Science Report: Mental Health Crises Spike Among Youth

[donkiez]

Nothing has changed, you have to be there for your kid with love and discipline from Day 1. Can't wait til middle school, too late, foundation is set. You gotta' do the ground work at an early age and be present in their lives, every aspect. There are distractions and "bad kids" like there always has been, but if you prep your kid, they will have a fantastic chance to succeed.

It's super easy to scapegoat "bad parenting", but we have created a society that many people can not afford to be there for their kids in everyway that they might need. Then as the kids become adults and want to become self sufficient then it's even harder for them. Wages have been stagnant, prices are increasing as fast as social services are decreasing. Now in some states we are forcing babies on mothers who either don't want them or can't afford them. We are fucked. It's only going to get worse before it gets better because it is actually still getting worse in front of our very eyes. Along with our gun culture and laws and healthcare affordability, we are in a downward spiral.

 

[Natebishop3]

It's super easy to scapegoat "bad parenting", but we have created a society that many people can not afford to be there for their kids in everyway that they might need. Then as the kids become adults and want to become self sufficient then it's even harder for them. Wages have been stagnant, prices are increasing as fast as social services are decreasing. Now in some states we are forcing babies on mothers who either don't want them or can't afford them. We are fucked. It's only going to get worse before it gets better because it is actually still getting worse in front of our very eyes. Along with our gun culture and laws and healthcare affordability, we are in a downward spiral.

Nobody can afford to have a stay at home parent anymore. And in a lot of cases, both parents WANT to work. My mom was a stay at home parent, and it was a huge positive to have her in my life all the time, but that's just not possible for a lot of people these days.

Also, it's just becoming too expensive to have more than one kid these days. School/Daycare..... the cost of hobbies like sports.... food and clothing..... everything is just so expensive now. My wife and I always wanted to have two kids, and honestly I don't think we can afford to have another one. We are paying $2100 a month for daycare right now.

 

[Phatguysrule]

Nothing has changed, you have to be there for your kid with love and discipline from Day 1. Can't wait til middle school, too late, foundation is set. You gotta' do the ground work at an early age and be present in their lives, every aspect. There are distractions and "bad kids" like there always has been, but if you prep your kid, they will have a fantastic chance to succeed.

You can do all of that, and it still may not be enough.

Things have definitely changed, but doing all of those things you mentioned is certainly a great start on giving your child every opportunity.

 

[Phatguysrule]

Ensuring they all have access to guns will fix the problem....... eventually.

Associating this with guns at all is a huge distraction and has in fact become an obstacle to identifying and addressing the real problems.

 

[Strenuus]

Nobody can afford to have a stay at home parent anymore. And in a lot of cases, both parents WANT to work. My mom was a stay at home parent, and it was a huge positive to have her in my life all the time, but that's just not possible for a lot of people these days.

Also, it's just becoming too expensive to have more than one kid these days. School/Daycare..... the cost of hobbies like sports.... food and clothing..... everything is just so expensive now. My wife and I always wanted to have two kids, and honestly I don't think we can afford to have another one. We are paying $2100 a month for daycare right now.

Lord almighty you're paying a mortgage for a day care.

 

[Natebishop3]

Lord almighty you're paying a mortgage for a day care.

Yes. They just jacked it up by $300 on less than 30 days notice.

 

[Natebishop3]

We are failing our kids. Plain and simple.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/04/us/n...utm_content=2023-05-04T13:49:58&utm_term=link

In history, scores have been consistently declining since 2014. In 2022, the score – on a scale from zero to 500 – decreased by five points compared to 2018 and is approximately nine points lower than it was in 2014, the assessment data show.

The declines were seen across various American history themes, including democracy, culture, technology, and the changing role of the US in the world. In 2022, 40% of students scored “below basic” proficiency, an increase of six percentage points since 2018, the data show.

“Eighth-grade students performing at the NAEP Proficient level should be able to incorporate geographic, technological, and other considerations” in their understanding of US historical events, assessment officials said.

The percentage of eighth graders who said they were taking classes focused mainly on US history also declined from 72% in 2018 to 68% in 2022, according to the assessment.

 

[donkiez]

Associating this with guns at all is a huge distraction and has in fact become an obstacle to identifying and addressing the real problems.

I disagree. Guns are part of the problem and a coping mechanism for people affected. They are very much a part of the equation.

