These days, as global suicide rates soar and doctors report an increase in stress-related diseases, people are suffering higher rates of stress than in the past. I believe that working too many hours and spending too much time on social media are two main contributory factors. There are steps we can take to overcome this issue.
I believe there are two main reasons for the stress we are under nowadays: people work longer hours and spend too much time on social media. People in many countries are forced into tough competition with peers from a young age. Schoolchildren are pressured into achieving high grades to get into top universities, from which they are expected to graduate with results that are sufficient to win them a top job. At work, they must compete with colleagues to climb the career ladder. This leads to little relaxation time with insufficient time to spend building relationships with families or friends, which further leads to serious stress and health problems. Furthermore, young people often spend their free time scrolling social media, comparing their lives to the perceived successful lifestyles of peers and influencers. Research has demonstrated that this results in a lowering of confidence and self-esteem issues.
This is a serious issue; however, in my opinion, there are some viable solutions. Firstly, we need to learn that top salaries and top jobs do not necessarily bring happiness. If people could learn to be fulfilled from having smaller houses, from cultivating successful relationships, and from having a good work-life balance, stress levels would lower considerably. Additionally, parents should reduce the time their children spend on social media. If young people focus on going outdoors for physical exercise and spending more time with friends and family, they will be less likely to fall into depression or suffer from self-esteem issues. This will lead to a higher appreciation of life which will help maintain lower stress levels in adulthood.
In conclusion, stress levels have gone up considerably with the arrival of the digital era. However, with some awareness and the development of healthier habits, I believe we can overcome this to a large extent.