Teens and Anxiety Article

This study shows an interesting potential correlation between teenagers and the factors that are causing their anxiety to increase in comparison to similar studies done in 1938. Teens are reporting increased pressure to perform instead of master their goals. Psychologists are also reporting an increase in psychopathic deviation, something along the lines of defiance.
Thinking about the world teens are growing up in compared to the world as it was 72 years ago, elicits some ideas of what teens might be facing. 72 years ago, the options for a career were not as numerous as they are today. It seems that students are required to have dabbled in all of the fields to find one that might eventually suite them for a career. Not only do students have to worry about finding something that suites them, but also what kind of income they can expect. This seems almost to take precedence over choice. Along with those two factors, students must be concerned with competitive performance among their peers in order to be the best candidate for the necessary schooling or for the interviewing process. All of these factors in comparison to 72 years ago when college education was a luxury and people typically became part of the family business or at least learned a trade can add a lot of pressure.
With the plethora of opportunities available today, it is imperative that teachers help their students focus on their intrinsic interests. In this way, teachers can help their students using interest theories that will help students apply whatever subject they may be learning to their career interests. It also seems important that teachers encourage and teach teens to set mastery goals in addition to the performance goals that seem pre-determined by external factors. When students feel confident in their ability to apply their learning to things they enjoy, they will be more likely to maintain healthy levels of anxiety.