 

[Natebishop3]

I disagree. Guns are part of the problem and a coping mechanism for people affected. They are very much a part of the equation.

I think it goes beyond guns. I think American culture is so deeply seeded in violence and it permeates throughout our society.

Movies... television... music... sports... video games.

We love violence. We love death. Is it really surprising then that kids turn around and resort to violence?

 

[Phatguysrule]

I disagree. Guns are part of the problem and a coping mechanism for people affected. They are very much a part of the equation.

Disagree. Guns are just a tool. If it weren't guns it would be fire or bombs or poison, or cars...Or any number of things.

The important part is preventing people from wanting to hurt themselves or others.

 

[THE HCP]

There's no way HCP actually liked this. Way too many words he doesnt know.

GOOGLE is my friend FAMS!

 

[THE HCP]

It's super easy to scapegoat "bad parenting", but we have created a society that many people can not afford to be there for their kids in everyway that they might need. Then as the kids become adults and want to become self sufficient then it's even harder for them. Wages have been stagnant, prices are increasing as fast as social services are decreasing. Now in some states we are forcing babies on mothers who either don't want them or can't afford them. We are fucked. It's only going to get worse before it gets better because it is actually still getting worse in front of our very eyes. Along with our gun culture and laws and healthcare affordability, we are in a downward spiral.

Deep breathes FAMS.
And you are talking to somebody who has to travel for work year round..... trust me when I tell you I'm not able to be there for my kids all the time....but you gotta handle your shit when you are.

 

[donkiez]

Disagree. Guns are just a tool. If it weren't guns it would be fire or bombs or poison, or cars...Or any number of things.

The important part is preventing people from wanting to hurt themselves or others.

There you go folks. Guns are to precious to those who own them for us to ever fix any of our problems. People can still do heinous shit without them but they sure do make it easy. How is everyone's mental health when you all go out to a super market these days? How about a movie theater? I personally love going to Blazer games and game planning my active shooter escape plan. Everyone totally feels safe now. These are tools of death that should not be available to everyone.

 

[Strenuus]

Yes. They just jacked it up by $300 on less than 30 days notice.

My god. One of my closest friends owns a daycare. I knew it was lucrative but daaaamn lol.

 

[Phatguysrule]

There you go folks. Guns are to precious to those who own them for us to ever fix any of our problems. People can still do heinous shit without them but they sure do make it easy. How is everyone's mental health when you all go out to a super market these days? How about a movie theater? I personally love going to Blazer games and game planning my active shooter escape plan. Everyone totally feels safe now. These are tools of death that should not be available to everyone.

Again, that's a different discussion. There is a thread for that.

 

[Natebishop3]

My god. One of my closest friends owns a daycare. I knew it was lucrative but daaaamn lol.

They don't pay the teachers shit.

We had one of my daughter's former teachers come babysit once and when we told her what the tuition was she was completely shocked. The turnover rate is insane for teachers.

Daycare workers are treated like shit.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

How is everyone's mental health when you all go out to a super market these days? How about a movie theater? I personally love going to Blazer games and game planning my active shooter escape plan. Everyone totally feels safe now.

I've literally never once even thought about the possibility of an active shooter when doing any of those things. People choose what things to dwell upon.

 

[Natebishop3]

There you go folks. Guns are to precious to those who own them for us to ever fix any of our problems. People can still do heinous shit without them but they sure do make it easy. How is everyone's mental health when you all go out to a super market these days? How about a movie theater? I personally love going to Blazer games and game planning my active shooter escape plan. Everyone totally feels safe now. These are tools of death that should not be available to everyone.

We have other gun threads. Can we not turn this one into a gun thread please?

 

[donkiez]

Again, that's a different discussion. There is a thread for that.

What about the metal health aspects of our children who have regular active shooter drills in elementary school? Is that also a non issue for mental health related issues? Are we allowed to discuss that in the very tight parameters of this conversation?

 

[donkiez]

Deep breathes FAMS.
And you are talking to somebody who has to travel for work year round..... trust me when I tell you I'm not able to be there for my kids all the time....but you gotta handle your shit when you are.

Totally agree. But you do have some advantages not everyone else has. A good job and income, a wife who helps and you own your house I believe. Those three things make having kids a lot easier. It's a different world out there for a lot of people.

