The education system in the United States is experiencing an extreme mental-health crisis. According to a new CDC study, "from 2009 to 2021, the share of American high-school students who say they feel persistent sadness or hopelessness" rose from 26 percent to 44 percent. This is the highest level of teenage sadness ever recorded.
The government survey of almost 8,000 high-school students, conducted in the first six months of 2021 found a great deal of variation in mental health among different groups. More than one in four girls reported that they had seriously contemplated attempting suicide during the pandemic, which was twice the rate of boys. Sadness among white teens seems to be rising faster than among other groups.
In the past few years, sadness among teens has been pervasive across every idiom and subgroup. Despite other teen indicators that have behavior trending in positive directions, this is happening. Graduation and college attendance rates are up, and drinking and driving are down 50%. School fights are down 70%, and acceptance of students' diversity and individuality is at an all-time high.
So it begs the question, if kids are doing so good, why do they feel so bad?
The problem seems to originate from not feeling that their lives are filled with as much meaning and shared experiences as their peers. Fueled in part by their phones and social media, today's teens are constantly exposed to people who are seemingly prettier, smarter, funnier, and stronger than they are. To further the damage, very personal terms that used to be vague, like friends, likes, and seen, are now quantified, measured, and displayed for all the world to see. In other words, we have quantified terms associated with human worth.
These numbers have nothing to do with someone's worth and in no way measure the quality of their lives. But, when we don't see tangible, quantifiable evidence to the contrary, it's hard not to be affected.
This usually is where I would go into a section where I talk about how music makes this better. And it does. Music forces students to put away their phones and work as a group. It forces integration and breaks down barriers. Music unifies people and provides students with shared experiences based on equal worth. Yes, music does all of that and more.
But, that's not what I want to talk about. I want to talk about YOU (and me).
A recent poll showed that more than 50% of teachers are considering leaving the profession immediately or earlier than they had planned, and music teacher attrition rates are already higher than regular classroom teachers. I wonder if comparison envy plays a part?
That group has more students or teachers. Another group got a higher score at contest. My colleague gets more attention and has a bigger budget. You see other music teachers with more friends, more likes, and more posts talking about how amazing they are at their job. And while these are indicators of their lives, they don't tell the whole story.
These posts rarely cite struggles at home or with their own children, and they don't mention that they are often comparing themselves to others.
In music, we create shared experiences, with all participants having equal value. We force everyone to interact with every person through the good and bad times and provide the exact same outcomes. There is simply nothing to envy because we all have the same things.
I wish this were true for the teachers providing these experiences, but I fear it is not. In this, we are often alone, and we facilitate a shared experience for our students, ironically isolating ourselves.
I know I was guilty of it. So, I thought you might be like me and want to do something about it.
As we approach Teacher Appreciation Week, I thought we might celebrate each other as others are celebrating you. We have created a form for you to tell us about another teacher that you think is pretty terrific. Not someone you envy, but someone you admire. For your time and effort, they will have a chance to win a nice dinner out, a tank of gas (more expensive than dinner out), or a $250.00 Music & Arts gift card. We will have 50 honorees that will be announced next week.
So, maybe you could take a minute and look at friends/colleagues and help them see the incredible person you see. They can't see it because they're too busy being envious of you.
Have a great week,
Scott