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Among Us

2020. What a year. One thing I have learned, besides always having two weeks’ worth of

toilet paper, is that things change very quickly. Ferris Bueller said it best: “Life moves pretty fast,

if you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” One Friday, I was picking

out my prom tuxedo with my dad. The next, terror had struck Northgate. Everything had been

cancelled and lines were out the door to leave campus for a “dentist appointment”. It all started

with one little microscopic organism, and resulted in complete panic.

People all around the world were told to stay inside, only going out when necessary to

reduce the spread of COVID-19. What did I do in the following months? The same thing you all

did, I’m sure. Absolutely nothing. I couldn’t go to the movies, hang out with friends, grab a bite

to eat - all normal and accessible activities until now. There wasn’t much to do. To cope with

escalating boredom, people started looking for small hobbies to keep them entertained. For

example, my mom finished a countless number of puzzles, along with drastically improving her

grilled chicken and broccoli game. High schoolers like me were attracted to a much better, more

laid back option: video games. Every morning, evening, night, and beyond, my friends and I

would hop on our consoles and game until our eyes were closed; there was nothing else to do!

One game we played was called “Among Us”. It is a strategic, socially challenging

space-themed game. The game consists of a group of about ten “crewmates” and one randomly

assigned “imposter” whose goal is to kill all the crewmates without being spotted. Everyone has

about a one in ten chance of being the imposter.

One November day, I was doing the same thing I always did with my friends - playing

video games - when someone mentioned a death of a kid in the area. I looked on Instagram and
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saw that someone had committed suicide. His name was Riley, and he went to one of our

neighboring high schools. I actually knew him a little bit; I guess you could say we were

acquiantances. Seeing him at parties, I could tell he had no shortage of friends or things to be

happy about. It was shocking to me; the idea that someone with that much popularity and

positivity around him could end his own life. Shortly after, I received word that another kid from

our rival high school, Las Lomas, had killed himself. His name was Lucas. From the outside, it

seemed like this kid had everything a high schooler would want. He was a big, strong, good

looking kid who was very popular. He played football and basketball, had nothing but great

relationships with people I knew, and had a very attractive girlfriend, I might add. Again, here

was another suicide victim who, from the outside looking in, would never show signs of having

anything to complain about.

From that day forward, I always wondered: “How could someone feel so defeated and

depressed to the point of ending their own life?” This prompted me to do some research, and I

was shocked by the numbers I was seeing. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness,

1 in 5 teens suffer from a mental illness. This issue is prominent. Similar to the game “Among

Us”, you don’t know who it is, but you know it’s out there. We all know someone that is

struggling with mental health. It’s time to address this growing and overlooked problem that has

swept across the incoming generation. It’s time to stop wasting young life.

The rapid introduction of COVID-19 changed our lives forever, without even knowing it

at first. We all have been challenged mentally this year. We do not live in the same world we did

before March of 2020. The events over the past year; leaving children in isolation, restricting

social interaction, have caused a significant increase in depression and social anxiety among all

teenagers. I would like to take a deeper look at the underlying reasons for these increased
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feelings of depression. Why, exactly, has the teen suicide rate increased dramatically during the

coronavirus pandemic?

First, let’s address the obvious: restricted social interaction. I remember being a child,

pacing around my house constantly with nothing to do. Most of my fondest childhood memories

include the daily kick ball games at recess, or riding my bike to Subway with my friends after

swim practice. I didn’t know it at the time, but those were some of the greatest, most

developmental and influential times of my life. Kids are missing these life-changing experiences.

Activities like these require a gathering or an event, an anchor you may say. As March became

April, we started to realize that we may not be seeing our friends for quite a while. We start to

forget the day of the week. Reality starts to set in, more and more every day. It’s been more than

a year since those activities were allowed.

The first 18 years of human life are crucial for cognitive growth and success. They shape

how we act, how we talk, how we think, etc. Throughout history, there has rarely been a

stoppage in development among children. Now, kids have a serious learning gap, not advancing

or improving their character at all. They are staying inside all day playing video games or

watching Netflix, because it’s all they can do! Missy Gilbarg, a Behavior Health Specialist and

former middle school counselor, said: “At this point in a teenager’s life you are starting to

develop your independence and your autonomy from the adults in your life. Once the pandemic

hit, the ability to develop what is a natural development just kind of stopped, and it’s something

we really need to look at.” Teenagers need to talk to people. Not just their parents, but different

people that give them different perspectives on life and ways of thinking.

