WILLOUGHBY, OHIO — Middle and high school can be a tough time for teens, and now, with the advent of technology, young people have a whole new layer of stress leading some experts to call the current crop of young people the "anxious generation."

What You Need To Know

  • Lifeact recommends having a variety of coping mechanisms based on your environment

  • High school students say phones and social media add to the already-long list of things teens worry about

  • The "anxious generation" is a term some experts use for the current generation of young people 

An Ohio nonprofit teaches kids coping mechanisms for April’s "Stress Awareness Month” and year-round.

“No matter how much we try to find that safe space, or away from that, we’re still tied by the aspect of social media,” said high school student Maiara Sharma.

She said when teens lock themselves away in their bedrooms these days, they really aren't alone. 

“It adds a lot more anxiety to our generation, a lot more peer pressure,” Sharma said.

Beatrice Ma is the head of the psychology club at Andrews Osborne Academy. She said there’s one stressor she hears about the most.

“People would be caring about their looks, and say, ‘I have to go to the gym. I need make up,’” Ma said.

Student Cooper Fiedig said the ability to shoot pictures and video only adds to the feeling of permanence and students constantly worry about their digital footprint.

“When phones were less accessible, you’d look bad that day and then you can try and look better the next day,” he said.

The nonprofit Lifeact said while these high schoolers describe being impacted by new pressures, overall for teens, school is still their top stressor, and the list of things they worry about is a long one. 

“They’re stressed about what’s going on in the world. They are worried about the environment, the state of our country. It makes them very anxious and stressed out,” said Anna Love, program director for Lifeact.

Love emphasizes having a variety of ways to handle stress.

“You need to have a whole toolbox of coping mechanisms. Sometimes you can pull out the hammer, and it works for the situation, but sometimes you need a paintbrush. What can you do in all these different environments? At home, the park, school,” Love said.

The head of school for Andrews Osborne Academy agrees and said he tries to get students to focus on what matters.

“They always have a fear of missing out: FOMO. What they see online, or what they believe they see, and how does that affect them. Trying to get them to focus on what is important which is their relationships versus what they have or don’t have,” said Gonzalo Garcia-Pedroso.

Ma said she includes mindfulness in her toolbox.

“Every morning when I just wake up,  when I don’t want to go to whatever class, I’ll just do that. And it just makes me feel better,” she said.