School work, a part time job, extracurriculars, friends; high school is a mess. The main reason teens are so stressed is because they have too much going on and not enough time to do anything.
A 2018 study from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that 34% of high school students work part time jobs for up to 20 hours a week, though some states limit them to 18 hours. A 2014 study says that teachers assign about 3.5 hours worth of homework a day. However, that’s from the teacher's perspective, which doesn’t account for the extra time a struggling student may take. These 3.5 hours a day can add up to over 17 hours per school week according to Phoenix.edu. Now, averaging out the 18 hours of work, a teen could work for about three hours a day. Assuming that every teen got the recommended amount of 8 to 10 hours of sleep every night, they’re busy for at least 15.5 hours with work, sleep, and homework. This doesn’t even account for the 8 hours spent at school. If you add that on, the total comes to 23.5 hours of their day to be accounted for. This leaves them with only 30 minutes of downtime.
It’s no surprise that students are stressed. Especially since most teens only get an average of 7.4 hours of sleep. During adolescence, the body is biologically programmed to fall asleep at a later time - 11 p.m. specifically. If school starts at 8 a.m., then students have to wake up at approximately 7 in the morning. Sure, this theoretically allows for a whole 8 hours of sleep in a night, but that’s only if they actually fell asleep at 11pm. It’s entirely possible, if not likely, that students are staying up later doing homework. Others may be taking the time to unwind after a long day, watching their phones and consequently keeping their minds awake.
Sleep is important and it can be a problem when it’s missed out on. Ironically, sleep helps you deal with stress. The amount of sleep you get can affect your mood, and if it’s lacking, can lead to depression. In a vicious cycle, depression can cause a lack of sleep.
Research shows that there are ways to help combat stress. It is suggested that you exercise and get enough sleep. Find a way to work fun and socialization into your schedule. Focus on the positives, and talk to someone about it. Stress can be managed.
Sources:
https://www.theclassroom.com/effects-part-time-jobs-high-school-students-18007.html
https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress-teens
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/teens-and-sleep
Photo Credit : https://www.medicalnewstoday.com