"Teenagers are in a developmental space where it is critically important that they have

regular contact with their peers and are able to develop close and ongoing relationships
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with adults outside the home, such as their teachers, their coaches, their advisers," says

Lisa Damour, an adolescent psychologist who is a columnist and host of the podcast Ask

Lisa: The Psychology of Parenting. (Kamenetz)

The torture of having a restricted way of life for an indefinite amount of time is too great for

young adolescents with developing brains.

2020 was a memory-less blurr of chaos and isolation. It is challenging, mentally, to see

the light at the end of the tunnel. After months of interacting with the same people, teenagers are

struggling to feel important. Self-esteem, especially, has degraded significantly. Our kids are not

learning. Our kids are not having fun. Evidently, some have started to give up.

In late June of 2020, the CDC conducted a survey regarding anxiety and depression

worldwide; “The percentage of respondents who reported having seriously considered suicide in

the 30 days before completing the survey (10.7%) was significantly higher among respondents

aged 18–24 years (25.5%).” That is an extremely high percentage admitting to suicidal thoughts

within the last month. That statistic alone is jaw-dropping and incomprehensible. With nothing

else to do in the house, statistics are showing that more and more people are turning to drugs for

entertainment and new experiences during lockdown. According to the CDC, “13% more

Americans started or increased substance abuse from March 2020-June 2020”, showing a trend

in the wrong direction. As you may expect, the repercussions of this phenomena have not been

ideal. Proportionally, or maybe even to a higher degree, teenagers have increased their drug

consumption as well: “Before COVID, this study estimates 28.6 percent of teens used alcohol.

During the pandemic, that number rose to 30.4 percent. Cannabis use days also increased slightly

from an average of 3.28 days per three weeks before the pandemic to an average of 3.76 days per

three weeks during the pandemic” (Cenikor Foundation). These numbers are all experimental. In
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reality, I believe it is a lot worse. When I was in middle school, vaping in the bathroom was

completely unheard of. Nowadays, every 6th grader has tried vaping or smoking. It’s quite sad,

to say the least. The reasoning behind this occurrence is simple. They have nothing else to do.

This pandemic has been traumatic for us all. The decrease in social interaction has caused

children to experiment with new substances to stay entertained, ultimately starting addictions

very early in their lives. Drugs and alcohol do not belong in the hands of children. Brains are still

developing until the age of 25. Unwanted substances can effect or halt these progressions by

adding chemicals and anxiety to a growing, testosterone-filled mind. It makes them spiral out of

control emotionally, and disconnects them with what really matters in life: family, friends, and

education. These are the key factors to maintaining a stable, cheerful adolescence.

It was no secret that suicide rates were increasing worldwide. According to America’s

Health Rankings, “The suicide rate has been increasing consistently for the past decade.

Nationally, the suicide rate increased 23% between 2009 and 2018, from 12.0 to 14.8 deaths per

100,000” (2020 Annual Report). This can be for a number of reasons. In the big picture, the

greatest problem associated with suicide has to be social media. I think we can all agree, the

internet is a toxic, dangerous place. Normal people do their best to limit their interaction time,

but that task can be challenging for teenagers whose whole life revolves around their phone.

Parents would laugh, but seriously, that is how kids feel important and connect with their friends.

Unfortunately, the internet is not always a great place. Cyberbullying has really taken over the

culture of middle school and high school students. More and more students are reporting on this

issue: “An estimated 14.9% of high school students were electronically bullied in the 12 months

prior to the survey” (ASPA). I know I can say I have felt mild versions of being cyberbullied,

and I didn’t report anything. I just tried to forget about it and move on. But, the internet doesn’t
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work that way. Gilbarg, the former middle school counselor, said this about the dangers of

cyberbullying:

Even if you post something that you maybe wish you hadn’t posted a couple hours later,

it’s never gone. Chances are someone’s already screenshotted it, shared it, or whatever.

And then the expectations that social media places on teenagers on how they’re supposed

to look, what they’re supposed to do, how they’re supposed to feel.

I’m sure every child has felt the negative effects of social media. Deleting an embarrassing text

or post doesn’t change much. It never goes away. Kids are young, and they are still learning who

they are and who they want to be. Sometimes, experimenting with new personalities and looks

on social media can be detrimental. Don’t judge teenagers for expressing new behaviors or acting

differently; after all, that’s what they should be doing! It may only take one more mean comment

to push someone over the edge.

In addition to being aware of this problem, parents must prepare and educate themselves

on the modern culture and popular trends in our newest generation. They need to accept that the

world they grew up in is a lot different than the world their child is growing up in. In some areas,

parents actually have the opportunity to reduce the chance of having to attend their son or

daughter’s funeral.

