Middle school and junior high students spend about 3.5 hours a night on homework. That averages up to 17.5 hours of homework a week. Students are stepping into big shoes. High school is soon approaching and students are participating in extracurricular activities to show on college applications. It is extremely stressful for students every evening with 3.5 hours of homework, a hour and a half of after school activities and maintaining a social life. A recent survey was taken on teen stress by American Psychological Association (APA). The survey is called the Stress in America. The survey stated facts about teen stress and its comparison to adults.

On a scale of 1-10 teens were asked to rate their stress levels. Teens responded with an average of 5.8 . That is 0.7 more than the average adults had given. This question was asked during school year/work time. During the summer, the same question was asked and teens responded with an average of 4.6 . Adults had responded with an average of 3.9 . No matter what time of the year it is, teens still respond with a higher stress level. It is very concerning that teens are at a higher stress level than adults during this day in age. Adults should be providing teens with more care and tools to handle everything they have going on.

Adults are not completely the problem. Yes they should be helping teens more, but teens need to take responsibility. As a whole group, adults and teens, we need to work together and create time to manage our stress. 1 in 10 adults do not participate in any stress relieving activities. Adults should be leading as an example to teens. If both teens and adults work together on solving stressful times, both would benefit and those numbers would drop. Teens would be happier and not as depressed if the proper tools and examples were set for managing stress.

Teens could do many things to relieve themselves of stress if they actually tried and didn’t waste time complaining about all of their stress. Teens would be much happier if they all got some more sleep. Teenagers need to put down the laptops and cellphones. It would do some much good if a teen got the recommended 9.25 hours of sleep, a huge weight would be lifted off their shoulders. Twenty-seven percent said they used eating as a way to manage stress. That is NOT a good way to manage stress. If a teen must binge on a snack at least make it healthy. Doing little things such as more sleeping and eating better can lift so much stress. These tiny things still allow time for all of the work teens need to complete. It is now on teenagers shoulders to carry out theses actions to create a better environment. Let’s not forget the adults leading by example by doing the same.

It is time teens and adults step up to resolving stress. Parents and teachers need to provide tools for teens to manage stress. Teens need to be provided with life and stress managing lessons, not lessons that we will only use to pass a test.