Recently, doctors have noticed a rise in depression and anxiety among the youth. These rises have started since 2011 when social media first began to boom. NBC News say people born after 1995 have been experiencing more mental health issues than any other age group. Anxiety is common among people with depression, so the two go hand in hand. Anxiety is the leading mental health issue and depression is just right behind it.

Health.org say that staying up late scrolling through posts on social media, such as Snapchat, Instagram, Pinterest, and other sources provoke further harm. “It’s important to think more mindfully about how we use our amusement time. That means getting more sleep and spending less time with digital media,” said Jean Twenge. Kids, teens, and young adults mainly have an increase in depression since they feel rushed and pressured more often than any other age range. They don’t understand this sudden rise, but they believe it could be because of social media, fewer coping and problem solving skills, bullying, lack of sleep, relationship difficulties, genetics, or a combination of multiple things. Teens also now don’t know how to deal with some of the problems they face. They start to worry more than most people and start to have low self-esteem. This is becoming very common every since social media started up in 2011. Schools have been trying to help students with these mental health issues and are starting to open more up on the topic. They want the students to make sure they don’t feel alone during this stage of their life.

38% of males and 42% of females experiencing depressive episodes are getting treatment, while suicide remains the 2nd leading cause of death among 15-24 year olds. Many teens don’t look for help even if their depression is treatable. Some teens don’t even talk to a trusted adult like a school counselor, parent, or coach. Teens have became really good at hiding their depression and suicidal actions. A mother would say, “A mother’s instinct sometimes isn’t good enough to tell what’s wrong because the kids become so good at hiding/avoiding the bad moments.” Nowadays, parents have to question if their child is really okay. The percentage from 2005 to 2014 of clinical depression has risen 37%. Since 2017, anxiety has increased by 25%.

Depression isn’t just rising among the teenage group. There has been a recent rise within the United States with the most affected states being Utah, Minnesota, and Maine, according to Blue Cross Blue Shield Data. Anxiety is most common in New Jersey, California, Nevada, and Illinois according to Anxiety.com. In the US, there are more than 3 million cases of depression every year and 40 million cases of diagnosable anxiety. Doctors say those numbers are likely to be higher since people don’t seek help. Anxiety is most common among anyone older than 18, but depression is 25 year olds to 44 year olds. According to US News, researchers believe this age group is most affected because around 25, people are trying to figure out how they’re going to make a living, how they will start up a family, or where they will live.

To some people, the cause of depression is still a mystery Sometimes, a traumatic event or even just genetics triggers it. There is currently no main reason why all of this is happening, but doctors believe that one main source could be from social media. Some people could also have problems with their brain’s normal function. In the brain, the amygdala could be higher in the brain even after managing to calm down from an event. They could also have a smaller hippocampus in their brain, scientist at Harvard have noticed that among people with depression. Stress can also be a main trigger to the rise in depression and anxiety. Researchers believe the stress can be from school, social media, peer pressure, and family events. There is still no definite answer to why the rise is happening.

Depression and anxiety come in many forms, sometimes it’s not noticeable at first, over time someone could get used to the feeling and push it aside, or it can become episodes that only come once in awhile. Learning to talk to a trusted adult will become one of the greatest skills a person and teen could have. Teenagers need to learn that they are not alone during these tough times and they is always someone available to talk to. The battle may be tough but that does not mean it’ll last forever.