I am writing in response to the recent My Turn piece attributing the rise of anxiety and depression in teens to social media. I am not sure it is social media as such rather the time social media takes away from other activities. Spending time in nature, playing sports, getting together with family, playing outside, fishing, all help people to feel better about themselves. Excessive time on social media and video games is replacing all the above and that is the problem.
Another problem I see is the current urge to make the lives of kids as comfortable as possible. I see kids that are quite big being driven half a mile to school. Well, I and my husband share one car so I find myself walking in the cold, rain or heat. Then when I come home to a warm home I feel happy. A life of constant comfort never gives any of that, the contrast and happiness. It is a tragedy if young people are considering suicide even before their lives have really started and something we should all be looking to prevent!
Ruth Witty
Greenfield