As we start high school, we run into many stress and problems, leaving our mental health state low. High school students deal with many things, such as depression, anxiety, unhealthy social media use, and so much more. As high school students, we should be able to try and overcome our problems. 

Depression can be very serious and cause a huge impact on our lives. One risk could be academic performance, leaving students unable to concentrate. Someone dealing with depression can really mess up their focus in class or when trying to complete any assignment. Another risk is not having the motivation to do anything, leaving them to fail high school. There are many cases where students would start to isolate themselves. Even with friends and family, leaving them to not have a social life. There can be conflict between students and teachers, messing up the relationships they have with everyone.

Anxiety is also another common and huge problem high school students have that can impact their lives. There is a thing called perfectionism, which makes us students push ourselves too much because we want to be better in everything we do. Also, sometimes students would even be scared to make mistakes, even though that is a part of being a high school student. A lot of students have a fear of judgment, which can make them feel overwhelmed about what everyone thinks of them. This is why complimenting people by saying nice things about them can really brighten up someone’s day. “I would tell them I would hear them out and tell them to speak to your therapist or seek some help and I’ll be there for them while you’re going through the mental crisis and I’ll say it’s OK you can get through this life is gonna get better. Just be strong. Keep your head up and I’ll always be there for you.” -Daina Jusmon (Senior)

As students face their problems with social media, it can also be an excellent thing for them.
Social media really makes students view things a lot differently, to where they would start comparing them to people they see online. Also, cyberbullying is the thing most teens struggle with, leaving them to not want to go to school, or to harm themself. High school students struggle to go to bed on time, leaving them tired at school and unable to focus and do their work. The result of this can be the phones and them being on social media late at night.

Because of social media, it could lead students to procrastinate and do things late every time. As they would say, “I can do this later” or “it’s not due until the end of the week”. But as social media gets known for its bad reputation, there are positive effects of social media that can be used in a healthy way. It could give you free resources for your homework or for an exam. Help build relationships and help students with their communication skills.

“I would tell people to talk to a trusted adult or school counselor on why their mental health is bad.”- Nathaniel Miller(Sophomore). These are some reasons why it is okay to go see a school counselor and why schools have them. They are there for a reason to help you in any way. And the same goes for teachers, you will be able to talk to them, and also if you really need extra time for work, they will likely extend your time, leaving you stress-free.