 

[donkiez]

We have other gun threads. Can we not turn this one into a gun thread please?

I am talking about other things besides guns. Feel free to reply go those topics

 

[Natebishop3]

I am not talking about other things besides guns. Feel free to reply go those topics

So your argument is that guns are the reason for the mental health crisis in America? They're causing it?

 

[donkiez]

So your argument is that guns are the reason for the mental health crisis in America? They're causing it?

That was an unfortunate typo by me but I think you got my point anyway.

They are part of the cause and they are part of peoples coping mechanism so they deserve to be part of the discussion. There are obviously many other issues but everyone gets so defensive if I bring up guns that's all anyone focuses on. It's ridiculous to not entertain any connection between the two.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

 

[yankeesince59]

Didn't read the link, but social media isn't to blame, it's lazy parenting. Being a quality parent it hard as fuck.

Social media is a bi-product of lazy parenting. And many parents themselves, are also tethered to their phones/social media.

Often times, those same parents, who don't want to be bothered by actually spending time with their children, instead simply pacify them with cell phones/video games. (cheap baby sitting)


A lot of people who have children are also the people who are least prepared to raise them.

 

[Phatguysrule]

What about the metal health aspects of our children who have regular active shooter drills in elementary school? Is that also a non issue for mental health related issues? Are we allowed to discuss that in the very tight parameters of this conversation?

If you have some evidence that the rise in suicides or suicide attempts is due in part to active shooter drills in school then I would be more than happy to look at it.

 

[Phatguysrule]

How is everyone's mental health when you all go out to a super market these days? How about a movie theater? I personally love going to Blazer games and game planning my active shooter escape plan.

You're probably 10x more likely to be shot by a cop at a traffic stop than by a terrorist at one of those locations. Probably about as likely as getting struck by lightning. Schools are safer now than they have been the last several decades...

These are not things people should be spending time worrying about. If you are, you are not engaging in healthy behavior. If you are freaking your kids out about this kind of thing, I'm sorry to say that IMO, you are hindering their chances at being healthy.

It seems like stressing about extremely unlikely stuff may well be a part of the problem. We are currently living in about the safest time to be alive in human history. The elevated level of stress doesn't make sense considering the relative lack of risk.

 

[Strenuus]

I've literally never once even thought about the possibility of an active shooter when doing any of those things. People choose what things to dwell upon.

I do think about it at times but it doesn't stop me from doing most things. I'm cognizant of it. So I probably land more in the middle.

Regardless, it is becoming a thing no matter how much we may or may not think it. (not saying either is right), but it will be interesting in 10 years to see where we are at in feeling safe, because again regardless of where any of us stand on it the general consensus is a lot of people are feeling a lot more unsafe than 5-10 years ago.

I often tell people that back in 08-12 I would walk around downtown any time of day or night and not have a thought that something may occur. The last few years that's changed. It'll probably change again, but where that level has changed to is up to a collaborative effort from both citizens and government officials.

 

[Strenuus]

You're probably 10x more likely to be shot by a cop at a traffic stop than by a terrorist at one of those locations. Probably about as likely as getting struck by lightning. Schools are safer now than they have been the last several decades...

These are not things people should be spending time worrying about. If you are, you are not engaging in healthy behavior. If you are freaking your kids out about this kind of thing, I'm sorry to say that IMO, you are hindering their chances at being healthy.

It seems like stressing about extremely unlikely stuff may well be a part of the problem. We are currently living in about the safest time to be alive in human history. The elevated level of stress doesn't make sense considering the relative lack of risk.

I agree and disagree. "Lack of risk" is based on a lot of factors. Unfortunately, those factors, especially in red states, falls on people who are getting their basic human rights taken away from them. Just because it doesn't affect me, doesn't mean other people don't feel incredibly unsafe. This isn't a soapbox thing, just presenting a reality that a lot of people feel unsafe for a lot of very real reasons as well.

 

[Phatguysrule]

I agree and disagree. "Lack of risk" is based on a lot of factors. Unfortunately, those factors, especially in red states, falls on people who are getting their basic human rights taken away from them. Just because it doesn't affect me, doesn't mean other people don't feel incredibly unsafe. This isn't a soapbox thing, just presenting a reality that a lot of people feel unsafe for a lot of very real reasons as well.

Interesting perspective. Didn't come off like a soapbox thing at all.