive. They might be incentivized to downplay how anything related to social media, like online bullying, is hurting their moods for fear that it might be taken away from them.
The bottom line? School is a bigger stressor for students than most educators may realize. However, anxiety over physical appearance and self-perception is still prevalent, and it’s likely in part due to social media. So, what are schools able to control, and how can they improve student well-being outside of the classroom? While it’s impossible to make academics completely stress-free, educators can help students time-manage, strike a balance with their devices, overcome test anxiety, and regularly huddle with their students to create an open and safe environment for students to communicate how they feel.
TSI’s Take
When creating a plan to help students navigate daily stress, we have to take into account that schools are not the sole cause of this stress, but many students don’t always feel at ease discussing stressors from their home and social life with teachers. In fact, the EdWeek Research Center found that only 39% of students feel comfortable talking to a teacher, while a whopping 90% of teachers believe students would be open to such conversations. Recognizing this reality, schools can foster an environment that not only acknowledges academic stressors but also equips students with ways to handle the pressure.
To help your students handle the pressure, in and out of the classroom, here are some tips to share with them:
- Sharing your failures and missteps with others not only helps normalize failure but reduces the stress that comes with it. Students are less likely to be stressed about an event if they know someone else is struggling with the same stressor.
- Always make time to unwind! Even though taking breaks, whether from social media, studying, or another activity, can seem more stressful than helpful, they’ve been proven to help reduce stress and relieve mental clarity
- Priortize time management. It’s easy to feel like there are never enough hours in the day. On the days students feel like they have too much on their plate, help them find a way to map out their day, scheduling time for the things they need to do as well as the activities they enjoy.
Helping students handle the pressure of school and social media is important, but the first step to doing this is to understand your students on a level beyond academics. To learn more about your students and what they enjoy and value, check out The Social Institutes’ 2024 Student Insights Report: How social media, tech, and current events impact student well-being.
#WinAtSocial Huddle Question
Huddle with your students
Stress is a totally normal feeling that everyone experiences in their lifetime, but it doesn’t mean stress is fun or easy to deal with. Luckily, there are a multitude of different ways you can work to reduce your stress, and better handle the pressure of school and life. What are some steps you take to reduce stress when you’re overwhelmed? What are things you shouldn’t do if you’re feeling stressed?
The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in empowering students by understanding students. Through #WinAtSocial, our gamified, peer-to-peer learning platform, we equip students, educators, and families to navigate their social world – in the classroom and beyond, online and offline – in healthy, high-character ways. Our unique, student-respected approach empowers and equips, rather than scares and restricts. We incorporate timely topics about social media, tech use, and current events that are impacting student well-being and learning. #WinAtSocial Lessons teach life skills for the modern day, capture student voice, and provide school leaders with actionable insights. Through these insights, students play an essential role in school efforts to support their own health, happiness, and future success as we enable high-impact teaching, meaningful family conversations, and a healthy school culture.