[9] According to the report, while the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the trend, the sharp drop in youth mental health had already begun ten years prior.
[5] Between 2014 and 2024, the suicide rate for young Americans aged 10-24 years has risen by 56%, with Black youth experiencing a particularly sharp rise of 78%.
Surgeon General suggested that "messages through the media and popular culture that erode [adolescents'] sense of self-worth" may be responsible.
The book highlighted several negative factors, including social anxiety, attention fragmentation, sleep deprivation, and addiction.
[14] A survey conducted by Politico in April 2024, involving 1,400 medical and mental health professions, identified the following factors as the primary drivers of mental health issues in children: social media (cited by 28% respondents), external events such as school shootings, climate change, war, and political instability (14%), social isolation (13%), and lack of skills to be more independents (12%).