Now more than ever, kids have been spending unprecedented amounts of time hanging

around the house. This prompts children to get curious and maybe find some things they

shouldn’t have, such as a gun. The risk of suicide increases greatly when kids or teens have

access to firearms at home. It is the most lethal and effective method of committing suicide:

“nearly 60% of all suicides in the United States are committed with a gun” (Nemours

KidsHealth). It is imperative that parents keep their firearms locked away, hidden from all child
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access. This could leave enough time to spot the problem and get the child the help they need. It

also should be noted that: “In 2018, suicide was 3.7 times higher among males (23.8 deaths per

100,000 population) than females (6.4)” (CDC). This can be for a number of reasons, but experts

believe it is because they use more lethal methods.

You would think that parents are aware of the seriousness of this problem, right? No.

Absolutely not. Most parents only know what their kids tell them at family dinners. They don’t

really know what’s going on in their kid’s life. Parent’s may forget, but adolescence can be a very

stressful time. There is pressure to fit in socially, to act responsibly, and perform well

academically. Don’t be this guy: “Don’t worry, that’s not my kid”. Yes it is. Chances are, your

child is hiding something from you. Talk to your child, learn about their lives. Find connections

that you both can relate to. Make them feel like someone cares about them.

Teenagers are going through a rough time. Not only are they unable to see their friends,

but part of their childhood has been taken away from them. These thoughts alone can cause

serious anxiety and break down mental health. To cure their boredom and loneliness, more than

ever, teens are turning to drugs and alcohol at a very early age. In addition, they are getting swept

up in social media chaos, as our lives continue to rely more and more on technology. Don’t let

your child go down this path. Hang out with them, talk with them, make them feel important.

Every child can be healed with proper guidance and help. With mental health becoming

progressively worse in society, we must keep an open mind. Don’t be a bystander. Life is too

precious to be wasted on dumb things like a social media post. Treat everyone with respect and

kindness, because you never know if your snarky comment online will set someone over the

edge. Maybe, just maybe, if we acted more like humans and less like enemies, someone out there

would say to themselves ‘it’s not worth it’, and that’s good enough for me.
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Works Cited

2020 Annual Report - America's Health Rankings | AHR.

www.americashealthrankings.org/learn/reports/2020-annual-report.

“About Teen Suicide (for Parents) - Nemours KidsHealth.” Edited by Christina M. Cammarata,
KidsHealth, The Nemours Foundation, Oct. 2020, kidshealth.org/en/parents/suicide.html.

Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA). “Facts About Bullying.” StopBullying.gov, 12
Aug. 2020, www.stopbullying.gov/resources/facts.

Bremer, Walter. “Interview with Behavior Health Specialist and Former Middle School
Counselor Missy Gilbarg.” 26 Feb. 2021.

Kamenetz, Anya. “The Pandemic Has Researchers Worried About Teen Suicide.” NPR, NPR, 10
Sept. 2020,
www.npr.org/2020/09/10/911117577/the-pandemic-has-researchers-worried-about-teen-s
uicide.

“Mental Health and Substance Abuse Is on the Rise for Teens Because of COVID-19.” Cenikor
Foundation, 26 Oct. 2020,
www.cenikor.org/mental-health-and-substance-abuse-is-on-the-rise-for-teens-because-of-
covid-19/#:~:text=Recent%20Teen%20Substance%20Abuse%20by%20the%20Numbers
&text=During%20the%20pandemic%2C%20that%20number,only%20about%20twice%
20a%20month.

“Mental Health, Substance Use, and Suicidal Ideation During the COVID-19 Pandemic - United
States, June 24–30, 2020.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, 13 Aug. 2020,
www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6932a1.htm.

“NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness.” NAMI, www.nami.org/.

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Works Consulted

Dastagir, Alia E. “More Young People Are Dying by Suicide, and Experts Aren't Sure Why.”
USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 11 Sept. 2020,
www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/09/11/youth-suicide-rate-increases-cdc-report
-finds/3463549001/.

Frazee, Gretchen, and Patty Gorena Morales. “Suicide among Teens and Young Adults Reaches
Highest Level since 2000.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 18 June 2019,
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Luxton, David D, et al. “Social Media and Suicide: a Public Health Perspective.” American
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Wasserman, Danuta, et al. “Global Suicide Rates among Young People Aged 15-19.” World
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“Youth Suicide Statistics.” Parent Resource Program, 26 Feb. 2021,

prp.jasonfoundation.com/facts/youth-suicide-statistics/.