Lightwood 4
Alec Lightwood
4th Block English I
Ms. Christie – Research Paper
24 March 2012
Teen Stress Research Paper Draft
Teachers often scoff when their teenage students complain about being over-stress, but some researchers claim that the teens are justified in their complaints. Karen Kaplan, of the University of Texas explains that stress is simply “an internal response to an external event,” or “in the case of 21st Century adolescents… it is the very real emotional and physiological response to a perceived danger/threat/worry that may or may not exist.” Clearly, the latter part of this quote suggests that stress can build from sources self-created, as well as those beyond one’s control.
The most commonly accepted source of stress for teens is based on self-image. Peer pressure and the struggle to meet the expectations of parents, coaches, and teachers top the list in a study of 124 adolescents. “Expectations, pressure to do well, and not achieving” can in second place with the majority of students, followed closely by the pressure to perform in the categories of “relationships, extracurriculars, tryouts, shows, and sex” (Beacom). The pressure to perform well in school is not limited to the classroom as many might assume. “Teens who play sports…feel the pressure of being part of a team… [worrying] about how they’ll perform… [fearing] letting down their teammates if they don’t play well” writes Susan Gregson in her book Stress Management. This social pressure to perform well and be accepted flows easily from the field to the hallways and throughout the teen community. In the Kidshealth.org article "What's Worrying You," a survey of 600 students, 30% chose social issues like “fitting in, having friends, being judged, or being teased” as their biggest fear upon returning to school. It is apparent that the majority of stress teens go through is created by the struggle to create an image that is accepted by others: working to make parents proud, not disappoint teammates, impress potential dates, and fit into a social group…all simultaneously. To adults, these stressful teen-challenges may seem trivial, but health scientists are discovering that, for teens, these stimuli are as serious as a life or death situation, literally.
At times, a teen’s body will respond to outside events with stress, whether the teenager wishes it or not. “The problem for modern adolescents is that the same stress hormones that saved their ancestor from the jaws of death also course through their body at the thought of a pop quiz” (Kaplan). Karen Kaplan and the professors at the University of Texas Medical School agree that teens will commonly list the struggle to get into college in the same breath as the struggle to find a seat in the lunch room; however, the professors can explain that this behavior is completely out of the teenager’s control. Kaplan refers to the work of Ann Saunders, MD, the associate professor of psychology at the U.T. Medical School, who confirms that it doesn’t take much to send stress-creating chemicals like cortical and adrenaline to the teen’s still-developing brain. Testing supports that though teens may be "over-reacting" by adult standards, their bodies are functioning like those of adults, so the comparison is inappropriate; it is normal for a teenager to have an adrenaline-fueled reaction to a seemingly unimportant event, due to biological factors beyond anyone's control. In fact, not just chemicals cause stress out of any teen’s control, as the brain’s pre-frontal cortex, which regulates behavior, is not fully developed in young people (O’Brien). Miles O'Brien reports that The National Science Foundation has worked with psychologist Adriana Galvan on the subject of stress in teens, discovering that teens “experience stress as more stressful and… [there is a] neural mechanism that’s underlying [a] connection between high levels of stress and poor decision making.” This, of course, causes a vicious cycle of stress and poor decisions, which cause additional stress. Adults should take note that teens are often stressed out for reasons beyond even their own understanding due to the fact that “our brains don’t differentiate between real and imagined threats” (Kaplan). It may be out of teenagers’ control, or even against their will, that their stress levels skyrocket over a friend’s decision to not sit with them at lunch.
Sometimes the actions of those surrounding a teen affect the young person more than expected though. Events out of one’s control can still cause one stress, but even more so for a teen, considering the research findings of O’Brien and Galvan. Life-changes a like the chronic illness or death of a close family member are difficult for everyone in the family and can cause “deeply painful feelings” (Gregson). These occurrences are beyond anyone’s control and they affect all who are close to the victim, but some actions purposely taken by those close to a teen have detrimental effects on the young person. When there is a changes in the teens parents’ financial status or increased arguing between family members, even leading to divorce, the family issues directly impact the teen as all issues of “conflict and loss” do (Walker). Besides events occurring directly around them, teens can also become stressed through events that happen to others. Teens with strong empathy for the suffering of others can create even higher levels of stress for themselves if not monitored. Susan Gregson relates the story of Charis, whose cousins lived in the same community as “three teens whom were shot and killed in the hallway of a high school…she imagines how her own loved ones would feel if she were killed. She begins to feel sick and show other symptoms of heavy stress because “second hand stress causes the same symptoms as stress” (Gregson). Although this is not one of the most commonly identifies causes of stress for tens, it is more prevalent in our media-filled society, feeding viewers details on all sorts of crisis across the globe, as well as TV show and movies expanding on all the challenges and possible negative outcomes for a variety of hypothetical situations: “16 and pregnant,” “First Week In,” “Gossip Girl,” and even CNN to name a few.
Adults who have not read the research may continue to dismiss teenagers for feeling stressed after watching a dramatic video of child soldiers on Youtube, as has recently happened with the Kony 2012 video; however, adults must accept that there is more that stresses teens than even the teens are aware of or have control over. The common culprits of peer pressure and social acceptance weigh heavily on these developing brains and chemically-charged young bodies, and even the most confident, self-assured teens must deal with tragedies outside of their control. It is an understatement to claim that adults should teens’ stress levels more seriously. After such research findings, more adults should think twice before dismissing the complaints a teen under stress.
Works Cited
Beacom, Becky. "What Stresses Teens Out." Chart. Palo Alto Medical Foundation. Palo Alto: Sutter Health, 2012. 11 March 2012. <pamf.org>
Gregson, Susan R. Stress Management. New York: Coughlan, 2000. 12-22.
Kaplan, Karen Krakower. "Teen Stess 101." The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. 2010. 10 March 2012. <uthealthleader.org>
O'Brien, Miles and Jon Baime."Teens and Stress." The National Science Foundation. 20 June 2011. 11 March 2012. <nsf.gov>
Walker, Joyce. “Teens in Distress Series: Adolescent Stress and Depression.” University of Minnesota. 2005. 10 March 2012. <Extension.umn.edu>
“What’s Worrying You.” Ed. Steven Dowshen. Feb 2009. 10 March 2012. <Kidshealth.org>