Dillan Teabout

English 101
March 17, 2017
Essay #2

High school is a good start for the students to begin thinking about life. They begin to know what

they’re passionate about and decide how to fulfil that by going to college or going into the

workforce. While some students know their passions, others fall suspect to the pressure of

finding that. This can be overwhelming. Depression can loom over their shoulders. Along with

all the other thing these students go through, you could see why high school students may suffer

with anxiety and depression. Some places try to solve it by screenings, but can that really help?

An African-American young man named Kyin is a high school student in the 10th grade.

He had a pretty normal childhood. Recently, he had an anxiety attack. It was triggered from his

teacher talking about life after high school. He started to questioning his self about his life after

school. During a debate in class he teacher chose the topic to talk about why they need high

school. He started thinking “What if he doesn’t become anything in life and school isn’t helping

his case” (Kyin). The teen years are tough. Teenagers are obliged balance good friendships,

success in school, and along with outside activities. They begin to develop a sense of who they

are (Dumke).

Teenage depression is a serious issue that impacts every angle of their life. Teen

depression left untreated can lead to problems at home and school. Drug abuse, self-hate, or

permanent tragedy such as homicidal violence or suicide (Dumke). In Kyin’s case his grades are
below what is normally expected from him. A straight “AB” student going to a “C” student

causes suspicion. With his recent event, you can see a connection. Whether his grade reflect his

depression or the questioning of his future there is no telling. Social media outlets such as

Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and Facebook can influence a teenager’s outlook on things.

Everybody is affected differently some are influenced more; others are easier or more susceptible

to change. “After looking at accounts with more than one hundred thousand followers, you can’t

help, but to feel insecure about your popularity” (Duong). Kyin has over seven thousand

followers on Instagram. With his following you can’t connect Ms. Duong’s statement to him.

However, Kyin did have a goal to be Instagram famous. “It kind of became an addiction, I was

constantly following people asking for shout outs” (Kyin). This changes to outlook with Ms.

Duoug’s statement. Excluding his personal friends, most of the people Kyin is following on

Instagram is famous men or successful men and in general are typically African-American

males. This is where the connection makes sense. It seems like Kyin’s anxiety attack along with

the questions he asked himself adhere to the people he follow. Teenagers develop role models or

an icon. Kyin had grown up with his father in and out of his life constantly. The presents of a

manly figures weren’t in his life. He grew up with a single mother that didn’t really bring the

men in her life around him. The only people she ever brought home were her female friends.

This makes it safe to assume this is the reason he follows those men. These are the people he

looks up to in some way. His low grades are a negative situation for him to have if he truly

aspires to be like these men. This could have led to his anxiety attack and ultimately his

depression. “Depression can destroy the very essence of a teenager’s personality, causing an

overwhelming sense of sadness, despair, or anger” (Dumke).

 The problem with this person is his fear of failure, which causes his depression. This is

not the case for every teenage nevertheless the symptoms are the same. Irritable mood,

unexplained pains, extreme sensitivity to criticism, or withdrawal from friendships (Dumke).

Depression is more common in teenagers than most people think. Experts even say only 20% of

depressed teens ever receive help (Dumke). Depression in teens can be triggered by bulling,

feeling hopeless, low self-esteem, fear of failure, and many other things (Kist). Social media

makes thing easier to make someone feel down. It could be an innocent joke about people who

are failing in classes, who are “ugly”, or fat. If someone has a low self-esteem. They might feel

like they fit the description they will be uncomfortable about themselves. If they are already

depressed, then this could push them further in their depression. The CDC claims that suicide is

the third leading cause of death for fifteen to twenty-four-year-old people. For many suicidal

teens, depression or another psychological disorder plays a major role (Dumke).

There has been an argument made that the kids should be screened for a mental illness

such as depression. “A screen is conducted in two stages: teens fill out a short questionnaire and

are then interviewed by a master level social worker or clinical psychologist” (Friedman).

Screening seems like a good process, because teens don’t ask for help. Fifty-five thousand young

people in forty-two states were screened, and seventeen percent were referred for further

evaluation. This seems wonderful, because you catch them before the depression gets worse.

Parents are unaware of ninety percent of suicide attempts made by teenagers, because they give

no warning A twenty-three-year-old woman was screened when she was fifteen; she claims that

her meeting with the screening staff helped her feel comfortable. In fact, students who were

interviewed felt less depressed than those who were not. (Friedman). However as good as this
screening program sounds not it doesn’t have total support. They believe that screening student

is harmful. The evidence behind this claim regards a thirteen-year-old that scored high on their

suicide rating. This person was taken from her parents for five months. The parents couldn’t

even visit or speak to her. This girl was restrained more than 26 times in span of five months

(Lehrman). It is easy to see how traumatic this could have been for a thirteen-year-old girl. On

one side screening is bad eight-four percent of the teens who tested positive were found not to be

at risk (Lehrman). On the other hand, seventy-two percent of the kids reported doing well or

significantly better after seeing a mental health professional (Friedman). Kyin just happens to be

one the few kids who admit to their depression. He has talked to his parents about it and now he

currently feels better. Not every kid is like Kyin however; statics show that many of them don’t

talk about it. So, is the screening a good solution? Does the good that comes from it out weigh

the bad. The best solution to beat depression in teens may be in front of the people. A voluntary

screening program could help, but how many of these kids who are depressed would go?

Depression may not be stoppable, but can be supported by a different approach.

 Works Citied

Dumke, Lisa Flores. “Depression Puts Teens at Risk.”

Opposing Viewpoints in Context, Nov. 15, 2007

Duong, Dana. “Social Media Can Cause or Worsen Anxiety Disorders.”

Opposing Viewpoints in Context, Feb. 26, 2014

Friedman, Richard A. “Mental health Screenings in Schools Help Children.”

Opposing Viewpoints in Context, Dec. 28, 2008

Kist, Jay. “Dealing with Depression.”

Points of View Reference Center, Jan 5, 1997, pp. 6

Lehrman, Nathaniel S. “Mental Health Screenings in Schools Can Harm Children.”

Opposing Viewpoints in Context, Fall 2016

Ricks, Kyin X. Personal interview,

Mar. 15, 2017